Special Birth Issues by Shalene Chamings
Preterm labour is labour that begins before 37 completed weeks of pregnancy. Preterm labour can happen to anyone and it is often not known why. Preterm labour may result in your baby being born too soon.
Preterm babies are at higher risk of:
* breathing difficulties
* sucking and swallowing problems
* jaundice (yellowish skin)
* infections
* bruising and bleeding
* problems maintaining body temperature
* longer hospital stays
The earlier your baby is born before term, the greater the
risk of developing lifelong problems, such as:
* vision problems
* breathing difficulties
* learning problems
* walking difficulties
What causes preterm labour?
We do not know what causes most preterm labour. It is known that the chance of having preterm labour is
more likely if you:
* have already had a preterm baby
* are carrying more than one baby (twins, triplets)
* smoke and are exposed to smoke in pregnancy
* do not eat a healthy diet
* are using alcohol and/or drugs
* work long hours which cause you to be very tired
* are physically or emotionally abused
* have a chronic illness, such as diabetes, heart disease,
or kidney disease
* have a current bladder or kidney infection or
high blood pressure
What can you and your partner do to decrease
your risk of preterm labour?
* go to regular prenatal visits with your doctor
or midwife
* follow Canada’s Food Guide to Healthy Eating
* do not smoke, drink alcohol, or use drugs
* seek help if you are abused
* avoid strenuous work and do not work for
more than 8 hours
* talk with your health care practitioner about
extra stress in your life
* try to have time to rest each day
* wear your seat belt low and over the pelvic bones,
with the shoulder belt worn normally
* listen to your body–talk with your health care
practitioner if you feel that something is different
What are the signs of preterm labour?
* bleeding from the vagina
* a trickle or gush of fluid from your vagina
* stomach pains or bad cramps that don’t go away
* lower back pain or pressure or a change in
lower backache
* pressure in the pelvis, feeling that the baby is
pushing down
* contractions–they feel regular and don’t go
away when you walk or rest
* an increase in the amount of vaginal discharge
* feeling that something is just not right
Our daughter was born at 34 weeks gestation by caesarean section. My wife had really high blood pressure and the baby was
being stressed. I watched her heart beat going down with every cramp. It was a very scary thing for both of us. I had to leave the operating room because my wife was having a general anesthetic, which was the fastest way to get the baby out. I didn’t know if I would see a live, healthy baby come out of that room or not. It turned out she was very small, but healthy. She did need to stay in the special care nursery for a few weeks though. I’d have to say that was one of the most frightening things we have ever gone through.
What do I do if I think I’m in preterm labour?
Contact your health care practitioner and go to the
hospital right away. You need to be examined by a
doctor or midwife. This can make a big difference
to your baby’s health.
About the Author
I am a mother of four beautiful girls who greatly enjoys motherhood.
www.anewbornbaby.com/blog/