Signs of Premature Labor
Early Signs of Labor

• Are you experiencing signs of premature labor and you don’t know why since it is not the time for your baby delivery?
• Are you concerned during your last trimester of having a premature labor, as the only one affected could be your baby?

Premature Labor, also known as pre term labor can lead to a serious problem for your baby.

You may have heard from other moms or even from your own family that you must be very careful during the last trimester of pregnancy, especially between weeks 20 and 37, because your baby can be born prematurely, right? In fact around 12% of pregnancies may have a premature labor.

• What is preterm labor?
• How do I know if I'm at risk of having a preterm labor?
• What are the symptoms of preterm labor?
• How to prevent preterm labor?

What is preterm labor?

Preterm labor occurs when you start having contractions and changes in the cervix before the 37th week of pregnancy. These contractions cause your cervix to open prematurely, causing your baby to be born before the normal gestation period, which is 40 weeks.

If your baby is born prematurely, he/she may have some health problems. This is why it is very important that you pay attention to signs of premature labor.

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How do I know if I'm at risk of having a preterm labor?

• Gum disease. Incredible but it is true.
• Incompetent cervix or uterine abnormalities.
• Chronic diseases such as gestational diabetes, anemia, severe asthma, hypertension, heart disease, kidney disease, etc.
• Infections, especially in the uterus.
• Suffering from hormonal imbalances.
• Fibroids in the uterus.
• Multiple pregnancies.
• Having placenta previa.

Avoid the disgusting signs of premature labor.

There are other risk factors that you can reduce yourself in order for your baby to have the best opportunities of being born healthy and at the appropriate time, between 38 and 40 weeks.

These factors are:

• Getting pregnant after 35 years of age, even at an early age before 17 years.
• Perform heavy physical activities during pregnancy.
• Smoking, alcohol and drug abuse.
• Poor nutrition during pregnancy causing low weight gain. Help yourself with a Healty Pregnancy Diet.

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What are the symptoms of preterm labor?

Sometimes the first signs of premature labor may be too late, and you will be definitely on your way of having a premature baby.

But there is always a possibility of reducing the risks. How is that possible? As soon as you feel any of the following early signs of labor, call your doctor for instructions. The sooner you identify the first signs, the better opportunities you will have of reducing the risks of preterm labor. It’s a matter of time and act immediately.

Here you have some warning signs:

• Pelvic pressure. This sign is very common in most pregnant women in the last weeks, but should not be before week 37, so be careful and watch up your body.
• Diarrhea.
• Abdominal cramping.
• Backache.
• Bleeding, vaginal discharge, leaking or rupture of membranes (gushing of amniotic fluid).
• Put into practice your sixth sense and you probably will feel that something is not right.
• And finally the most common signs of premature labor are: Contractions, but do you know how to feel them? How do you know if it is a contraction or something else?

  Contractions do not always cause pain. Many moms describe them as follows:

  • The stomach gets hard and firm.
  • There is a feeling like the baby is balling up.
  • Some women may feel them more like cramps.
  • Contractions may not always feel in the front of the abdomen.
  • Contractions can masquerade as a mild backache that is constant or that comes and goes.

  Having more than four contractions in an hour is a warning sign.

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How to prevent preterm labor?

However, there are some considerations that you should know to minimize risks of early pre term labor. What you going to try to do is to extend a little longer the gestation period for your baby in order to gain greater strength and weight.

The way to prevent preterm labor is basically to stop or minimize the contractions. How can you stop or decrease contractions?

Try the following recommendations:

• Stay well hydrated; try to take 8 to 10 glasses of fluid each day.
• At the same time keep your bladder empty. It shall be a process of water in and water out in order to prevent to irritate the uterus.
• Do not lift heavy things. We normally get used to lift any thing and we do not measure how much weight it is, but unfortunately we lift first and then we realize too late that the weight was too much. If you have children, forget it, do not attempt to lift them, your partner is there to help with your kids.
• Take frequent rests and try to lie down on your left side. This will help the blood flow to your baby.

As you can see, these recommendations are very simple but I'm sure will help to prolong the growth of your baby and to avoid a preterm labor. But do not forget to always be aware of signs of premature labor.

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If you have been diagnosed with the risk of premature labor, consider the following recommendations to reduce risks.

Premature labor, like many other complications during pregnancy., has a basic principle to avoid it:

• Maintain a healthy life, free from alcohol, smoking and drugs.
• Improve your lifestyle and your habits.
• Combine your health with your doctor's orders.
• Do not fail to the recommendations of your doctor.
• Try to plan your pregnancy in advance to be prepared healthfully. And always keep observing signs of premature labor.
• Visit the Dentist: As odd as it May sound, There Is a Link Between strange gum disease and premature labor. For That reason, you should visit your dentist for regular check-ups.
• Moderate your exercise routines during pregnancy.
• If you already had a premature baby, do not blame yourself. It is not possible to anticipate a premature labor.

Bleeding | Miscarriage | Ectopic Pregnancy | Cholestasis | Placenta Previa