Back to Signs of labour. Premature labour is labour that happens before the 37th week of pregnancy. About 8 out of babies will be born prematurely. The midwife or hospital will offer checks, tests and monitoring to find out whether:.
These may include a vaginal examination, blood test, urine test and cardiotocography to record contractions and the baby's heartbeat. They'll need to check you and your baby to find out whether you're in labour and discuss your care choices with you.
In some cases, pre-term labour is planned and induced because it's safer for the baby to be born sooner rather than later. This could be because of a health condition in the mother such as pre-eclampsia or in the baby. Your midwife and doctor will discuss with you the benefits and risks of continuing with the pregnancy versus your baby being born premature.
You can still make a birth plan and discuss your wishes with your birth partner, midwife and doctor. If your waters have broken called preterm pre-labour rupture of membranes, P-PROM , there's an increased risk of infection for you and your baby.
You'll be offered:. P-PROM does not definitely mean you're going into labour but you may be advised to stay in hospital for a few days. When you go home, you'll be advised to call your midwife or maternity unit immediately if:. If your pre-term labour is planned or unplanned or if your waters have broken prematurely, you may be offered steroid injections.
Your midwife or doctor should discuss with you the symptoms of pre-term labour and offer checks to see if you're in labour. These checks can include asking you about your medical and pregnancy history, and about possible labour signs, such as:.
Preterm birth, or premature birth, is usually an unplanned event. Depending on the causes of the birth and how premature the baby is, it may also be an emergency. This section explores the causes of premature birth, the signs of premature birth, and strategies to delay premature birth. In many cases, premature birth cannot be avoided. Premature birth can have many causes which include problems with the fetus, the mother, or both. However, about fifty percent of the time, the cause or causes of a premature birth are unknown.
When the cause is known, premature birth most frequently comes as a result of a premature rupture of the fetal membranes which initiates labour. There are a number of factors that can put a pregnant woman at higher risk for having a premature labour and delivery.
If you had a previous premature labour, your chance of having another premature labour increases two and a half times. That rate jumps to 10 times if your previous premature labour occurred before the 28th week of pregnancy. It is important for you and your health care provider to keep this in mind, so that they can provide you with appropriate care throughout your pregnancy. Some of the reasons are:. Remember, if any or all of these risks apply to you, you may still have a full term pregnancy.
And, if you have none of the risks, you may still have a premature labour. After 20 weeks of pregnancy, you may have a tight feeling in your womb. These contractions are called Braxton Hicks contractions also known as false contractions — they are your body preparing for giving birth, not the start of labour. If your pregnancy is your first, the feeling may be quite strong and even painful.
Late in pregnancy, it can be hard to tell Braxton Hicks contractions from the real start of labour. Look for these differences:. You may experience false labour before your real labour. It tends to happen in late pregnancy, and more often affects women who have had a baby before. False labour contractions can be painful, so they may seem to be the real thing. However, they are usually short less than 45 seconds and irregular, and they cause discomfort in different places — such as your groin, your lower abdomen or your back.
True labour contractions are usually regular and become longer and stronger. They cause pain that starts at the top of your womb and moves down to your pubic bone.
You can feel the pain in your lower back and pelvis too. If your waters break, or you start contractions before 37 weeks of pregnancy, call your midwife, doctor or hospital immediately at any time of day or night. You may also need help if you have any of the following symptoms. Other signs of labour can be that your baby stops moving, or moves less. If you experience any of these labour symptoms before 37 weeks, see a midwife or doctor as quickly as possible.
After you speak with your midwife or doctor, you will probably have to go to the hospital. Don't drive yourself. If no-one can drive you, call and ask for an ambulance. At the hospital, staff will check whether the neck of you womb cervix is shortening and opening, which indicates labour has started. They may test for infection. The presence of this substance can help your doctor decide if there is a risk of your baby being born sooner rather than later.
If it is not clear whether you are in labour, the hospital will admit you to the antenatal ward to keep an eye on you. If you are less than 34 weeks pregnant , the hospital can give you medication to slow down your labour. This may delay the birth for long enough to transfer you to a hospital with a neonatal intensive care unit.
If you are more than 34 weeks pregnant , your doctors will probably allow labour to continue at its own pace. Your baby is likely to do very well even though he or she will be small. The hospital will offer you steroid injections to help your baby's lungs develop and to reduce breathing difficulties after birth.
This help is needed because a baby is not fully ready to breathe air until about 36 weeks of pregnancy. But you may need one if you are bleeding or your baby is distressed. You may go into premature labour unexpectedly. Or you may have pregnancy complications that mean you know an early birth is likely or definite. However it happens, you will probably feel shocked to find you are giving birth weeks or months earlier than full term.
And you may feel worried about your baby.
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