Premature labour and birth – some facts
If your baby is born before the end of week 37, it is considered to be premature. Some premature babies need no assistance after birth, but others need help to breathe. Babies’ lungs are one of the last organs to fully develop in the womb because they do not need to use them properly until they are born and start breathing air. This is why premature babies sometimes have breathing problems and have to be transferred to the Special Care Baby Unit or SCBU.
Pre-term labour can occur if:
Pre-eclampsia or renal disease is present in the mother
The placenta is not working properly, and the baby stops growing
There has been a complicated delivery, i.e. cord prolapse, placental abruption or ante partum haemorrhage
The mother is showing signs of Eclampsia
Premature labour can happen to any women, despite having a normal pregnancy but there are women who may be at more risk of having a premature baby:
You are more likely to have a pre-term birth if you have had one previously with another baby
If you are carrying twins or multiples you will probably go into pre-term labour because there is no room left in your tummy to reach full-term.
You are younger than 17 or older than 35
Can pre-term labour be stopped?
If your medical team think it is safer to stop you going into pre-term labour and better to let your baby grow for as long as it can, they may give you medication to stop labour. Premature babies born between 34 and 37 weeks have a very good chance of doing well, but if your labour starts before 34 weeks you may be given medication to delay labour until you reach at least 34 weeks. You will have to stay in hospital to be monitored and will need lots of rest.
How do I know if I am in pre-term labour?
Symptoms of pre-term labour will be similar to going into full-term labour, so you may experience any one, or all of these:
Some vaginal bleeding or spotting
An increase in vaginal discharge
Discharge that looks watery or mucus-like (this could be a 'show')
Menstrual-like cramping, lower abdominal pain and more than four contractions in one hour
Pressure in your pelvic area
Lower back pain
Contact your midwife or maternity unit immediately if any of these symptoms happen.
Premature babies can often be born by a normal vaginal birth, but depending on the circumstances, you may need medical assistance. When you arrive at the maternity ward you will be assessed by the medical team who will advise you on how best you should procede. Sometimes it is safer for babies to be born by caesarean section if they are very premature to avoid any complications that can happen with a vaginal birth.
What can I do to help my premature baby?
Premature babies need lots of love and support, and it is very
important for you and your partner to be close to, and touch your baby.
Lots of hospitals now encourage Kangaroo care for premature infants,
where you and your partner are encouraged to carry your naked baby
around inside your clothes and against your skin. Ask your SCBU unit
for details. Talking to and stroking your baby so he can feel you
close, and hearing the familiar voices he has heard whilst inside the
womb are going to help him get stronger, and will help to establish
that bond. Your SCBU unit will help with breastfeeding, which is also
important for premature babies, both with nutrition and helping them to
gain weight and with the bond breastfeeding creates between you and
your baby.
See our articles on Bonding with your baby, what will the future hold for my premature baby, breastfeeding premature babies and getting my premature baby into good sleep habits.
Last Modified: 07/05/2007
Related Chat 6
hi, my son was born at 30 weeks, and wieghed 3lb 12 oz. he was fine 2 apert from being small. he spent 9 days in scbu. im now preg with my 2nd and am scared incase this 1 comes early 2 but leat i know what 2 expect this time. my pregnancy is being monitored very closly, im 14 weeks and have had 2 scans already, i have 2 see a consultant in november 2 asses me 2 check everythin ok. hopefuly this 1 will go full term.just gota wait and see. everything was fine with my sons pregnancy and like tashatissue my waters just broke then 2 days later i gave birth naturaly. fingers crossed hey xxx
Hi, I hope everything went ok with your second pregnancy. Forgive me for being nosey but did baby come early?
hi, my son was born at 30 weeks, and wieghed 3lb 12 oz. he was fine 2 apert from being small. he spent 9 days in scbu. im now preg with my 2nd and am scared incase this 1 comes early 2 but leat i know what 2 expect this time. my pregnancy is being monitored very closly, im 14 weeks and have had 2 scans already, i have 2 see a consultant in november 2 asses me 2 check everythin ok. hopefuly this 1 will go full term.just gota wait and see. everything was fine with my sons pregnancy and like tashatissue my waters just broke then 2 days later i gave birth naturaly. fingers crossed hey xxx
My son alfie was born at 34 weeks weighing 4lb 13 he was in special care for nearly 2 weeks which is really good he was a feeder and a grower......
my pregnancy was fine blood pressure fine all the way through.. so when my waters broke i was very scared... i went in to hospital on the saturday and was shown around special care just to see what it was like and where my baby would be going which put my mind at ease.
when my son was born the following tuesday and he was just perfect and looked so tiny he got jaundice which is quite common in prem babies. i remember bathing him for the first time and was so scared i'd hurt him because he was so small it took a long while for my confidence to grow.
apart from that he ws fine and healthy he's nearly 8 months old now
we have talked about having another baby but not just yet and i know that i have more then a 15% chance that my next could be prem again but i know what to expect now.
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