Preventing preterm labor for women

By Injil Abu Bakar

NEW YORK (JP): No two women are alike when it comes to labor, and there is no formula for preventing it. While some women can do almost anything while pregnant and never feel any symptoms, others have to be more careful.

When reading the following advice, keep in mind that you only need to change those activities that bring on preterm labor symptoms.

For example, if climbing stairs is not a problem, you do not need to do anything differently. If, however, it brings on any of the symptoms listed in this article, you need to figure out how to change your routine to avoid this activity as much as possible.

Watching out for signs of preterm labor is just one thing you can do to protect your baby. It is important that you get enough rest, seek early and regular prenatal care and make sure that you and your baby get good nutrition. Even though nutritional factors usually do not cause early labor, it is important to get the right amount of healthy foods so your baby can grow and gain weight.

Pregnant women should eat a variety of vegetables, fruit, breads, meat, milk and other protein foods. Women of average height and weight should gain 25 to 35 pounds during pregnancy. If you are having problems eating or are not gaining weight, talk to your doctor.

All women of childbearing age should take a daily multivitamin containing 400 micrograms of the B vitamin folic acid as well as a healthy diet rich in fortified foods and natural sources of folic acid. Taking folic acid before conception and in early pregnancy can help reduce the risk of birth defects of the brain and spinal cord called neural tube defects.

What is premature birth?

Preterm or "premature" birth is when your baby is born three weeks or more before your due date. You may have seen pictures of preemie babies in their hospital incubators. Some are very tiny, some are not as small, but all were born before 37 weeks of pregnancy.

Ideally babies should be born sometime around 40 weeks of pregnancy. This gives their organs enough time to mature and function well. When babies are born preterm, they have a much higher risk of having health problems throughout their lives.

They may not be able to suck or to digest well and they may have breathing problems. The good news is that there are many simple things a pregnant woman can do that may help prevent preterm labor.

Who is at high risk?

You may have been told by your doctor that you are "at risk" for preterm labor. This can be frightening to hear -- especially when you are aware of the health problems your baby could have if born prematurely. No one can predict who will go into labor too early, but some women seem to have preterm labor more than others.

Women at highest risk include: * Women younger than 17 years or older than 35 * Women who are carrying twins or any multiple pregnancy * Women who have had more than 3 abortions * Women who have already had a preterm baby * Women who have strenuous activity at work

Remember, many women who have none of these risk factors deliver before they are at full term. All women should be aware of the warning signs of preterm labor.

How can you help prevent preterm labor?

Whether or not you have been told you are at high risk for preterm labor, you should know what you can do to help prevent it. Many women give birth too early even if they are not at high risk. You should always contact your doctor right away if you have any symptoms of preterm labor.

Know what to look for and follow these precautions: * See your health care provider for a pre-pregnancy visit. * Become aware of the signals your body gives you. * Learn the steps you can take to ease preterm labor symptoms should they occur. * Understand which activities might be contributing to the symptoms of preterm labor. * Look at how you can change your daily activities to reduce or avoid preterm symptoms.

Signs and symptoms

Never ignore any of these symptoms: * Menstrual-like cramps (constant or occasional) * Low, dull backache (constant or occasional) * Pelvic pressure (feels like the baby is pushing down) * Abdominal cramping (with or without diarrhea) * Increase or change in mucous vaginal discharge * Uterine contractions every 10 minutes or more often (may be painless)

Call your doctor right away if you are bleeding or you feel water leaking from your vagina.

What to do when you experience preterm labor symptoms? 1. Stop what you are doing. 2. Lie down on your left side for one hour. 3. Drink 2 to 3 glasses of water or juice. 4. Call your health care provider or go to the hospital if the symptoms get worse during that hour. 5. Return to light activity if the symptoms go away after that hour. Do not do what you were doing when the symptoms began. 6. If the symptoms come back after an hour of rest, call your provider. Never ignore your symptoms or assume they are not important. 7. Be sure to tell your provider at your next prenatal visit what symptoms you had and what you did about them.

The writer is a generl practitioner based in Denpasar, Bali. She can be contacted at injila@hotmail.com.