Premature labour
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Every pregnant woman worries about the health of their baby and wants their labour and birth to go smoothly. But what if your baby has other ideas and wants to be born early?
What is premature labour?
Premature labour is when you go into labour before you are 37 weeks pregnant. About 7% of babies are born prematurely in the UK annually, according to baby charity Tommy's - that's about 45,000 a year.
Here's what to look out for, how you can reduce your risk and what it means if it happens to you.
Could premature labour happen to me?
It can happen to any pregnant woman for various reasons, but there are those who are more at risk than others. They are:
- Smokers
- Underweight women
- Young mothers
What are the causes of premature labour?
- Pre-eclampsia
- Foetal abnormalities
- Cervical incompetence
- Multiple pregnancy
- Diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure etc in the mother
- Antenatal haemorrhage
- Stress
- Vaginal and urinary tract infections
- Using recreational drugs
- Previous premature birth
- Previous miscarriages
By Anna Penniceard
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Where to next?
-
Common pregnancy worries
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'A really bad headache can mean pre-eclampsia'
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All you need to know about morning sickness
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Avoiding chickenpox during pregnancy
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Avoiding heartburn in pregnancy
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Bleeding during pregnancy
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Braxton Hicks contractions
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Constipation in pregnancy
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Coping with coughs and colds
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Dealing with morning sickness
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Discharges in pregnancy
