Though most babies will arrive when they have to, there are certain avoidable reasons why labor may start early or delivery may be premature.
Also it is a growing trend to slot childbirth into convenient time frames – an elective C section for instance, may be sandwiched between professional commitments or social obligations and in doing so a lot of babies arrive into the world too early.
A new study published by Web MD cautions that babies born between 39 and 41 weeks fare better than babies born before the 39th week of pregnancy.
So what can be done to minimize chances of a preterm labor and delivery?
It is advisable to wait at least a year and a half after having one child, to have a second one. Research has shown that closely spaced pregnancies increase the risk of preterm labor and so pregnancies should be sufficiently far apart.
Smoking, illegal drugs and even some prescriptions drugs are best avoided altogether during pregnancy for many different reasons. One of these reasons is that they increase risk of preterm labor and low birth weight of the child.
Certain pregnancies can benefit from taking rest or observing certain dos and don’ts as prescribed by the doctor. These should be followed diligently so that a woman can be sure that she is doing all that she can to avoid a preterm pregnancy.
Some women are seen to have risk pregnancies or they may be at higher risk of preterm labor due to genetic or other factors. These women may be advised bed rest (particularly during certain parts of the pregnancy) or they may be advised to stop working earlier than would otherwise be the requirement.
In such cases, moderation, even in exercise may be advisable though on the whole exercise is to be highly recommended during pregnancy.
This is not just because of the calcium loss and loose gums that many women experience during pregnancy. It is also because gum disease appears to be somehow related to preterm labor. So for several reasons, it is a good idea to be regular in your visits to the dentist during your pregnancy.
If you notice white discharge at the onset of your pregnancy, don’t get all worked…
“Naah… not again… it was a false alarm.†You must have heard many pregnant women…
Trying to conceive? You may have to fight and eliminate these foes from your diet…
Ear infection is a very common childhood ailment that most of us have suffered at…
Morning sickness can be the worst of all miseries of pregnancy. Few women face it…
You will know your baby is colicky when she cries uncontrollable all day and night,…
View Comments
This is a great post. Many women who are pregnant for the first time don't think it will happen to them. I skipped right over the chapter about Eclampsia because it only pertained to 5% of women. And it happened to me.