Help prevent your baby coming too early (premature birth)
Babies who are born too early can have many problems right from the start.
In fact, many newborns die
because they are born way too early.
They’re simply not ready to be born.
Some situations that put you at risk for premature
birth are beyond your control.
For example, moms
who are under 17, over 35, or expecting twins can
be at risk.
Also, moms who’ve already delivered a
baby early may deliver early again.
But the good
news is there are things you can do to help.
Just
make sure to follow these healthy living guidelines:
Get good prenatal care – Get care early. And
go to all of your appointments.
You don’t want
to wait until later in your pregnancy to start
seeing your doctor.
Make healthy lifestyle choices – Eat well and
don’t let yourself get stressed.
You don’t ever
want to smoke, drink alcohol or take drugs.
Take care of all your health issues – Tooth
and gum disease or infections aren’t only bad
for you, but can also affect your pregnancy.
Make sure you talk to your doctor about all your
health issues and conditions.
If you’ve had a premature birth before and are now
pregnant with one baby, you may be able to get
progesterone shots. These shots, also called 17‑P
may help prevent premature birth. Just talk to your
doctor to see if this treatment is right for you.
Key facts about premature birth
A baby is considered premature when born before
37 weeks. And the earlier the baby comes, the more
danger there is to the baby. If your baby is born too
early, you can expect the following issues:
Your baby won’t weigh as much as he or she
needs to. This means they can’t keep warm by
themselves nor have enough energy to eat
and grow.
Premature babies can be very sick and can
spend most of their first year of life in
the hospital.
Premature babies may need special care
throughout their whole lives.
You should carry your baby as long
as possible
You want to give your baby all the time he
or she needs to grow. It’s true that there are
times a baby will need to be born before 39
weeks. But in these cases, early birth is for
medical reasons. So if everything is going well,
it’s always best to wait until your baby comes
naturally. You shouldn’t induce labor between
37 and 39 weeks if you don’t need to.