How to Deal with Preterm Labor

Preterm labor is labor that occurs before a pregnancy is considered full-term. Generally, full-term is 37 weeks gestation. Preterm labor is a medical emergency, since premature delivery can lead to severe health problems for the infant. Preterm labor is usually treated by medication to stop the contractions, bed rest and pelvic rest.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

1. Have faith in the doctor. Your doctor wants a healthy baby also, has experience in this area and knows what is necessary to deliver a baby as close to full-term as possible.
2. Relax as much as possible. Stress can cause contractions. Find something distracting to do, such as listening to music, typing on a laptop or talking on the phone.
3. Celebrate milestones. Every week closer to full term without more contractions is a miracle to be thankful for.
4. Set goals. Ultimately, full-term is the goal. However, at 28 weeks a baby has a very good chance of survival, at 32 weeks there is little long-term damage, if any, and at 34 weeks the baby rarely needs time in Neonatal Intensive Care. Once a goal is reached, concentrate on the next one.
5. Follow all instructions given by the doctor. If sex is not allowed, then even one time is not OK. If bathroom trips are the only time to be up out of bed, then cleaning just a little is not permitted. Remember that those instructions are for the health of the baby.
6. Remember that even though it's difficult, the outcome is a happy, healthy baby. All these sacrifices can save the baby's life.