Hello all sweet uncles and aunties - I will come to Mamma on 26JUL2010.
Both me and Mamma are a bundle of nerves now !
Dad is busy doing the required running around the hospital and following up with my doctor aunty.
Gosh! I am both excited and scared at the same time .
I havent had much exposure to the 'external' world you know :) I was sort of getting into a comfort zone inside Mamma.
Wish me , Mamma and Daddy luck .
My next post will take sometime as I get accustomed to the external world .
I promise to share with you quite a few pics ( Dad is charging the camera as we speak :))
Goblu
Sunday, July 25, 2010
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
Signs of Premature Labor:
What are preterm labor and preterm birth?
If you start having regular contractions that cause your cervix to begin to open (dilate) or thin out (efface) before you reach 37 weeks of pregnancy, you're in preterm labor, also known as premature labor. If you deliver your baby before 37 weeks, it's called a preterm birth and your baby is considered premature.
About a quarter of all preterm births are intentional. For example, your medical team might decide to induce labor early or perform a cesarean section if you have a serious medical condition such as severe or worsening preeclampsia or if your baby has stopped growing.
The rest are known as spontaneous preterm births. You may end up having a spontaneous preterm birth if you go into labor prematurely, if your water breaks early (called preterm premature rupture of the membranes or PPROM), or if your cervix dilates prematurely with no contractions (called cervical insufficiency).
About 12 percent of babies in the United States are born prematurely. This number has gone up over the years, partly because more women are pregnant with twins or higher order multiples, who tend to arrive early.
Preterm birth can cause health problems or even be fatal for the baby if it happens too early. The more mature a child is at birth, the more likely it is that he will survive and be healthy.
Premature babies born between 34 and 37 weeks generally do very well. If you go into labor before 34 weeks, your medical team may be able to delay your labor for a few days so your baby can be given corticosteroids to help his lungs develop faster, which increases his chance of survival.
http://www.babycenter.com/
Preterm Labor Signs and Symptoms
Premature labor, also known as preterm labor, is a very serious complication of pregnancy. This is defined as labor that begins prior to 37 weeks gestation. Unfortunately, many women do not understand the signs of premature labor. Early detection can help prevent premature birth and possibly enable you to carry your pregnancy to term or to give your baby a better chance of survival.
Signs of Premature Labor
Call your practitioner if you have any of the following:
* Contractions or cramps, more than 5 in one hour
* Bright red blood from your vagina
* Pain during urination, possible urinary tract, bladder or kidney infection
* Sudden gush of clear, watery fluid from your vagina
* Low, dull backache
* Intense pelvic pressure
Prevention of Preterm Labor
While not all cases of preterm labor can be prevented there are a lot of women who will have contractions that can be prevented by simple measures.
One of the first things that your practitioner will tell you to do if you are having contractions is staying very well hydrated. We definitely see the preterm labor rates go up in the summer months. What happens with dehydration is that the blood volume decreases, therefore increasing the concentration of oxytocin (hormone that causes uterine contractions) to rise. Hydrating yourself will increase the blood volume.
Others things that you can do would be to pay attention to signs and symptoms of infections (bladder, yeast, etc.) because they can also cause infections. Keeping all of your appointments with your practitioner and calling whenever you have questions or symptoms. A lot of women are afraid of "crying wolf," but it is much better to be incorrect than to be in preterm labor and not being treated.
Management of Preterm Labor
There are a lot of variables to managing preterm labor, both in medical options and in terms of what is going on with you and/or your baby.
Here are some of the things that you may deal with when in preterm labor.
* Hydration (Oral or IV)
* Bedrest (Home or Hospital), usually left side lying
* Medications to stop labor (Magnesium sulfate, brethine, terbutaline, etc.)
* Medication to help prevent infection (More likely if your membranes have ruptured or if the contractions are caused by infection)
* Evaluation of your baby (Biophysical profile, non-stress or stress tests, amniotic fluid volume index (AFI), ultrasound, etc.)
* Medications to help your baby's lung develop more quickly (Usually if preterm birth in inevitable)
Preparation for preterm birth
The best key is always prevention and early detection. Make sure to ask your practitioner to discuss the signs and symptoms of preterm labor to you and your partner at your next visit.
http://pregnancy.about.com/od/pretermlabor/a/pretermlabor.-KJn.htm
If you start having regular contractions that cause your cervix to begin to open (dilate) or thin out (efface) before you reach 37 weeks of pregnancy, you're in preterm labor, also known as premature labor. If you deliver your baby before 37 weeks, it's called a preterm birth and your baby is considered premature.
About a quarter of all preterm births are intentional. For example, your medical team might decide to induce labor early or perform a cesarean section if you have a serious medical condition such as severe or worsening preeclampsia or if your baby has stopped growing.
The rest are known as spontaneous preterm births. You may end up having a spontaneous preterm birth if you go into labor prematurely, if your water breaks early (called preterm premature rupture of the membranes or PPROM), or if your cervix dilates prematurely with no contractions (called cervical insufficiency).
About 12 percent of babies in the United States are born prematurely. This number has gone up over the years, partly because more women are pregnant with twins or higher order multiples, who tend to arrive early.
Preterm birth can cause health problems or even be fatal for the baby if it happens too early. The more mature a child is at birth, the more likely it is that he will survive and be healthy.
Premature babies born between 34 and 37 weeks generally do very well. If you go into labor before 34 weeks, your medical team may be able to delay your labor for a few days so your baby can be given corticosteroids to help his lungs develop faster, which increases his chance of survival.
http://www.babycenter.com/
Preterm Labor Signs and Symptoms
Premature labor, also known as preterm labor, is a very serious complication of pregnancy. This is defined as labor that begins prior to 37 weeks gestation. Unfortunately, many women do not understand the signs of premature labor. Early detection can help prevent premature birth and possibly enable you to carry your pregnancy to term or to give your baby a better chance of survival.
Signs of Premature Labor
Call your practitioner if you have any of the following:
* Contractions or cramps, more than 5 in one hour
* Bright red blood from your vagina
* Pain during urination, possible urinary tract, bladder or kidney infection
* Sudden gush of clear, watery fluid from your vagina
* Low, dull backache
* Intense pelvic pressure
Prevention of Preterm Labor
While not all cases of preterm labor can be prevented there are a lot of women who will have contractions that can be prevented by simple measures.
One of the first things that your practitioner will tell you to do if you are having contractions is staying very well hydrated. We definitely see the preterm labor rates go up in the summer months. What happens with dehydration is that the blood volume decreases, therefore increasing the concentration of oxytocin (hormone that causes uterine contractions) to rise. Hydrating yourself will increase the blood volume.
Others things that you can do would be to pay attention to signs and symptoms of infections (bladder, yeast, etc.) because they can also cause infections. Keeping all of your appointments with your practitioner and calling whenever you have questions or symptoms. A lot of women are afraid of "crying wolf," but it is much better to be incorrect than to be in preterm labor and not being treated.
Management of Preterm Labor
There are a lot of variables to managing preterm labor, both in medical options and in terms of what is going on with you and/or your baby.
Here are some of the things that you may deal with when in preterm labor.
* Hydration (Oral or IV)
* Bedrest (Home or Hospital), usually left side lying
* Medications to stop labor (Magnesium sulfate, brethine, terbutaline, etc.)
* Medication to help prevent infection (More likely if your membranes have ruptured or if the contractions are caused by infection)
* Evaluation of your baby (Biophysical profile, non-stress or stress tests, amniotic fluid volume index (AFI), ultrasound, etc.)
* Medications to help your baby's lung develop more quickly (Usually if preterm birth in inevitable)
Preparation for preterm birth
The best key is always prevention and early detection. Make sure to ask your practitioner to discuss the signs and symptoms of preterm labor to you and your partner at your next visit.
http://pregnancy.about.com/od/pretermlabor/a/pretermlabor.-KJn.htm
Risk factors associated with premature labor
Some risk factors have been associated with a higher chance of premature labor. However, just because you have some risk factors does not mean that you will experience premature labor. Review the following risks factors and let your health care provider know if any apply to you.
Possible risk factor for premature labor:
- Premature labor or delivery during a previous pregnancy
- Misshapen uterus
- DES (Diethylstilbestrol) daughter (If your mother was prescribed this medication during her pregnancy to prevent miscarriage, you are considered a DES daughter. DES has been linked to shortening of the cervix.)
- Abdominal surgery during pregnancy and/or cervical cerclage (a stitch in your cervix)
- More than two second trimester miscarriages or elective abortions
- Previous Cone Biopsy or LEEP (procedures used to diagnose and/or treat the cervix of women with abnormal Pap tests)
- Carrying more than one baby
- Dehydration
- History of cervical change and/or excessive uterine contractions at less than 33 weeks in a previous pregnancy
- Serious infections with fever (greater than 101 degrees Fahrenheit) during this pregnancy
- Recurring bladder and/or kidney infections
- Excessive amount of amniotic fluid
- Unexplained vaginal bleeding after 20 weeks of pregnancy
- Using recreational drugs, such as cocaine or amphetamines
- Domestic violence
- Smoking more than 10 cigarettes per day
- Extreme emotional or physical stress
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
