Premature Birth

Premature labour

Approximately 8% of babies are born pre-term (before 37 weeks gestation). There are some known risk factors for ‘prem’ babies like smoking, recreational drugs, mums who are very underweight or overweight, and twin pregnancies. Bleeding in early pregnancy can also be an indicator of the baby being born early. Some mothers go into labour early because of a vaginal infection, and occasionally the waters break early after a vaginal or urine infection. Sometimes there may be no cause found.

What happens?

If labour begins before 34 weeks, you may be given medications to delay the birth while you are transferred to a hospital with a neonatal intensive care unit. You may also be given steroids which encourage your baby’s lungs to produce surfactant which will make it easier for them to breathe if they are born early. You may be given other medications to help protect your baby’s brain. If your waters break and there are no contractions, you may be admitted to the maternity unit for observation until your baby is old enough to be born or labour has to be induced. Labour may be induced if there are signs of infection.

Premature Babies Will Need Help With: 

  • temperature control—in which case they will be put in an incubator
  • fighting off infection
  • breathing
  • feeding (may need to be fed via a tube passed through the nose or mouth into the baby’s stomach or a drip until strong enough to go to the breast or take a bottle). You can help establish milk supply by expressing milk to feed your baby

If you have a premature baby, medical care staff will encourage you to give as much care to your baby as possible. Staff will show you what to do. Sick and premature babies need emotional as well as physical care… and this is best given by the parents. But you need support, too! You may need the help of friends and relatives to get to and from hospital, and to sit with your baby while you take a break.

Fetal movement

Normal growth and regular activity are reassuring signs of a healthy baby. Your LMC will encourage you to be aware of your baby’s movement and activity. If your baby’s movements are reduced, change significantly or are absent you need to contact your LMC immediately.