THE BAMBINO GT PREMIUM R1 999.99 Baby City and Baby Boom
L
abour that starts before 37 weeks is called preterm labour. Although nine months of
pregnancy feels like a lifetime, this doesn’t mean you want to go into early labour or have a premature baby. Dr
Trudy Smith, an
obstetrician at the Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Academic Hospital,
stresses
the importance of good antenatal care and recognising the signs of early labour so that women can get help. “Although we can’t always identify the cause of premature labour, we know which mothers are at risk, so we can monitor them carefully throughout the pregnancy, in an effort to prevent or minimise complications,” says Dr Smith. One of the biggest problems labour is
with premature that baby’s lungs
don’t have time to develop properly. “Sometimes spontaneous labour can be stopped or controlled long enough to mature the baby’s lungs, to minimise complications,” she says. “But when the mother’s life is at risk because there is no way of stopping vaginal bleeding or
controlling induced hypertension
pregnancy (high
blood pressure), we have SHOULDEXPECT WHATYOU
no choice but to deliver the baby early.”
THE CAUSE
Premature labour may be caused by complications with the baby, the womb, hormones or other circumstances. For example, a big baby (either because of genetics or gestational diabetes) can overstretch the womb, as does a multiple pregnancy or polyhydramnios (too much amniotic fluid).
The cervix (mouth of the womb) may be weak and unable to “hold” the baby beyond six months. Infections, leaking amniotic fluid and vaginal bleeding are all associated with early labour. “Women with pregnancy induced hypertension may also need to deliver early,” says Dr Smith.
CAN YOU PREVENT IT?
So what can women do to minimise risks? “It’s important for a woman to go to her doctor or clinic regularly during pregnancy and to report anything abnormal,” says Dr Smith. Signs of early labour include regular contractions with low abdominal cramping
One of the badges of pregnancy is the linea nigra – a dark line running from the pubic hair to the navel. This line will fade a few months after birth. Before pregnancy most women are unaware of this line that’s the same colour as the skin – until pregnancy hormones, which cause certain areas of the skin to darken, give it away.
Baby essential
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