If you are showing signs of preterm labor and are less than 34 weeks pregnant, your doctor may administer a tocolytic medication to suppress labor and give your baby's lungs more time to mature. Tocolytics can reduce contractions, thereby delaying labor, for up to several days.
However, the exact trigger for the onset of labor is unknown. While the signs of labor may vary, the most common are contractions, rupture of the amniotic sac (“breaking your water”) and bloody show.
Bed rest, pelvic rest, and hydration (sometimes with intravenous fluids) can sometimes slow or stop contractions. Women who experience preterm rupture of membranes often take antibiotics to prevent uterine infections which can lead to preterm birth.
Try not to tilt your pelvis forward or backward, and avoid lifting or carrying heavy or bulky items. Contractions. At 37 weeks pregnant, you could start to feel contractions that you might recognize as being similar to menstrual cramping.
Tocolytics may delay labor, often for just a few days. This delay may give you time to get treatment with ACS or to get to a hospital that has a NICU (neonatal intensive care unit). A NICU is a specialized nursery where newborns get medical care.
Warning Signs of Premature Labor
Menstrual-like cramps felt in the lower abdomen that may come and go or be constant. Low dull backache felt below the waistline that may come and go or be constant. Pelvic pressure that feels like your baby is pushing down. This pressure comes and goes.
In early labor, catecholamines (the stress hormones) have the potential to stop labor. When a woman is very frightened—of pain, of the hospital, of the unknown—labor fails to progress. Contractions can become very strong and difficult to handle or, more typically, they become weaker.
Spending most of your time in bed, especially lying on your back, or sitting up at a small angle, interferes with labor progress: Gravity works against you, and the baby might be more likely to settle into a posterior position. Pain might increase, especially back pain.
There is no evidence that bed rest during pregnancy — at home or in the hospital — is effective at treating preterm labor or preventing premature birth.
These three risk factors make you most likely to have preterm labor and give birth early: You've had a premature baby in the past. You're pregnant with multiples (twins, triplets or more). You have problems with your uterus or cervix now or you've had them in the past.
You may not want to slow down during the third trimester, but overtaxing your body could cause your uterus to start these practice contractions. "If you're doing too much, you could cause Braxton Hicks contractions," Dr. Putterman says.
High physical demands, like those listed above, may increase risks for adverse birth outcomes. Prolonged standing or heavy lifting can cause an increased chance of miscarriage or preterm delivery (premature birth).
It's best to avoid lying on your back, especially in late pregnancy, when the weight of the heavy uterus can press on the large blood vessels in your belly. When lying on your side, keep your body in line, with your knees bent slightly, and avoid twisting.
In the days before labour starts, you might notice some subtle signs. It can be hard to tell them apart from your normal pregnancy discomforts. You might notice a change in the discharge from your vagina or a few cramps in your abdomen. You may have a low, dull ache in your back that can come and go.
How Do You Feel 24 Hours Before Labor? Some of the most common things women experience when labor is 24 hours away are cramps and contractions. You might feel that your stomach is becoming tight and may experience discomfort in your lower back. Along with that, you might also experience cramps in your pelvic area.
First babies are less likely to be “on time” at 39 weeks, and more likely to be a little late, between 41 and 43 weeks. Among full-term pregnancies, first babies are born about 1.3 days later on average.
Changes in baby movement
The baby will keep moving until the labor begins, and this movement will continue during the early labor. However, the movement pattern may change. Instead of kicking the womb, the baby may squirm or shuffle. The feeling of the baby's movement provides assurance that the baby is doing well.
Pelvic pressure is a common sign during the later stages of labor. You may feel pressure in your rectum too. Moreno describes it as a feeling “similar to needing to have a bowel movement.” Get ready, because this means that baby's really on the way!
You might wonder whether bending over when pregnant can squish your baby. The chances of something happening to your baby as a result of you bending over are next to none. Your baby is protected by amniotic fluid during pregnancy.
Walking and exercise often make it to the top of the list of things to try. While there's no research that says it will induce labor, 30 minutes of moderate exercise at least five times a week can be helpful in any stage of pregnancy.