- Preterm labor and premature birth happen too early, before 37 weeks of pregnancy.
- Babies born prematurely are more likely to have health problems than babies born on time.
- Learn the signs and symptoms of preterm labor so you can get help quickly if they happen to you.
- We don’t always know what causes preterm labor and premature birth. We do know certain risk factors may make you more likely to give birth early.
- Talk to your provider about what you can do to help reduce your risk for preterm labor and premature birth.
What are preterm labor and premature birth?
Preterm and premature mean the same thing — early. Preterm labor is labor that begins early, before 37 weeks of pregnancy. Labor is the process your body goes through to give birth to your baby. Preterm labor can lead to premature birth. Premature birth is when your baby is born early, before 37 weeks of pregnancy. Your baby needs about 40 weeks in the womb to grow and develop before birth.
Babies born before 37 weeks of pregnancy are called premature. Premature babies can have serious health problems at birth and later in life. About 1 in 10 babies is born prematurely each year in the United States.
What are the signs and symptoms of preterm labor?
Signs of a condition are things someone else can see or know about you, like you have a rash or you’re coughing. Symptoms are things you feel yourself that others can’t see, like having a sore throat or feeling dizzy. Learn the signs and symptoms of preterm labor so you can get help quickly if they happen to you.
If you have even one of these signs and symptoms of preterm labor, call your provider right away:
- Change in your vaginal discharge (watery, mucus or bloody) or more vaginal discharge than usual
- Pressure in your pelvis or lower belly, like your baby is pushing down
- Constant low, dull backache
- Belly cramps with or without diarrhea
- Regular or frequent contractions that make your belly tighten like a fist. The contractions may or may not be painful.
- Your water breaks
When you see your provider, he may do a pelvic exam or a transvaginal ultrasound to see if your cervix has started to thin out and open for labor. Your cervix is the opening to the uterus (womb) that sits at the top of the vagina (birth canal). A transvaginal ultrasound is done in the vagina instead of on the outside of your belly. Like a regular ultrasound, it uses sound waves and a computer to make a picture of your baby. If you’re having contractions, your provider monitors them to see how strong and far apart they are. You may get other tests to help your provider find out if you really are in labor.
If you’re having preterm labor, your provider may give you treatment to help stop it. Or you may get treatment to help improve your baby’s health before birth. Talk to your provider about which treatments may be right for you.
