Posts Tagged ‘preterm birth’

A recent study conducted by the March of Dimes and BabyCenter, showed that health care providers are not talking to moms early enough about preterm birth. Only 1 in 4 women surveyed had received information about preterm labor before they reached their 2^nd trimester. Providers stated that they didn’t want the moms to have unnecessary fear and anxiety. At our Premature Infant Health Network meeting in July, we had a mother tell her story about when she delivered her extremely premature baby. No one had told her about the symptoms of preterm labor or that it was a possibility even in healthy pregnancies. I would imagine that she was experiencing more fear than if she had been informed beforehand. 

Knowing about the risks for preterm birth is important for all moms. Some risk factors should be managed before a woman becomes pregnant or early during her pregnancy. Some moms in the study were not told that having a previous premature birth would put them at risk for it to happen again. 

If you would like to learn more about preterm labor read our past blog posts Risks for Preterm Labor and Preterm Labor Can Happen to You .

Local pregnant women or moms who recently had a baby: when did your doctor or midwife talk to you about preterm labor?  How did learning about preterm labor make you feel?

Source: New Survey Reveals Communication about Preterm Birth is Too Little, Too Late

 Stress can take its toll on all of us and impact every part of our bodies. The impact of stress can range from minor to severe. Minor side effects may include: heartburn, nausea, aches and pains, acne, lack of energy, decreased or increased appetite, etc. Wow! If you’re pregnant, you’ve probably experienced some or all of these. Stress effects are very similar to the symptoms of pregnancy, so it may be difficult to differentiate whether it is pregnancy or stress that is causing your complications. The best thing for you to do is to try to manage your stress and hopefully reduce some of the side effects.

Yes, we all experience stress, but it is especially important for pregnant women to try to reduce their stress. High levels of stress can contribute to preterm birth or low- birthweight. Refer to our last post to see how you can recognize when you’re stressed.

 Sources: Mental Health America ; March of Dimes