Do the following to help prevent a preterm birth:
- Drink 8-10 glasses of liquid every day.
- Prevent and treat constipation.
- Empty your bladder frequently.
- Decrease stress in your life.
- Avoid strenuous activities if they produce contractions.
- Stop smoking.
- Do not prepare your nipples for breast feeding.
- Report signs of a bladder infection.
- Check daily for contractions and warning signs.
- Eat regular and nutritious meals.
Check twice daily for contractions (30 minutes each time):
- Lie on your left side with a pillow behind your back for support.
- Place your fingertips on your abdomen.
- When uterus feels tight and hard, then soft, that is a contraction.
- Note the time and the start of one tightening to the start of the next tightening.
- It is normal to have some contractions during pregnancy. If you feel more than five in an hour, it is too many.
Be aware of warning signs:
- Change in vaginal discharge. If discharge is watery or bloody mucous, call your physician immediately.
- Increased pelvic pressure for an hour.
- Menstrual-like cramps for an hour.
- Dull backache below waistline for an hour.
- Five or more uterine contractions or feelings of tightening in an hour.
- Abdominal cramping for an hour, with or without diarrhea.
- "Something just does not feel right" or "something feels different."
Do the following if any warning signs occur:
- Empty your bladder of urine.
- Drink three glasses of water.
- Lie down on your left side for one hour.
- Check for contractions. Write down the time each one starts.
If warning signs do not go away in one hour, contact the Clinic.
|
