| Complications - Premature Labor | | | | watery, pinkish, or brownish in color. |
| | | | |
| Premature or preterm labor is when a woman | | | | Complications - Some Pregnancy Problems |
| goes into labor before the 37 th week of | | | | without Symptoms |
| pregnancy, or three weeks before her due | | | | |
| date. According to the U.S. Department of | | | | Some Pregnancy Problems without Symptoms Some |
| Health & Human Services, the earlier pre-term | | | | health problems your spouse may have during |
| labor is spotted and treated, the better | | | | pregnancy do not have warning signs. |
| chance of stopping it. When symptoms go | | | | According to the U.S. Department of Health & |
| untreated, the cervix may open and cause an | | | | Human Services, one of these is Group B |
| early birth of the baby. | | | | Streptococcus (GBS) infection. GBS is a |
| | | | common infection that rarely makes adults |
| Premature babies need intensive care in the | | | | sick. The bacterium lives in the |
| hospital to help with breathing, feeding, and | | | | gastrointestinal system, along with many |
| regulation of body temperature. Any woman can | | | | other harmless bacteria. |
| have pre-term labor, but some women have a | | | | |
| higher risk. Problems with the uterus or | | | | According to the U.S. Department of Health & |
| placenta and a history of pre-term birth with | | | | Human Services, between 10 to 30 percent of |
| another pregnancy increase the risk of | | | | pregnant women carry GBS in their vagina and |
| preterm labor. Dehydration also boosts the | | | | rectums. But, if GBS is passed to the baby |
| chances of pre-term labor. | | | | during delivery, it can cause serious health |
| | | | problems in the newborn baby, such as |
| So make sure your spouse drinks plenty of | | | | pneumonia, blood infection, or infection of |
| water especially in warm weather and after | | | | the tissues around the brain. |
| exercise to keep from becoming dehydrated. | | | | |
| Call your doctor right away if your spouse | | | | Because there are no symptoms of GBS, she |
| displays any of these signs of premature | | | | will be tested at 35 to 37 weeks of |
| labor: | | | | pregnancy. The simple test involves swabbing |
| | | | the vagina and rectum for a sample of cells |
| * Contractions - She may or may not feel | | | | that are sent to a lab to look for GBS. If |
| pain, but her abdomen or stomach will get | | | | she is infected, she will be treated with |
| very hard (feel like it is tightening) and | | | | intravenous (IV) antibiotics during labor and |
| then relax, on and off. | | | | delivery to make sure the baby is protected. |
| | | | |
| * Menstrual-like cramping - she may or may | | | | Another problem is anemia, or having |
| not be uncomfortable with these cramps that | | | | below-normal levels of iron in the blood. |
| feel like menstrual cramps. | | | | Iron is needed for hemoglobin (a protein in |
| | | | blood that helps take oxygen to body tissues |
| * Gas-type pains - Sharp pains in her | | | | for energy and growth) for your spouse and |
| stomach, diarrhea or nausea may be a sign of | | | | your baby. Iron also helps build bones and |
| trouble. | | | | teeth. Most women do not have any symptoms of |
| | | | anemia. For those who do, extreme fatigue is |
| * Low pelvic pressure - She may feel like the | | | | often the only sign. Your doctor will check |
| baby is putting a lot of pressure down very | | | | for signs of anemia using routine blood tests |
| low inside. | | | | during different stages of the pregnancy. If |
| | | | your spouse has anemia, she will be given |
| * Low backache - She may have a very strong | | | | iron supplements. |
| ache in her lower back or could just feel a | | | | |
| dull ache in that area. | | | | Also an ectopic pregnancy is left untreated, |
| | | | the embryo will continue to grow till it |
| * Blood from her vagina - Light spotting or a | | | | ruptures the fallopian tube. This could |
| significant amount of blood should be | | | | result in complications, and may even be |
| reported to the doctor right away. Blood can | | | | fatal for the expecting mother. |
| be red or brown in color. | | | | |
| | | | According to the U.S. Department of Health & |
| Increased discharge from her vagina - Much | | | | Human Services, you can help her prevent |
| more discharge than what she is used to | | | | anemia by getting her to eat lots of |
| during her pregnancy can be a sign of preterm | | | | iron-rich foods like lean red meat, potatoes |
| labor. A sudden gush of a lot of water, or a | | | | with skins, raisins, broccoli, leafy green |
| small trickle that is continuous should also | | | | vegetables, whole-grain breads and |
| be reported to the doctor. Discharge can be | | | | iron-fortified cereals. |