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