Giving Birth Early

You expect to give birth around your due date. In fact, you may worry that you are going to go over and be miserable for longer than you need to be. Pregnancy can be long for some women, as each day can drag by as you wait to meet your new baby. What most do not expect is that they may be giving birth early. If you find that you are suddenly in labor or feel that you may be, and you do not know what to do, try to remember to stay calm and get to the hospital as quickly as you can. If you stay calm, what may come will be easier to handle.

You know that you may have what are called Braxton Hicks contractions. These are harmless and will go away. Some think of them as practice contractions. However, if you are having contractions and they do not stop and go away once you lie down and rest for a while, you must call your doctor. If they come steady and are less then ten minutes apart, go to the nearest hospital immediately as you may be giving birth soon. If you are giving birth early, you want to be in a hospital nearby instead of driving to one far away. Get there as soon as you can.

If you are told your baby is coming and you are giving birth soon, a few things could happen. You will probably need to be near a NICU (Neonatal Intensive Care Unit), but that is not always possible. If one is nearby, they may give you something to slow your contractions and then you will be transported if possible. If not, the baby may have to be born where you are and then stabilized to be sent right away. Not all hospitals can handle a preemie, so you may be transported no matter what is going on or how far away you have to go. Luckily, for most people, this is a short trip and everything will be just fine.

When giving birth early, expect a birth experience unlike a full term one. You are going to be scared, but you should remember that premature babies have a better chance than ever, and that the staff at the hospital knows what to do. This happens more often than you think. Listen to and take the advice of the nurse assisting you, as he or she is there to help. When giving birth early, expect a lot of people to be in the delivery room. A small staff from the NICU needs to be there to help the baby as soon as possible. You may not notice the extra people, but if you do, try to relax. They are there to help care for your baby.

Nothing about giving birth early is easy. You may not get to touch or hold your baby right away, which is very hard on new moms. You may have to go home without your baby because they have to stay in the NICU until they are healthy enough to come home. This is probably one of the hardest things to bear for new parents of a premature baby. Remember that your baby is in the best possible place, and that most NICU settings will allow you to help care for your baby, even if it is in a limited fashion. They understand better than anyone what you are going through, and they will do all they can to help you through it. Lean on them and your spouse, friends, and family, and you will get through giving birth early and what is to come after.