Having suffered a history of miscarriage 2 years ago, there’s a lingering concern that my baby would be born prematurely. My OB was especially careful with me due to my condition. I was told having had a miscarriage would not usually cause preterm labour if I take care of myself well. There are far more babies born late than early.

I hope you’d find the following advises on reducing the risk of having a premature birth from my OB helpful:

Stop Smoking - I can’t agree more! You’d be well advised to quit smoking if you plan to conceive or as early as possible in pregnancy. Pregnant women who smoke throughout their pregnancy experience a higher risk of premature birth. It will reduce the amount of oxygen in your blood stream which in turn deprives the baby of oxygen.

Even if you are a non-smoker, try not to be near someone who smokes. Avoid breathing in someone else’s smoke. To all you husbands out there who smokes, if you care enough for your wife and baby, stop it or light up far away from your wife. In fact, my message to all you smokers out there, don’t light up when there’s pregnant women around the vicinity. Please be considerate to other people!

Gosh! I could go on and on how I despise smokers but I guess I’ve vented long enough. Sorry about that

Avoid Consuming Alcohol - You’ll often find women who regularly consume wine, beer or spirits (anything that contain alcohol) say it’ll be fine if they drink less but no one knows how much is too much. Cut it out completely if you want peace of mind.

Attend All Antenatal Appointments - It is vital for you and your baby to be in good condition throughout your pregnancy. Antenatal appointments with your OB is crucial to monitor things like your baby’s size and position to ensure it is within normal growth patterns. Besides, antenatal diagnosis may pick up any defects of the foetus which can be treated early.

Your urine is also tested during every antenatal appointment. It is done to detect signs of urinary tract infection or vaginal infection. In the worst case, serious infections that could harm the foetus may cause early labour, our body’s way of trying to get the baby out of a dangerous environment.

Regular antenatal care can also detect pregnancy-induced diabetes and pre-eclampsia before they pose a threat.

Adequate Nutrition - Eat well and wise to make sure you have adequate nutrition. Follow a well-balance diet throughout your pregnancy. Do not skip your prescribed prenatal vitamins supplement. Ensure your vitamin supplement contains zinc because recent studies have shown that zinc deficiency is linked to preterm labour.

Avoid Over-Strenuous Activities - A common advise to all expecting mothers. Light exercises like walking or yoga is perfectly ok but try to avoid over excercising. A definite no to streneous exercises.

If your job requires long standing hours, take regular breaks, sit down and relax. Avoid over working. Give yourself some time to rest during day time. Even if your job doesn’t require physical exertion, avoid tiring or stressful situations to prevent the risk of high blood pressure.

Sexual Intercourse - I’m sorry to dissappoint but sexual intercourse is not advisable if you belong to the high risk group. Having had miscarriage before, I was advised to abstain from sexual intercourse during the final two or three months to prevent premature delivery. There’s always a risk that orgasms might activate uterine contraction.

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Many of the causes of preterm labour has been professionally documented. However, a healthy woman with perfect normal pregnancy might experience premature labour due to unknown causes which might someday be medically identified.

Every pregnant woman should be aware of early indications of premature labour. Regular contact with a medical professional can help to avoid preterm labour too.

Related posts: Symptoms and Signs of Premature Labour