As the due date approaches, the biggest concern for expectant mothers is preterm labor. So, what are the signs of preterm labor?
I. Clinical Manifestations of Preterm Labor
1. Threatened Preterm Labor: Uterine contractions occurring at least once every 10 minutes, lasting 30 seconds each, for over an hour.
2. Inevitable Preterm Labor: In addition to regular uterine contractions with progressively shorter intervals, longer duration, and increasing intensity, this is accompanied by cervical effacement ≥75% and cervical dilation ≥2cm; or progressive cervical effacement and dilation, along with bloody vaginal discharge or rupture of membranes—similar to full-term labor.
Now let's explore how to prevent preterm labor.
II. Methods for Preventing Preterm Labor
1. Treat Genitourinary Infections: Seek prompt medical attention for any genitourinary infections.
2. Avoid Fatigue and External Stimuli: Refrain from long-distance travel during late pregnancy to prevent exhaustion from bumpy journeys. Avoid crowded places to minimize abdominal impact.When walking, especially on stairs, take steady steps one at a time. Avoid prolonged standing or squatting. Sexual intercourse should be avoided during the third trimester.
3. Maintain a Healthy Lifestyle During pregnancy, improve your living environment, reduce physical exertion, and increase rest time. Higher psychological stress correlates with increased preterm birth risk, particularly anxiety, tension, and depression.Therefore, maintain emotional stability, alleviate tension, and avoid negative psychological stress. Ensure adequate and balanced nutrition. During the late stages of pregnancy, increase bed rest and adopt a left-side sleeping position to reduce pressure on the cervical opening from the uterine cavity.
4. Prioritize Personal Health Pregnant women with comorbidities such as heart disease, kidney disease, diabetes, or hypertension should actively cooperate with medical treatment. Those experiencing pregnancy-induced hypertension, twin or multiple pregnancies, placenta previa, or polyhydramnios must strictly follow medical advice, diligently manage prenatal care, promptly identify abnormalities, and seek medical attention at the earliest opportunity.
5. Necessary interventions: Women who experienced preterm birth due to cervical insufficiency in a previous pregnancy should undergo cervical cerclage between 16 and 20 weeks gestation (before the gestational age of the previous preterm birth).
6. Preventing polyhydramnios: While concerns about oligohydramnios (low amniotic fluid) often arise—fears of intrauterine growth restriction, post-term pregnancy, or fetal abnormalities—polyhydramnios (excessive amniotic fluid) poses distinct risks.However, polyhydramnios (excessive amniotic fluid) can lead to excessive uterine tension and also increase the risk of preterm labor. Besides conditions like gestational diabetes, moderate anemia, a sweet tooth, or a sedentary lifestyle, mothers carrying a fetus with neural tube defects or hemolytic issues are also prone to this condition. Therefore, in addition to regular prenatal care, if an expectant mother experiences shortness of breath, fatigue, or palpitations, she should promptly visit the hospital for an ultrasound to check the amniotic fluid volume.After ruling out fetal abnormalities, if polyhydramnios is diagnosed, expectant mothers should actively treat the underlying condition and rest in bed as much as possible. If necessary, amniocentesis may be performed during the second or third trimester to reduce amniotic fluid volume. This prevents prolonged respiratory discomfort for the mother and avoids complications like fetal hypoxia or preterm labor.
7. Abstain from sexual intercourse after 32 weeks; prevent constipation Healthy expectant mothers may engage in sexual activity during the early, middle, and initial weeks of the late stages of pregnancy. However, sexual intercourse must be strictly avoided after 32 weeks. Hu Mengcai explains this is crucial to prevent gynecological infections and to avoid excessive abdominal pressure or strong stimulation that could trigger contractions, potentially leading to premature birth.