Pre-Term Labor – What Can You Do?

Pre-term labor is when you are in labor before you reach 37 weeks of pregnancy. Preterm babies may suffer developmental problems, depending on how many weeks old the baby is. The sooner you go into labor, the higher the chances there are for problems to arise.

There are women who are more likely to go into preterm and one of those groups is women with diabetes.

Other risk factors for preterm labor include:

  • Expecting multiples.
  • Smoke, abuse alcohol, or drug use
  • Being overweight or underweight
  • Having had a prior preterm delivery or abortion
  • Having had problems with your uterus or cervix
  • Possible urinary tract infections or infections in the amniotic fluid during pregnancy.

Once you take a look at the natural remedies for preterm labor and even the medical ones, you’ll see that they all focus on relieving stress and hypertension so the best thing you can do is identify ways you can bring your stress levels down. Now it is not time to focus on why you are stressed, as that can stress you even more, I suggest you concentrate on finding those things that take stress away.

Sometimes we are simply eager, eager to have this baby, eager to get on with parenting, eager to have this baby in our arms, and to have our body back. But your baby needs more time. So try to stay in the moment.

One way is to be aware of the thoughts that go through your mind and stop yourself with any thoughts that go into the future or past. Concentrate at looking at what is around you, a flower in the garden, the face of you doggies, the waves of the ocean, be a hunter of beauty today. Turn off the news or the gossip TV watch a funny movie, listen to peaceful music, get a massage if you can and if that’s too expensive get a manicure or /and pedicure. When some trouble thoughts come to mind, erase them with good memories of times past, your wedding, honeymoon, a great day with your girlfriends, a past vacation. You get the general idea. Meditate

Natural and homeopathic remedies

Be sure to talk to your midwife or care provider about these. They are safe for pregnancy but make sure they know you are using them.

Try upping your protein and calcium intake. Calcium especially is supposed to help prevent preterm labor. The daily amount recommended is 1500mg of calcium and 750mg of magnesium daily for this purpose, as magnesium sulfate is used in hospitals to stop labor. Re-examining your diet to make sure you are meeting all of your nutritional needs is a good idea. Remember to drink plenty of water–eight 8oz glasses a day. Be sure to take your prenatal vitamins. Having a glass of wine does not hurt, wine or even a beer in moderation can help you come down and relax. More than one glass or beer a day is not recommended and stay away from hard liquor.

A warm or hot bath is helpful at halting preterm labor. This is because it relaxes you. Relaxing and relieving your stress is one of the best ways to stop premature labor. We see this in the effectiveness of bed rest, alcohol, and other methods that relax the body, mind, and uterus.

Hyland’s Calms Forte may help with premature labor. It is a homeopathic remedy that is used to relieve tension and treat insomnia. There is no medicine in it, and it doesn’t cause any side effects. As with other methods, the goal is to calm and relax. Another thing you can try is rescue remedy, available at most places that sell homebirth kits, which is very helpful at relieving stress and stopping preterm labor. Get a self-hypnosis CD and make a point to listen to it every day once or twice a day.

Valerian root, a herb that promotes healthy sleep, may also help relax the uterus. Wild Yam capsules also discourage contractions. Crampbark and Black Haw are recommended as well. Flaxseed Oil is not difficult to come across and is believed to be helpful, too.

Premature labor is often associated with toxins and stimulants, namely drugs. You know very well if you are in this category, so it’s up to you to stop what you know is not good for you or your baby. If you are a coffee drinker, this might be a good time to stop not only the cup of Jo you have in the morning, but also all caffeine sodas.

If you have not succeeded at halting your labor within a few hours or if your contractions are increasing in frequency and intensity, you do need to go to the doctor. He will give you medicine, such as Terbutaline or magnesium sulfate, through an IV to stop your labor. Terbutaline is an asthma drug. Terbutaline also relaxes some other types of smooth muscles, such as the muscles of the uterus; however, other types of muscle may be stimulated to contract rather than relax. Terbutaline was first approved by the FDA in 1974. It is not approved by the FDA for use as a pre-term labor drug; it is used off-label for this purpose.

Before taking Terbutaline, tell your doctor if you have:

  • heart disease or high blood pressure;
  • epilepsy or another seizure disorder;
  • diabetes;
  • an overactive thyroid (hyperthyroidism);
  • liver disease; or
  • kidney disease.

You may be sent straight home, kept overnight, or even hospitalized depending upon how worried your doctor is. There are risks and side effects associated with these drugs, such as liver and brain damage which may be associated with Terbutaline.

Note: The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has not approved its use to prevent premature labor.” Dr. Stuart L. Nightingale, Associate Commissioner for Health Affairs at the FDA issued a statement on November 13, 1997 that said that the FDA would like to call to your attention concerns about subcutaneous administration, via infusion pump, of terbutaline sulfate for the treatment and prevention of preterm labor. The use of terbutaline sulfate to treat preterm labor is an unapproved or “off-label” use. No benefit from prolonged treatment has been documented. In addition, the safety of long-term subcutaneous administration of terbutaline sulfate, especially on an outpatient basis, has not been adequately addressed. The impact of long-term use on maternal glucose metabolism and the risks of prolonged exposure of the fetus are largely unknown.

 

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