It was sudden and very, very, unexpected.
The first contractions had not been so intense, so you had waved it off as nothing serious. Soon enough, you realize your shocking mistake just as you feel something wet trickle down between your legs
Your water just broke!
This could not be happening; Due Date isn’t due for another 4 weeks. In fact, the nursery is still under construction and no hospital bag has been packed.
Your husband isn’t even around! He traveled a week ago and was scheduled to return next week. Nevertheless, your baby is ready to come out with immediate effect!
According to the calender, its way too early for you to deliver; So you can’t help wondering: “Would my baby be fine?” “Will I be induced?”
Most pregnancies last for about 40 weeks.
However, this varies among various women as a baby may be born earlier or later than this. A child before 37 weeks is regarded as premature (fondly called preemie). A baby born after 42 weeks is considered to be over due or post-term.
A lot of babies born premature do go on to live healthy, normal lives. However, there are still serious health risks associated with being born premature.
The earlier a baby is born, the higher the risks of complications. These complications may range from mild to severe. They may appear at birth, or develop later in life.
Some possible complications in the first weeks include:
The exact cause of why some babies are born premature is often unknown. However, there are some known risk factors. Some of these include;
A common way to reduce the risk of having a premature baby is by having a cervical cerclage. This is a surgical procedure done during pregnancy to close the cervix with strong sutures. It is also called a cervical stitch. This may provide extra support for the uterus and cervix and thus prevent premature labour.
Thanks to advances in medicine, premature babies have a better chance of survival now. With proper medical care and attention, they do eventually live very healthy lives.
If your baby is premature, you need not worry too much. Follow the doctors advice and you and your baby would be fine.
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