How can you prevent your baby from being born prematurely? (Preterm Birth) Let's talk about this!

One of the biggest dreams you have as a mother is to give birth to a healthy baby. So, it's normal to feel a little scared about giving birth before your due date, that is, before 39 weeks. However, while we can't control everything, there are many things we can do to reduce this risk. Let's talk about that today, shall we?

What is Prenatal Care? Why is it important?

Simply put, prenatal care is the process of looking after the health of you and your baby from the day you find out you are pregnant until the day you give birth. This is very important. As soon as you find out you are pregnant, you should see a doctor and start this care. After that, you should definitely go to every clinic day that is given. That is when if there is any problem with you and your baby, it can be identified and treated early. In these clinics, many things are checked, such as your weight, blood pressure, and the baby's growth. They also give you the necessary advice and vitamins.

Things you can do to prevent premature birth

Okay, so let's see what we can do to prevent premature birth. If you follow these things carefully, you can reduce the risk to a great extent. You may already be doing some of these things, but it's good to be a little more careful.

Control health problems

You may have pre-existing health problems. For example, diabetes mellitus, high blood pressure, thyroid diseases, etc. It is very important to control these diseases properly during pregnancy. Otherwise, it can affect the baby, and it can also be a reason for having a premature baby. Therefore, take the prescribed medication according to the doctor's instructions and control your diet. If you have any other diseases, do not forget to inform the doctor about it.

Stay away from bad habits.

This is not something that should be said, right? Smoking, drinking alcohol, and using illegal drugs are not good at all during this time. These things are very harmful to your body as well as to the little one in your womb. These bad habits can hinder the baby's development, cause various complications, give birth to a low birth weight baby, or even cause the baby to be born prematurely. If you are a smoker, ask for help to quit. If the people around you smoke, it is important to stay away from that smoke as well.

A healthy diet and exercise

You should be very careful about the food you eat during this time. Include more nutritious foods like fruits, vegetables, greens, whole grains (e.g., whole wheat, brown rice), and lean meats (e.g., chicken, fish) . Also, if your doctor says it's okay, it's a good idea to do light exercise that suits you. Even something like walking is fine. Exercise that requires a lot of effort or involves lifting weights is not appropriate at this time.

"But remember, it's also important to gain the right amount of weight during this time. It's not good to be too thin or too big. Your doctor will tell you what the right weight for your height is and how much weight you need to gain. Eating a balanced diet is the most important thing."

Protect yourself from infections

There is a high risk of various infections during pregnancy. Some of these can also affect the baby. So how can we protect ourselves?

• Always wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water, especially before eating, after using the bathroom, and after touching animals.
• Avoid eating things like raw meat, raw fish, undercooked eggs, unpasteurized cheese, and milk. These can spread diseases.
• Get the immunizations recommended by your doctor, for example the tetanus vaccine, on time.
• It is important to use condoms to protect yourself from sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), especially if you do not have a regular partner or if your partner engages in risky behaviors.
• Sometimes there is talk about viruses like Zika virus. Be aware of such things and follow methods to protect yourself from mosquitoes. Protecting yourself from diseases like dengue is also very important during this time.

Reduce stress.

It is also very important to keep your mind relaxed during this time. Sometimes money problems, family problems, work problems, and various worries can cause stress. But remember, your mental health also affects the baby. Excessive mental stress can also be a reason for having a baby early. Therefore,

• Ask for help from family, husband, and friends.
• Talk to someone you trust about your problems. Don't keep them bottled up inside.
• Do as many things as you can that make you happy. Read a book, listen to a song, do some light meditation, do some gardening.
• If necessary, you can also seek the help of a psychologist. It's nothing to be ashamed of.

What are other risk factors that affect premature birth?

In addition to the things we discussed earlier, there are some other ``risk factors`` that increase the chance of a baby being born prematurely. Let's see what they are:

• Overweight/Obesity: It is important to control your weight before and during pregnancy.
• Previous Preterm Birth: If you have had a baby before, the risk is slightly higher this time as well. You should inform your doctor about this.
• Multiple Pregnancy like Twins or Triplets: There is a chance of preterm birth even when there is more than one baby in the womb.
• If there are any problems with the uterus, cervix, or vagina: Some women may have premature labor due to these conditions (e.g., a weak cervix).
• Infections like sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) or urinary tract infections (UTIs): These infections can also be a cause of premature birth. That's why we said to protect yourself from infections. Urinary tract infections are common during pregnancy, so be careful about that too.
• Having had another pregnancy recently, meaning less than 18 months ago: This risk is still present when you have children in a row. You need to give your body time to recover.
• Severe life problems such as unemployment, domestic violence, and severe economic hardship: The stress caused by these things can also have an impact.

If you have this risk, talk to your doctor.

If you think you have one or more of these risk factors, don't hold anything back and talk openly with your doctor. In most cases, your doctor can help you.

For example, women who have had a previous premature birth are sometimes given an injection or pill containing the hormone progesterone to reduce the risk of having a premature birth. Also, if there is an infection, antibiotics may be prescribed to treat it. For those with a weak cervix, a small operation (cervical cerclage) may be performed.

"Not only that, if you are addicted to drugs, suffering from money problems, or have other social problems, the doctor can refer you to appropriate counselors or social workers. Remember, you are not alone, you can get help. These services are available free of charge in government hospitals in Sri Lanka."

Final Take-Home Message

So, as a mother-to-be, I have to tell you that while we can't completely stop premature birth, there are many things we can do on our part.

• Be sure to get proper prenatal care. Don't skip clinic appointments. Follow everything the doctor says.
• Adopt a healthy lifestyle. Eat good food, give up bad habits, and exercise as directed by your doctor.
• Talk to your doctor about your risk factors and get the necessary treatment and advice. Don't hide anything.
• Keep your mind at ease. Mental health is just as important as physical health.

Your health and that of your unborn baby are the most important things. So please take these things into consideration. We sincerely wish you a healthy, well-timed baby!

` Pregnancy, Childbirth, Preterm Birth, Prenatal Care, Health, Infections, Stress