Preterm Labor: Possible Signs and Symptoms
Download the printable "Preterm Labor: Possible Signs and Symptoms" PDF
"Preterm labor" is labor that starts three weeks or more before your baby is due. Babies born too early face a bigger chance of death than babies born after nine months of pregnancy.
Call your health care provider or go to the hospital if you have:
- Contractions ("baby balls up") that happen either every 10 minutes or more than five times in one hour. These contractions might hurt or could be painless
- Backache that does not go away after resting on your side
- Changes in vaginal discharge
- Pelvic pressure that feels like the baby is pushing down inside
- Menstrual-like cramps
- Abdominal cramps and diarrhea
You might lower the chances of preterm labor by:
- Keeping all of your prenatal appointments
- Drinking plenty of fluids (water is best)
- Seeing your health care provider if you think you have a vaginal infection (symptoms include change in discharge, itching and odor)
- Seeing a dentist if you haven't seen one recently
- Not douching
Fetal Movement-Pay attention to your baby's movements
A baby that moves around inside of you is probably a healthy baby. Starting in your seventh month, one way to keep track of your baby's movements is to count them:
- At a regular time every day, lie down on your side
- Keep track of how much time it takes for you to feel or see your baby move 10 times
- If you count less than 10 movements in two hours, call your health care provider or go to the hospital.
