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When you found out you were pregnant with this child, your main concern was most likely about handling the financial aspects. You probably didn’t stop to consider, “What if something goes wrong with the pregnancy and the baby arrives early?” The truth is, you’re not alone. There aren’t many expectant mothers who want to consider the worst case scenario from the get-go. Usually only those mothers who have known health conditions prior to becoming pregnant familiarize themselves with the signs and symptoms of pre-term labor before they actually start happening.
That’s why I’m here today!
Not to scare you, of course. In fact, I hope the majority of expectant mothers reading this post never have to stop and think, “Is that what is going on?” I hope you have healthy, easy pregnancies that allow you time to better consider all of your options. However, as I was a mother who was not afforded that possibility due to severe complications and pre-term labor issues, I know that mothers considering placement are not exempt from such issues.
And so, what is pre-term labor? It is when you go into labor before 37 weeks. (Your due date falls on the 40th week of pregnancy.) There are signs and symptoms of preterm labor that you should familiarize yourself with just in case something goes wrong.
- Contractions every ten minutes (or closer together
- Leaking fluid or bleeding from your vagina
- Pressure on your pelvis
- A dull, low backache
- Cramps that might feel like those that accompany your period
If you are experiencing these symptoms, you need to call your healthcare provider. You will most likely be told to head into the office for a check. You may be asked to lay on your right side, drink some water and rest for 30-40 minutes before calling back. Whatever the case, you need to listen to your doctor.
The good news is that pre-term labor can be stopped with various medications. In some cases, after the labor is stopped, you can have a successful, full term pregnancy. You may be put on bed rest in order to achieve that but, like all three of my living birth pregnancies, it is possible to make it to full term and deliver a healthy baby after battling pre-term labor.
If you go into pre-term labor, you may want to call your agency, social worker and maybe even the potential adoptive family with whom you are matched. The former two are so that they know your whereabouts, especially your social worker so that if you miss an important resource meeting you will not lose your public assistance. The latter is for the benefit of the potential adoptive family so that they may do some research on premature birth in case they need to offer special care to your child.
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