You’ve probably heard that a typical pregnancy is 40 weeks, or approximately 9 months long. If you’re pregnant and deliver at 37 weeks or later, you’re considered to have had a full-term pregnancy that allowed your baby the maximum amount of time to develop in your uterus.
If you deliver your baby before 37 weeks, they’re considered to be born prematurely, before your baby has time to fully develop. One of the biggest risks of premature birth is going into preterm labor.
Understand from Anita Gondy, MD, Saovaros V. Michaels, MD, and Ankita Raman, MD, our OB/GYNs at Women’s Health Associates of Southern Nevada, Northwest in Las Vegas, Nevada, everything you need to know about preterm labor and what to do if you experience it.
What is preterm labor?
Preterm labor means you begin going into labor before your 37th week of pregnancy. This means your cervix dilates, and you start experiencing contractions.
Unless your preterm labor is stopped, you’ll deliver your baby prematurely. Depending on how far along in your pregnancy you are, this puts your child at risk for birth defects or potentially being too young to survive outside the womb.
Risks of preterm labor
In some women, the cause of preterm labor is unclear, but certain risk factors increase your odds of early labor. One of the biggest risks is if you’ve experienced preterm labor during a previous pregnancy.
You’re also more likely to experience preterm labor if you have a shortened cervix, are pregnant with multiples, have certain chronic conditions or infections, or have problems with your placenta, uterus, or vaginal bleeding during pregnancy. Experiencing high levels of stress during pregnancy can also sometimes increase your risk.
