Babies Born Premature

Once you pass the halfway point of your pregnancy, you may breathe a sigh of relief because your baby has passed the danger point of miscarriage. However, this does not mean that all is well. There are many babies born premature for various reasons. You should not overly stress yourself about this possibility, but you do have to still continue to take care of yourself and to make sure your doctors are watching for warning signs and problems that could mean an early delivery. Every day in the womb is a gift, so keep them there as long as you possibly can.

Babies born premature can have huge problems throughout life. Thankfully, many babies thrive with the right care and some born as early as three months early show no signs of any complications of being born early. These babies were strong from the start, and were lucky enough to have the right care. Babies have have complications may still have great care, but they have bigger hurdles to overcome than others. Each baby is going to have his or her own unique journey. Each day is a question, and each complication makes time in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit a roller coaster ride.

You are more likely to have babies born prematurely if you are having your own complications during pregnancy. Some women have what is called incomplete cervix. This means the cervix does not close properly, and premature birth is more likely. There are ways to fix this problem, as long as it is caught on time. Infection in the mother, or conditions like pre-eclampsia mean a baby may have to be born early in order for them and their mother to survive. This is just one of the many reasons why good prenatal care for the mother is so essential.

If your doctor warns you to stay in bed because you are at risk for giving birth early, you have to do it. You do not want your child to have the same challenges that many babies born prematurely face in some cases. There are a few different types of bed rest. Some have modified bed rest where they are down for some of the day, but can get up to take short walks and do light chores. Others are in the hospital and can not get up for much more than going to the bathroom. It can be hard to be on bed rest, but it is even harder to see your baby fight for life in the NICU.

If you want to help babies born premature, or to help reduce the numbers born early, you can give your time or your money to the March of Dimes for research. Though there are known reasons why some babies are born prematurely, sometimes there is no known reason. It just happens. The March of Dimes helps fund research for prevention of prematurity as well as research on how to better care for these precious babies so they too can have normal lives. You can also donate time or money to your local NICU as well.