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What are the signs of pre-term labor?
About 40% of women do not feel the uterine contractions
associated with pre-term labor (labor that occurs before
37 weeks of gestation) thus making it difficult to
identify. In the remaining women the symptoms are so
vague that they are interpreted as just normal pregnancy
discomforts rather than labor. However, it is important
to know the signs that can occur. Most women state after
the baby is born that they felt exceptionally "crummy"
that day with nausea, fatigue and increased urination.
Contractions feel more like menstrual cramps, low in the
abdomen with a backache. Practice contractions or
Braxton-Hicks contractions tend to start high in the
uterus and are rarely uncomfortable. These are not
associated with pre-term labor. Have your doctor or
midwife teach you how to time contractions so that you
can feel the uterus' contraction with your hands and how
to differentiate contractions. When in doubt call your
doctor as pre-term labor progresses rapidly but can be
halted with medication.
Donna Dixon, former HES Extension Associate, College of Human Environmental Sciences, University of Missouri Extension
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Last update: Tuesday, November 25, 2008
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