Tricks to avoid preterm labor are talking to a prenatal specialist, prenatal yoga, fighting the flu, taking your daily dose of vitamins, trying to avoid smoking, avoiding alcohol, doing brisk walking everyday, maintaining your weight, drinking  water and cleaning your teeth.

The excitement of a baby being born can be an uplifting experience. However, what isn’t talked about is the fear and anxiety caused during the period of the pregnancy. Every mother-to-be has the fear of something going wrong with the pregnancy or jeopardizing the birth of their child and one of the most common issues that troubles women around the world is the prospect of a premature labour. To alleviate this fear, it is important that you understand what the term premature labour is, what the action consists of and how it can actually affect either you or your child.

Read More: Decoding the Different Types of Contractions

What is preterm labor?

Premature labor is when a mother is unable to carry her baby for the full 9-months term. This can be due to any number of reasons that range from accidents and trauma to unknown or unpredictable illnesses. The term premature labor itself indicates that the baby has been delivered or will be delivered before he/she is physically mature enough to curtail the risks of any disabilities or issues. Premature labor isn’t always preventable, and it can be an extremely scary and nerve wrecking experience. Babies that are born prematurely can be at risk for a number of conditions that can be both minor and major.

11 Ways to Avoid Preterm Labor

Here are some proven tricks to avoid preterm labor

Talk to a prenatal specialist

Talking to a prenatal specialist can help you educate yourself about what the most common causes of a preterm labor are. Understanding the root causes can help you plan your labor a lot better. Make sure you ask them as many questions as you need to best understand the causes.

Prenatal yoga

Prenatal yoga is soon becoming the go-to thing for most mothers. Not only does it keep you fit and help prevent numerous issues like joint pain and headaches; it also helps improve blood circulation and regulate oxygen supply. These factors can help improve the chances of carrying your baby full term.

Pilates during pregnancy

Another fun and popular exercise that helps with a full-term pregnancy and combats preterm labor is pilates. This core and pelvis concentrated workout is focused heavily on building and strengthening muscles that are directly involved in childbirth. Pilates can help ease the strain of delivery and also helps regulates your blood flow and relax your joints in the pelvic region allowing for the baby to grow and develop in a safer environment.

Read More: 11 Signs of Labor You Must Know

Fight the flu

It is a commonly known fact that women who catch flu more consistently are at a higher risk for premature labor. Ensure you get your shots on time, follow your doctors’ recommendations for when you have the flu and make sure you get adequate rest. Overexerting yourself when you have the flu can be dangerous and in some cases trigger labor far too early.

Take your daily dose of vitamins

One of the most overlooked reasons for premature labor could be a vitamin deficiency. Doctors recommend taking prenatal vitamin capsules that have folic acid combined with them. Ensuring you keep your vitamin counts in check can help prevent premature deliveries.

Try to avoid smoking

Tobacco is one of the leading causes of babies being delivered early. Nip this bud in the butt and quit smoking during your pregnancy to lower the risk of premature delivery.

Avoid alcohol

It is a commonly known fact that alcohol can harm your pregnancy. What is also commonly known is mothers who drink excessive amounts of alcohol during the pregnancy are at a high risk for preterm labor. Quit drinking for this period to ensure the risk is minimized.

Do brisk walking everyday

Almost every doctor will recommend exercise during pregnancy. This is primarily due to the fact that exercise improves blood circulation and keeps your heart healthy. This is also known to lead to a healthier foetus which prevents premature births.

Maintain your weight

Doctors will advise that you stick to a prescribed diet to make sure that your health is in an optimal condition. Too much weight gain will increase the chances of conditions like gestational diabetes and preeclampsia that are known to cause early labor. Being underweight can also cause an early labor.

Drink water

Most of us do not understand the importance of staying hydrated on a daily basis. The importance of this factor increases when you are pregnant. Talk to your ob/gyn about the amount of water you will be required to drink to stay adequately hydrated.

Clean your teeth

This one might surprise you. Ensuring that you have good gum care can be an important factor in determining that your pregnancy is carried to a full term. Make sure that you keep your dentist appointments and follow good dental hygiene every day.

Preterm labor isn’t a desired condition and more often than not, it creates problems for both the mother and the baby. It might prove to be risky and cause physical problems for both the mother and the baby. Therefore, following these tips will ensure that you have a full-term delivery and finally deliver a healthy baby, without creating further complications for yourself.