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| |    Stopping Preterm Labor by Elisa Ross, MD reviewed by Marjorie Greenfield, M.D. When preterm labor starts, the decision of whether or not to intervene medically is based on several factors. Ultimately, the decision needs to be made with your practitioner's guidance by determining whether the benefits of delaying delivery outweigh the risk(s) of the proposed interventions. Multiple treatment options If you and your practitioner agree that it is best (for you and the baby) to try to stop your labor, several medications are available. The choice of agents will depend on your exact situation and the experience of your practitioner. Medications In the hospital setting, you might receive any of the following: Intravenous fluids, terbutaline (Brethine®), magnesium sulfate, calcium channel blockers, or indomethacin. Research has shown that the hormone progesterone may also be helpful for preterm labor. The risks and benefits There are rare, but potentially serious side effects associated with each of these medications. What you must keep in mind is that there may also be serious consequences if the baby is born early. Your practitioner can help you weigh the pros and cons of medications in the unfortunate event that you experience preterm labor. What treatment can accomplish; buying time for steroid therapy Medications rarely prolong the pregnancy until full-term. Nevertheless, the short period that they do prolong the pregnancy can be very important for your baby's health. Perhaps most importantly, any extra time before being delivered can allow your baby's lungs to develop more fully before he has to breathe on his own. A concentrated form of steroid can be given by injection to pregnant women in preterm labor when there is real suspicion that delivery may occur. This helps to mature the baby's lungs if he is under 34 weeks. If the baby is further along, the advantages to giving steroids are not so clearly defined. While the maximal effect of this medicine takes 48 hours to develop, any exposure before delivery can be helpful. The benefit for the baby's lungs lasts at least a week. Home oral medications Medications given by mouth to stop labor, known as oral tocolytics, have not been shown to decrease the chance of preterm delivery. Occasionally they may be helpful in decreasing the mild contractions that would otherwise confuse the picture and lead to multiple unnecessary trips to the office for cervix checks. Home uterine monitoring Electronic monitoring at home for contractions has not been shown to be superior to frequent phone contact with a nurse and specific education about the signs of preterm labor. Not all preterm labors should be stopped
A specialist will be able to give you specifics about what he or she expects your baby's first days will be like. This will depend on the baby's gestational age, weight, general condition, and the facilities available to you. Vaginal delivery is better If preterm delivery is inevitable, vaginal birth is still the method of choice. Cesarean delivery is reserved for the same situations as it would be if the baby were full term, including concerns for the health of the mother or baby, and instances where the baby is not positioned head down. Having a healthy baby If you do deliver prematurely, it's important to realize that premature birth can result in healthy babies. And even if you've experienced premature labor or had a premature delivery in a prior pregnancy, take heart in knowing that preterm delivery does not always repeat itself in subsequent pregnancies.
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