While there is no guarantee that preterm labor can be prevented, there are some changes you can make to have a healthy pregnancy and reduce your risk of having a premature baby:
- Quit smoking, drinking alcohol or using street drugs.
- Talk to your health care provider about how much weight you should gain during pregnancy and do your best to get to a healthy weight before you get pregnant.
- Talk to your health care provider and come up with a plan to manage any chronic conditions you have.
- Make your first prenatal appointment when you find out you are pregnant. Go to all of your prenatal appointments, even if you are feeling well. Prenatal care helps your health care provider make sure you and your baby are healthy.
- Eat a healthy diet, exercise and take prenatal vitamins.
- Reduce your stress; ask for help from family and friends.
- Protect yourself from infections.
- Know the signs of preterm labor and alert your health care provider if you’re experiencing them.
- Talk to your health care provider about how long you should wait before having your next baby.
