NHS Suffolk and North East Essex - Labour and Birth Booklet

19 What to expect in labour and birth What happens if I go into preterm labour? Depending on how many weeks pregnant you are, you may be offered medicines to try and slow down or stop your labour, antibiotics to reduce the risk of developing an infection, and steroid injections that are given to you, to help your baby’s lungs develop and prepare for life outside the womb should they be born early. If your baby is extremely preterm (less than 28 weeks) you may need to be transferred to a maternity unit with a neonatal intensive care unit. In Suffolk and North East Essex every maternity unit has a local neonatal unit/special care baby unit caring for sick or preterm babies, however not every unit has a neonatal intensive care unit. What happens if my baby is born prematurely? Babies born before 34 weeks are likely to need extra help with breathing, feeding and keeping warm, and would therefore be transferred to the neonatal unit for care. This care is provided by a highly skilled neonatal team. Your baby may need to be in an incubator, however once they are stable you should be able to hold them and have skin-to-skin contact. Colostrum and breast milk are very beneficial for babies that are born early. If your baby is too small to feed you can express your breast milk and this will be given to your baby via a tube. The neonatal team will support you with expressing your milk. Once your baby/babies can breathe on their own, feed via the breast or bottle and have gained weight, you will be able to take them home. This can often take several weeks if your baby was born extremely preterm. You will be supported by the maternity team whilst you and your baby remain in the maternity unit. There are also many organisations that provide support to parents of preterm babies. For more information visit: • NHS Choices www.nhs.uk/conditions/pregnancy-and-baby/premature-early-labour/ • Bliss www.bliss.org.uk • Tommy’s www.tommys.org/pregnancy-information/pregnancy-complications/ premature-birth-information-and-support