November: “Prematurity Awareness”

“We worry about what a child will become tomorrow, yet we forget that he is someone today.” – Stacia Tauscher

Birth is a complex and wonderful process. Fortunately, the outcome for most women is a full-term, healthy baby. However, in some cases a baby may come early. Pre-term or premature birth is less than 37 weeks gestation. Babies born this early may have more health problems or may need to stay in the hospital longer.

A few things you can do to improve the health, lower the risk of having a premature baby, and help your baby be healthy – Quit smoking and avoid alcohol and illicit drugs. See your health care provider for a medical checkup before pregnancy. Get prenatal care as soon as you think you may be pregnant and throughout pregnancy.

It’s important to seek care if you think you might be having pre-term labor, because your doctor may be able to help. In most cases, preterm labor begins unexpectedly and with no known cause.

March of Dimes: Signs of Preterm Labor

Parenting.com: Can You Prevent Preterm Labor?

Additional Observances: Prematurity Awareness Month, American Diabetes Month, National Adoption Month, National Family Caregiver Month.