premature

Can I Smoke Weed When I am Pregnant?

Not a good idea . It will double your chances of a premature baby. A recent study in France interviewed over 14,000 women in the first 2-3 days after delivery , and asked them about Cannabis use in their recent pregnancy. Over 13,000 women agreed to answer the questions. They were asked about their age, number of pregnancies, social status , level of education, tobacco and alcohol use . The outcome of their pregnancies were then compared according to their use of Cannabis and other factors. The admitted incidence was 1.2 %,  which was much lower than previous similar studies, […]

How long should we wait before trying for a second baby?

  What is the correct interval between pregnancies? Traditional advice has been to wait at least a year before conceiving again , suggesting an actual birth interval of at least 18- 24 months as the ideal.  Often the ” fourth trimester”  takes longer than most women expected and the physical , psychological and social adaptations to childbirth can be considerable.  It has generally been acknowledged that a short birth interval of less than 18 months was not advisable because of increased problems during the pregnancy.  But the precise extra risks were, until recently, rather non-specific and uncertain. Recent studies have […]

Cone biopsy, loop diathermy – premature labour?

I have had a cone biopsy and my cervix measures 3cm. Do I need to be concerned about premature labour. I am now 28 weeks should I stop exercising and is there other measures I should take? A cervical length of 3 cms is normal and,  by itself , is not a risk factor for preterm labour . You have reached 28 weeks , so have already missed an extremely premature birth. Even if you delivered tomorrow, your baby would have more than a 90% chance of a healthy survival Cone biopsy is rarely performed . Its much more likely […]

Sex in Late Pregnancy

Sex in Late Pregnancy – What’s Your Position? Our Article for Sheknows.co.uk  

I am now 24 Weeks Pregnant- my Baby is now Viable. Should I celebrate or remain cautious?

Viability is the term used to describe the stage in pregnancy when baby becomes viable- and able to exist outside womb.  It is currently 24 weeks. Around 50% of babies born after 24 weeks will survive but not all will be healthy.  Quite a high proportion will have some form of serious handicap, especially if born before 26 weeks. The EPICure Study, carried out in 1995 showed the following results – When surviving children born before 26 weeks were followed up at age 6 years, a high level of disability was found: 22% had severe disability (defined as cerebral palsy […]

Premature baby – chances of it happening again?

I had a premature delivery with my first baby- at 37 weeks, I was wondering how likely this is to happen again? 37 weeks is just on the cusp of being premature. The approximate risk of a similar event is twice the normal risk (ie it has increased from 5-10% to 10-20%.)  Some units will attempt to estimate your risk by measuring the length of your cervix at 20-24 weeks.  Alternatively, you might be offered a Fibronectin swab test from the vagina at 28 weeks.  Please ask your midwife or doctor about this. Your chances of a successful outcome are […]