It is now generally believed that the interventions for preterm birth should be based on the same reasons as interventions for birth at term. However, possible complications often associated with preterm birth can make interventions more common than for women having babies at term (more than 37 weeks).
For a vaginal birth, the woman will usually be encouraged to give birth on the bed, (mainly for ease of access for the caregivers) but she should be given the flexibility to lie on her side, or kneel, if this feels more comfortable. Squatting may hasten the pushing phase and result in a very fast birth, which is theoretically not desirable for very preterm babies because of the possible stress on their brain and an increased risk of bleeding in the brain.
Caregivers will generally not allow a preterm baby to be born in the bath or shower, although there is no evidence either way as to whether these options are safe or not because they are unlikely to be attempted and would not generally warrant research.
Caesarean births
Forceps births
Episiotomy
Pain relief
People in the room
Baby at birth
Caesarean births. Caesarean births to deliver preterm babies are generally higher than for babies born at term (over 37 weeks). In Australia in 1999 the rates for preterm Caesareans varied from 47 to 57% (based on birth weights from 1,000 to 2,000 grams), compared to 20.8% for babies born more than 2,500 grams.
Reasons for delivering a preterm baby by Caesarean would include: