Survival outside the womb is possible (although not likely) as early as 22 weeks. Survival dramatically increases with continued gestation after this point. By 28 weeks, more than 90 percent of babies survive and by 34 weeks it's 99 percent.Delaying birth after the onset of labour is difficult, but usually can be done for a few days. Delaying even for just a day or two can have large impacts on survival by allowing you to be moved to a more advanced hospital and giving time for steroid shots to improve the baby's lung function.There is no evidence that bed rest will prevent pre-term labour.

Premature Birth

No one has ever been pregnant forever.The majority of babies arrive within a week on either side of the due date.Cervical checks are predictive of coming labour (althoug not perfectly); ask about effacement in addition to dilation to get a more complete picture.

I'm going to be pregnant forever, right?

Best option: go into labour on your own.Pre-birth foetal monitoring is a good idea, but beware of false positives. Fluid moitoring. Two easy ways to avoid false positives: 1. stay hidrated and 2. ask your doctor to measure the deepest vertical pocket rather than total fluid volume.Non-stress test. Advice: just keep clapping (babies wake up and stay active)

Labour induction

Pros: <ul><li>better pain relief</li></ul>Cons: <ul><li>increased chance of unnecessary antibiotics</li><li>greater use of instruments (forceps or vacuum delivery)</li><li>greater use of Caesarean for foetal distress</li><li>longer pushing time (15 minutes)</li><li>higher chance of baby facing up at birth</li><li>greater use of Syntocinon</li><li>greater us of low maternal bloow pressure</li><li>less able to walk after labour</li><li>greater chance of needind a catheter</li><li>increased chance of fever</li></ul>

Epidural pros and cons

Broken water: Induce if labour doens't start on its own within 12 hours.Eating and rindking during labour: Should be allowed, although probably most hospitals won't let you have them. Bring some Lucozade to keep your energy up.Doula: Having a doule decreases the chances of a Caesarean and of using an epidural.Continuos foetal monitoring: No evidence that is effective. If intermittent monitoring is available, do that.Episiotomy: not a good idea.

Birth plan ideas

Labour times vary a lot. Average dilation time is 1 to 2 centimetres an hour after active labour starts.There are three major categories of labour problems: 1. dilation is too slow, or stops altogether; 2. baby gets stucks and 3. baby is facing the wrong way, making it harder to push

Labour Numbers

Expecting Better by Emily Oster, 9781409177920, available at Book Depository with free delivery worldwide.

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“Emily Oster is the non-judgmental girlfriend holding our hand and guiding us through pregnancy and motherhood. She has done the work to get us the hard facts in a soft, understandable way.” —Amy Schumer *Fully Revised and Updated for 2021* What to Expect When You're Expecting meets Freakonomics: an award-winning economist disproves standard recommendations about pregnancy to empower women while they're expecting. From the author of Cribsheet and The Family Firm, a data-driven decision making guide to the early years of parenting Pregnancy—unquestionably one of the most pro­found, meaningful experiences of adulthood—can reduce otherwise intelligent women to, well, babies. Pregnant women are told to avoid cold cuts, sushi, alcohol, and coffee without ever being told why these are forbidden. Rules for prenatal testing are similarly unexplained. Moms-to-be desperately want a resource that empowers them to make their own right choices. When award-winning economist Emily Oster was a mom-to-be herself, she evaluated the data behind the accepted rules of pregnancy, and discovered that most are often misguided and some are just flat-out wrong. Debunking myths and explaining everything from the real effects of caffeine to the surprising dangers of gardening, Expecting Better is the book for every pregnant woman who wants to enjoy a healthy and relaxed pregnancy—and the occasional glass of wine.