How do YOU know when it is time to go to the hospital when in labor?

[Marie in Oh]

That seems like such a dumb question coming from one expecting #7, but seriously, I never get it right. Well, I did, once. My ideal would to be showing up 5-6 cm, not quite in transition, and then to spend only 2-3 hours laboring and having the baby. This happened with #4. All of the others I went way too early and then ended up in the hospital/ birth center laboring for 12+ hours ( my labors are long).

 

So, what is your threshhold? Is it timing of contractions, is it your mood, is it your water breaking?

 

Also, what are signs that you have experienced that labor was imminent? I am having contractions, and there are other signs, but nothing regular or definitive.

 

TIA>

[Plucky]

When my water breaks or the contractions start hurting, but I have my babies at home. How quickly do you have your babies? I had one within 30 minutes of waking up with contractions so that might not work for everyone.

[MyBlueLobsters]

My DH learned how to 'check' me, so I didn't go to the hospital until I was like 5 cms dilated

[cathmom]

I also have pretty long labors. With this last baby, I had contractions on on off for several days. But they never got stronger AND closer together. Then when I woke up at 2 am and started timing them, and they were 3 minutes apart and getting stronger, we went to the birth center. Arrived at 4:30, birth at 7:30. I think I was 6 cm when I got there.

[Melissa B]

I've never gotten it right either. The only one I was right on was the fourth, only because he was induced. :D

 

I always went too late. Looking back, the one constant with all four was a deep ache in my lower back, more than just a back ache. If I had only known that at the time. :)

[Jan Lyn]

Wow, well.....most obgyn's give pretty detailed instructions when to come on in to the hospital. My first, I went right away as contractions were closer than 3 minutes apart when they started and water had broke. (Cool experience....) My second labor, I stayed home as long as possible and actually pretty much risked having the baby in the van. I'm one that does not want to bother the nurses/doctor and kind of abhor hospitals. I gave birth an hour after being there I guess on that one. Just enough time to not miss my breakfast tray!

 

Seriously though, when you are uncomfortable with the process, I'd say head on out.

 

Peace to you and blessings on a healthy new life.

[Peela]

Child #1- waters broke, no contractions for 24 hours, baby born more than 56 hours after waters broke. Went to hospital waaaaaay too early- fortunately dh, a warrior type :), did battle with the doctors and nurses to let me give birth naturally. They just wanted to get it over with, but baby was in no stress at all, and 3 weeks early- and she has always taken her own sweet time every since. :)

 

Child #2- Very, very mild contractions for several hours, then waters broke at home, and then rushed to birthing centre with immediate severe contractions and baby born 90 minutes later.

 

So, no ability to predict- every baby different! I am the type who would be hpapy to give birth at home (circumstances and dh didnt allow either time) so I would probably, if I had another labour, wait until I had strong contractions- but since my last labour was so short...dont listen to me, the baby woudl probably be born in the car!

[The Governess]

With dd4, my birth was exactly like your #4 that you described. For me, that meant that the contractions were about 3 minutes apart, and about 1 to 1.5 minutes long. I was unable to get comfortable in any position. Jokes were not funny anymore. :D I didn't want to talk to anyone and I couldn't think about much else other than getting through the contractions. I knew that if I waited any longer the car ride to the hospital would be unendurable. I did have the luxury of having a midwife-in-training with me at the time, and she checked me a couple times. When I was ready to leave for the hospital I was approx 5-6 cm.

 

I hope and pray that everything goes well!!!!

[klmama]

I go when contractions are 2-3 minutes apart.

[Remudamom]

With the first two I paced around the night before and couldn't sleep at all. Hanging around with too many dang mares.

 

With the triplets I just got up to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night and there was a big, gory mess. That wasn't too bad because I was already in the hospital, I just called the nurses and 45 minutes later there were three babies.

[Tracey in TX]

I went a couple times, certain I was in labor with DD. She was very low and felt like she was coming out for weeks. When I finally was in labor, she was out in 4 pushes..."McDonald's Drive-Thru baby". If I ever had another baby I'd be in with any inkling of labor. Don't want to birth a baby alone or at home.

My motto was always "when it doubt, check it out!"

[Plucky]

My dh knew how to check me. I walked around for a couple weeks at 5 cm with my quick labor.

[dirty ethel rackham]

What I usually tell my childbirth students ...

 

There is no right answer to this question. Even if we follow a tried and true formula, women will still arrive too early and (hopefully) get sent home or will arrive with the baby crowning. Now this all depends on how far away the birth place is.

 

However, in the absence of complications that would necessitate going earlier, she should go when the contractions have become longer, stronger and closer together (usually 5 min apart or under, lasting 60 seconds or more), mom has become serious and turned inward, no longer laughing at your jokes, she has to concentrate hard to relax through contractions. This pattern (contractions and behavior should be established before making any move.) My last fail safe is to take a picture of mom as you are walking out the door. If she has an enthusiastic grin, it's probably too soon. If you get an uncharacteristic glare or only a wan smile, then it may be time.

 

I can always tell on the baby shows when a mom is going to get a c-section for failure to progress - she shows up at the hospital mugging for the camera. I yell at the TV "go home, go home!"

 

My big exception is that if a mom is showing signs of active labor from the beginning (didn't have much early labor) and things are moving fast, don't dilly dally or you may have to get out the catcher's mitt on the way there.

[Tammyla]

:grouphug: I don't know, but I'm sending hugs and prayers your way. :grouphug:

[Susan A.]

Pain quality. When the contractions started to sting (instead of just hurting) it was time to be there! Also, if I had waited for the contractions to be 5 minutes apart I would have never gone. I fooled the nurses every time. Twice they "guessed" I was 2-3 cm dilated as they checked me in and panicked when they discovered I was 6cm. I had no idea either! It took the third child to figure that out.

[CookieMonster]

So, what is your threshhold? Is it timing of contractions, is it your mood, is it your water breaking?

 

Also, what are signs that you have experienced that labor was imminent? I am having contractions, and there are other signs, but nothing regular or definitive.

 

My 'threshold' was the contractions: how far apart they are and how intense they feel. When they are truly five minutes apart for at least an hour, even after I've drank water and laid down to rest, that's my signal to go to the doc. By this point, however, since it really is labor for me, the pain starts increasing to the close-the-eyes, grip-the-door-handle stage on the way to the hospital. That amount of pain always put me at ease that I was doing the right thing by going to the hospital.

 

My water never broke until delivery.

 

As one book puts it, though, the beginning of labor is a retrospective diagnosis.

[Amber in SJ]

I have 4 dc & my contractions never became regular or close together. I was also never delivered by my OB and I was always trying to convince a total stranger that I was in labor.

 

For dd #3 when the pain of contractions woke me out of a sound sleep, I called the hospital spoke to the on-call doc who "guaranteed" me that I was not in labor. He told me that under no circumstances should I go to the hospital because they would just send me home. We went to the hospital anyway and the nurses took one look at me yelled "Don't Push!" and ran for the doc. The doc & I got to the room at the same time & I barely got on the bed in time for him to catch. I was wearing my regular clothes (a dress) and hadn't taken off my shoes. The doc wasn't gowned & the bed not broken down. He apologized afterward. The moral of the story? Don't wait.

 

Amber in SJ

[Jugglin'5]

I have long labors and none of the rules work for me. I can have contractions for an hour 3-4 min apart and it will be false labor. I pretty much spend the last 3 weeks with sleepless nights from false labor -ugh! When labor really starts (after "show"/plug loss), I start out pretty cheerful. DH knows I'm past four cm when I get, ahem, a little grouchy. That's the nice way of putting it. But honestly, even on my fifth baby, I still couldn't tell the diff. between false and real labor starting until I had the show.

[LisaKinVA]

What I usually tell my childbirth students ...

 

There is no right answer to this question.

 

 

 

If anyone waits for me to have to concentrate, lose my sense of humor, etc. to attend to me -- watch out. I've been known to sleep peacefully up until the final 3 contractions which preceded crowning.

 

Basically, if I'm at 5 cm (dh learned to check me), and I'm having any kind of regular contrax, we call the calvary. At that point, my water is usually broken and we have a baby anywhere from 1-2 hours, with difficult contractions during the last 15-30 minutes.

 

Who knows with this one, though! Anything is possible.

[Ria]

With our last (#6) I finally went in because my slight contractions were annoying and I figured maybe I could talk the docs into giving me a sleeping pill or something. Got to the hospital, the nurse started yelling, and ds was born 20 minutes later. LOL.

 

Ria

[Melissa in Australia]

I live 100 km away from the hospital where i had my baby's,I always went as soon as the contractions started to be regular and painful. the first one I started having mild contractions, I waited 24 hours and went into hospital, I continued to have contractions for 3 more days before he was born and he was born with the waters intact! . the 2nd and 3rd I went in as soon as the contractions were regular, the doctor broke my waters and I had the baby's about 6 hours after. the 4 th one was induced, she was 3 weeks over. and the 5 th one, I started on the trip to hospital as soon as I had the first contraction. he was born about 30 minutes after we got there. I never had any hard contractions at all. in fact I apologized to the nurse for coming in too early and she said no you didn't I can see the head.