How long to wait before call to hospital??

[Mateake]

Hi all, i have read in most forums that its best to wait at home till the last min before going into hospital when feeling contractions, but how long do you wait??? till its almost unbearable? and then what happens if its to late?? Is there a indication sign that we can sort of look for as im a first time mum and am now 23 weeks I would prefer to stay at home as long as possible when time comes but am worried that i wont be able to tell and time might pass. I so-pose the pain will tell me quick enough lol. also while at home waiting for the time to leave, how long can i sit in the bath for??? is there a time limit or is it till it dosnt work any more.

[MrsFabuloso]

With DS2, I waited until my contractions were about 2-3mins apart, and lasting up to a minute. When I rang the hossy to say I was coming in the midwife said I could probably wait a little longer at home if I wanted to, but I felt like I wanted to go in so I did. When I got there I was only 5cm dialated and bubs wasn't born for another 6ish hours! If you feel like you want to go in you can, but just be prepared if you go in too early they may send you home.

[~breeze~]

With DD I left home when contractions were 2 mins apart, the hospital was a half hour drive & being my first bub I didnt want to be having her on the side of the rd so I didnt wait at home any longer.
When I got to the hospital they were going to send me home until they did the internal & I was 4cm dilated so they kept me in. DD didnt arrive for anther 11 hours though.

With DS I had my waters broken in hospital to get labour started which it did & 4 & half hours later I was holding DS.

I think most people (especially with their first?) would leave home when contractions are around 2 mins apart, I could be wrong though!

Good luck for when the time comes

[Taurean]

My waters broke at home at my contractions ramped up immediately so we phoned the hospital. The said to have some breakfast and a shower then head in. We left about an hour later when my contractions were 2-3 minutes apart. DD was born 6 hours later. Her arrival would most likely have been a lot quicker (I was at 9cm in just over 4 hours of my waters breaking) but she was posterior.

Discuss it with your midwife/OB as some hospitals have different policies. For example, my OB wouldn't allow me to go in the bath once my waters had broken. The shower was fine though. Some hospitals will listen to you having a contraction over the phone to determine where you're at.

[Glamourcide]

Same here as what's already been said I had been unaware that I was in labour with DD2, thought it was just Braxton Hicks, so I stayed at home and went to sleep at 11pm when contx were about 10mins apart, then woke up at 3am with a really intense contraction and we went to hospital at 4am - I was 9cm If you can walk or talk through contractions, you're usually fine to stay at home and keep working through them, you can always give the hospital a call and ask. They generally recommend that if contx are 2-3 mins apart and very intense, that you head up there to get checked out, they are happy to send you home again if it looks like it'll be a while before baby arrives and you're more comfortable at home

Once your waters have broken, it's usually not recommended that you sit in a hot bath, but I found sitting in the shower with hot water spraying on my back was very helpful while I laboured at home - DH whinged about the hot water bill because I'd hop out, dry off, then decide I wanted another hot shower lol

I don't think there's any really 'definite' sign of it being 'time' - some labours are long, some are short, some get going once your waters break and others take hours or require ARM... just go with your mummy instinct and see how it pans out. Do keep in mind though, that if you stay at home 'too long', you might miss out on being able to have an epidural, so that might be a question to ask your midwives at the next antenatal appt Good luck with it, let your body do its thing and trust in yourself - you'll do fine

[angelaartsstudent]

1st pregnancy - Waited at home until my waters broke (at 1030 at night...had been having contractions in 300 that morning), at which point contractions were 2 minutes apart. However, I was only 4cm and was at hosp for another 11 hours before DD was born. I dilated very slowly.

2nd pregnancy - I would wait the same but Dr has asked me t come in when contractions are 5-6 minutes so they can take a blood test for my platelet count and get an IV line in (just the line, not connected to anything) just in case of another large PPH.

Apparently 1st labours are longer and 2nd's are shorter but you'll def find that this is NOT always the case.

If you can't talk through the contractions - if the pain is that intense - it's probably a good time to go in. Or stay at home and get comfy for a homebirth

:-D

You *will* be able to tell when you need to go...even though everyone handles the pain differently, the mummy instinct will shine through.

[angelaartsstudent]

Whoops - sorry Breeze - I was typing as you posted and didn't see it until I posted my reply...didn't mean to basically repeat everything you said! Oops!

[~breeze~]

Whoops - sorry Breeze - I was typing as you posted and didn't see it until I posted my reply...didn't mean to basically repeat everything you said! Oops!

LOL no worries A

[berrme]

I went in when my contractions were still 5 mins apart. It was my second bub but only my first labour as DS1 was a c/s. I was 4cm when I arrived. I easily could have stayed home longer based on the level of pain I was in but went in earlyish cause I was a VBAC. I would definitely go by how easily you are managing the pain rather than how close your contractions are, 'cause by the time my contractions were 2 mins apart I was pushing DS2 out.