When did you leave for the hospital?

[[M]umma[M]ia]

As the title asks, when did you leave for the hospital? When you were in labour that is.

As I am aiming for my VBAC, i dont want to leave too early but my hospital is also 1.5 hours away. Im not sure what to do....

[Kazzo]

My hospital is about 30 minutes away. I just knew I wanted to leave. My contractions were about 5 minutes apart (never got any closer) and lasting for about 90sec. I had DD2 in less then an hour after arriving at hospital so I think I timed it well.

[[M]umma[M]ia]

My hospital is about 30 minutes away. I just knew I wanted to leave. My contractions were about 5 minutes apart (never got any closer) and lasting for about 90sec. I had DD2 in less then an hour after arriving at hospital so I think I timed it well.

You did time that well! The less time at the hospital the better

[Heaven]

I had a VBAC too so like you I wanted to stay home as long as possible. My hospital was 30 minutes away. I wasn't sure when to leave. I rang a friend who is a m/w, my student m/w, and my m/w to ask what they thought. They just told me to stay home as long as I felt comfortable and I didn't know what that meant. But then there came a time when I just knew we should go. I began to feel things were getting really intense and I hadn't been paying attention to how close the contractions were or anything so I asked DH to time them and in the next 5 minutes I had 3 so I told him we had to get ready to go. I didn't have an internal but I must have been pretty far along when I got there becasue I started pushing 1.5hrs later. You will know Good luck for your VBAC!!

[*LittleMissSummer*]

I left as soon as my waters broke.......BIG MISTAKE!! i would have felt more comfortable labouring at my house in my own bed than with horrible midwives being horrible. I think you will know when you want to leave. With my next i will stay at home as long as i can i want as little time in a hospital as possible.

Goodluck for your VBAC

[Rowellen]

I left as soon as my waters broke.......BIG MISTAKE!!

It was the opposite for me. With DD, I should have left the moment my waters broke but I waited thinking it would be a while. It was a very quick birth (just over two hours from waters breaking to DD arriving) and we only just made it to the hospital in time. I think I might have started pushing in the car but I was in denial at the time.

With DS though, I went when I couldn't handle the pain anymore. If I had known more about the breathing technique, I could of stayed home for a lot longer. I was glad to be at the hospital though. Their shower was awesome.

Good Luck!!!!

[Enchanted]

With DD I left when my cx were about 2 mins apart and lasting around 90 secs. That was when I felt ready to leave home and the hospital was only 5 mins away.
With that said though, DD was born within 40 mins of me arriving at the hospital. So I guess it will be a hard one for you as you will have to leave earlier to make sure you get there in time.

[~*familyof3*~]

We should have left sooner then we contractions were 3mins apart lol we got there didnt have time to get bags ect I was pushing before I got on the bed lol she was out 5/10 mins after we pulled up

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[Taurean]

Contractions (roughly 10 minutes apart) started at 6am, waters broke around 7.20am and I was in the birth suite by 9am. I was 3cm dialated by then and contractions were 3 minutes apart. DD was born at 3.10pm but would have been a lot sooner if she wasn't posterior and then stuck! I was 9cm dilated by midday.

I'm glad we left when we did as i had 3 contractions in the car and it was so uncomfortable! I couldn't wear my seatbelt and desperatley wanted to stand and rock which was more or less impossible while driving Our hossi was only 15 minutes away and the traffic wasn't a concern at all thankfully as it was early Saturday morning when I went into labour.

PS we phoned the maternity ward when my waters broke and they said to have breakfast and a shower then head in when I was ready, there was no great rush. Given that advice I decided to quickly iron a couple of things to take with me and straighten my hair I think I was in denial that I was in labour!

[OceanPrincess]

...Given that advice I decided to quickly iron a couple of things to take with me and straighten my hair I think I was in denial that I was in labour!

Classic!!!

With my first: left when I was no longer coping with the pain, ctx were about every 10 min I think.

With DS, I had that "need to go now!" feeling that the PPs have described. Things got a lot more intense very quickly than with DD and I started to get worried!

Good luck MM!

[NaeNae]

We were told to leave once the contractions were 5 min apart .... well mine started at that so we left straight away. TBH I would ask your hospital or Ob what he recommends considering you live 1.5 hours away.

Especially given you are a VBAC, they may want you in earlier rather than later for monitoring.

Ask the question to your health care providers.

Nae x

[Pandora]

I left when I was getting 3 contractions in 10 mins (so 5 min apart) and I couldn't talk through them easily
30 min drive to the hospital and I was in transition when we arrived.

This was mysecond bub though, but first spontaneous labour. DS1 was induced.

[black_rose]

With dd1 when my waters broke the ctx were three minutes apart by the time we got there. She was 34 weeks and an emergency c sect as she was breech.

With dd2 contractions started at 35 weeks, they got to 5min apart so went in and was monitored my cervix was closed so I was nefidipine for two weeks until my hind waters leaked and the contractions were stronger and again at 5 minutes apart. They broke my waters and 40 minutes later I had my vbac.

With Ds my ob asked me to go in once labour was established with contractions at 5 min as he thought he might come faster. He was away though so the ob on duty sent me home. My waters broke at home, contractions were 3 minutes apart and 1 min by the time I got to hospital I was pushing 10 minutes later, he got stuck so arrived 60 min after my waters broke.

Stay at home as long as you feel comfortable, not all labours are as fast as mine! You want labour to be established but not intense.

[Jas]

When we ran out of hot water lol

[Beautiful Disaster]

My water broke and becuse by the stupid can dates I was only 36w the hospital told me to come straight in but not to rush. Next time I will not be going by scan dates as if they had of let me go 2 weeks over i would have been almost 45w preg going my LMP.

[JPie]

I was actually thinking the same thing, my hospital is 110klm away ( so about 1 hour 20 min) depending on Traffic, I am due very soon and probably should of thought of this earlier!!! LOL

I am trying for a VBAc also my first I had pre-eclampsia so he came out at 37 weeks so I have no idea what labour feels like! I am actually a tad worried i won't actually know what I am meant to be feeling!!!!

Good luck with your VBAC

[onthefly]

Taht's a tricky one being so far away.
Is there anywhere near the hospital where you could go in the interim if things are underway but you're not quite ready to be in hospital?
It's quite likely that your labour will slow when you are in transit, so you might feel comfortable leaving it a little later. Hard one though!

[HotI]

i was 50mins away and planned a few places near the hospital (one was just a really nice park) that i could go to if i felt i had left too early and didn't want to go in to the hospital.