So it's a bit early for this but...

court476 · November 2014

They always say "you'll know when it's time to go to the hospital". With my first child I went into labor about 3AM Friday, and I did what my midwife and all those classes that you take tell you to do. Stay home as long as possible where it's more comfortable then go to the hospital. So that is exactly what I did only to get told that I wasn't 4cm yet and/or my water hadn't broken. So they sent me back home. About 24 hours later we went back to the hospital only to get told the same thing "not 4cm and/or water hasn't broken yet". Only this time they didn't send me home, they gave me pitocin.

So my question is: how do you really know when it's time to go to the hospital?

starshollow · November 2014

My doctor has you call before you head in. They talk to you through a contraction to gauge the intensity as part of the phone call. The general rule though is less than 5 minutes apart and lasting at least 1 minute.

theinvadermothership · November 2014

I heard when the contractions are fairly close together but idk if that means anything in the case where you weren't dialating... i was going to ask my midwife a little closer to time.

jamiesc58 · November 2014

With my DD my water broke at home so I went in then and with my DS I had a scheduled induction so I didn't really have to think about either of them. I wouldn't know either I guess. :-/

court476 · November 2014

@Audrey1787

Yeah it's a good thing they let me stay the last time too. When I was fully dilated my contractions were 9 minutes apart, the midwife said she had never seen anything like it before. Right before she said that their was no way I was having that baby. Not something you really want to tell a women in full blown labor!

miahbelle · November 2014

It took me forever to dialate. Which is probably why I was in labor 74 hrs. I can just say that having labor 3 minutes apart wasn't a que to leave for the birth center. Honestly, I have no clue when you leave. My labor was already hard, strong and regular and it still took forever.

missamERICA · November 2014

I didn't realize i was having contractions for hours before i called the L&D... i thought it was gas pains. When I finally decided to go in i *thought* my contractions had gotten fairly bad. They would have sent me home but I was special and had very high blood pressure.. so when they called my Dr. to tell her I was there she told them I wasn't going anywhere.
So I walked around the damn hospital for 45 minutes until my contractions were so bad i had to stop walking each time and hold myself up. This time I will know to be a bit more prepared and to wait until they get much worse than last time seeing (so far) my blood pressure is much lower.

It's all such a damn guessing game.. wouldn't it be nice if we were like meat thermometers and something popped up like "ding! Time to go!"

CivilMommy · November 2014

3rd time mom here and my doc is convinced I'm at risk for a car baby. My first 2 were inductions so I have no idea what natural contractions feel like. #2 was an 11 pounder who came out without trouble so for #3 my OB already has me on warning to come in as soon as things get real...definitely follow the 5-1-1 rule (5 min apart, lasting 1 min, for 1 hour = GO).

They way I figure it, I'd rather be pacing the hallways at the hospital b/c I got there at 4cm than be crowning on the drive to the hospital.

court476 · November 2014

missamERICA said:

I didn't realize i was having contractions for hours before i called the L&D... i thought it was gas pains. When I finally decided to go in i *thought* my contractions had gotten fairly bad. They would have sent me home but I was special and had very high blood pressure.. so when they called my Dr. to tell her I was there she told them I wasn't going anywhere.
So I walked around the damn hospital for 45 minutes until my contractions were so bad i had to stop walking each time and hold myself up. This time I will know to be a bit more prepared and to wait until they get much worse than last time seeing (so far) my blood pressure is much lower.

It's all such a damn guessing game.. wouldn't it be nice if we were like meat thermometers and something popped up like "ding! Time to go!"

THIS!!!

miahbelle · November 2014

CaterinaC said:
I am worried about having the baby in the car. I am a FTM but we have an hour drive to the hospital. Plus my bio mom had super short labors, never actually making it into a delivery room.
I know that my experience will be different then hers but it is enough to freak me out.

My grandmother had amazingly fast labors, but both my mother and I had long labors. Unfortunately labor lengths aren't genetic... I'm still angry about this! :-w

JAP09-02 · November 2014

I went in at the point I was begging my husband for help due to the pain. I was only at 3cm and the contractions were actually letting up, but my doctor said to let me stay. Good thing! I went from 3 cm to 8 cm within about 2.5 hours. Every labor is so different and everyone handles pain differently. I know there are rules (5-1-1), but listen to your body. If you think you need to go in, then go. The worst they'll do is send you home. You won't be the first and you won't be the last.

mhickey426 · November 2014

I was induced the first time so I always think about this too. My dr and the hospital said last time if your water breaks go in otherwise the 5 to 1 time frame should be followed. I worry because I went from 6 to 10cm in just about an hour! I will be asking my dr exactly what to do when it gets closer again.

Critter015 · November 2014

My doctor said to come in when the contractions were 5 minutes apart and 1 minute long for 1 hour. I think I ended up going when they were closer to 3 minutes apart. With my first I had been having contractions for over 12 hours already and they were definitely getting to where I couldn't talk or walk through them. I was a 4 when I arrived and progressed to a 5 during the hour of monitoring, and DD was born about 4 hours after that. With DS I went sooner than I wanted to because I was GBS+ but they were definitely getting pretty intense. I went in 3 hours after contractions started and was a 6, and DS was born 3 hours later. Both of mine I did unmedicated, and really never felt the need for anything, so I probably have a higher pain tolerance than most. With DS I felt my contractions in my hips and thighs rather than my stomach, so it took me a while to realize they were contractions and not just waves of hip pain.

A friend of mine woke in the middle of the night to her water breaking, and immediately left for the hospital. She was a 9 upon arrival and fears she won't even make it out of the house with her second one!

topaz7777 · November 2014

Keep in mind the 5-1-1 rule might not work if you have a long commute to the hospital! I was an EMT in Washington State for a few years and had to take several women by ambulance to the hospital because they had waited too long and they were 12 min apart. But the drive to the hospital was 2 hours. Your doctor will be able to give you some indicators of when to come in.

DH is pretty dissapointed he won't get to rush me to the hospital since I have to get induced again. Says I ruin all of his fun.

Sharon&Paul · November 2014

When the pain is intense and the contractions drop you to the ground it is time to go in. I arrived at 6cm dialated. I don't know how far apart my contractions were, but I could not sit in the car when having a contraction. I had to unbuckle myself and turn over. Then in the hospital parking lot I fell to the ground with the contraction. I did labor at home most of the day, but I was able to walk through most of those.

My last baby I had prodromal labor for four days, so the contractions were waxing and waning. I waited it out and by the fourth day my water broke.

Sharon&Paul · November 2014

Oh, but if you are Strep B positive you would want to go in earlier. The labor I was 6cm on arrival went too fast to get the four hours of antibiotics in time.

fatcat11188 · November 2014

I join the group of moms to not know when it will be time to go in :-S

With my first pregnancy I was induced, and had my water broken at the hospital. Yikes, definitely worried about this, especially being a stay at home mom to twins, and it will be my parents who live 45 minutes away who will be watching the girls while I go to the hospital. EEEKK, hoping for a fast labor, but then again it would be safer for a longer one haha!

be888 · November 2014

I went in the hospital to be induced with my son, but started contracting on my own with very minimal intervention, so I spent my entire labor in the hospital. I'm hoping to labor at home this time. My doctor wanted me to go in the hospital when contractions were 4-1-1.

MitoRachel · November 2014

fatcat11188 said:
I join the group of moms to not know when it will be time to go in :-S
With my first pregnancy I was induced, and had my water broken at the hospital. Yikes, definitely worried about this, especially being a stay at home mom to twins, and it will be my parents who live 45 minutes away who will be watching the girls while I go to the hospital. EEEKK, hoping for a fast labor, but then again it would be safer for a longer one haha!

Can you have a short term back up just in case? The time from when I knew for sure I was in labor to my dd birth was an hour. Once things started I knew we had to ask a neighbor to watch my son until my parents could arrive.

palm513 · November 2014

I should know in two weeks (at my next appointment) exactly what day and time I'll need to go to the hospital.

Prpljade · November 2014

I just had to say this thread had me riveted at work earlier and I totally got busted by my boss! I just could not stop reading all the stories in this thread!

I'm a FTM, though I've so many friends and family who I've watched go through pregnancy, labor and delivery. I've seen lots in the past decade, from quick hassle free labor and delivery to 2 and a half day complicated labors and emergency c-section delivery. My cousin's wife had a fantastic water birth 5 years ago that she raves about to this day. I am a little obsessed with the idea of L&D myself. There's so many different things that play into it and how it could go. I think the not knowing is what drives me a bit nuts.

bowman958 · November 2014

I labored at home for several hours and was fighting going to the hospital. After a shower I was trying to choose a t-shirt to put on and could not focus enough through contractions to pick one. It didn't even matter which one, and a rational part of my brain knew it. At that point I kind of panicked and said that's it, we are off to the hospital.

ElleB* · November 2014

My water broke and my Dr was concerned about complications, so I took a shower and went in. This time, I'm tempted to stay home till I start puking (that's been the major sign of transition for three generations in my family, now) but I am worried that this one will be faster than the first.

I think, go in when you start wondering if you should...but go in trying not to be excited/expectant so that if you are wrong it isn't that big of a deal.

ajoyes76 · November 2014

With my 1st I started having a back ache around midnight. After about 3 hours of it getting worse I woke hubby up and said let's go. Arrived at hospital about 530am, my little girl was born less than 4 hours later.

Soxgirl07 · November 2014

With my first, I followed the 5-1-1 rule and went in after really laboring at home for 7ish hours. It was just starting to get intense. They admitted me, baby was born 5 hours later.
With my second, within 1/2 hour, I just knew it was for real. Went in, had baby like 20 minutes later. From first contraction to holding my guy was 2 1/2 hours.
I'm a little afraid about getting there on time this time. I might camp out in the hospital parking lot...

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