If you were pregnant with number 3, DH worked a minimum of 5 hours away and you started getting contractions when would you call him?

[robino]

a) at the first twinge
b) when that first twinge became a regular twinge
c) when twinges become definite contractions
d) other?

It has dawned on me that at 34 weeks I should make some plans...

DD1 waters broke before anything happened, ended up having to go in to hospital for anti-biotics. DD was undiagnosed breech and was born by emcs about 30 hrs after waters broke.

DD2 started getting twinges just after putting DD1 to bed (so about 7) but wasn't entirely convinced it was labour for a few hours - called my mum to look after DD1 at 11pm. Went to hospital at 5am, DD2 born 8am.

DC3 due in Feb. DH is working in bloody Devon, there's a fairly high chance that he'll be there when I go into labour. If that's the case I need to mobilise troops. He needs to come back (will take a minimum of 5 hrs traffic/ weather permitting), my mum needs to get here from an hour away to look after DDs and my emergency birth partner Auntie needs to get here from an hour away.

Have been scared by lots of people mentioning that they had several false starts with DC3....

[truffleshuffle]

First twinge.
I had my first twinge with DC3 at 3am and she was born at 5am.

[izzybiz]

I'd say first twinge too if only to be on the safe side.

Had no twinges with my Dc3 water popped at 10.30pm he was born at 1.20am.

[neolara]

Er, first twinge, and I would also have back up from someone who lived down the road. I definitely would be relying on someone an hour away.

Don't want to scare you, but my no 3 was 30 mins from first twinge to arrival. Delivered by my husband in absence of midwife or ambulance. I know this was unusually quick, but I know of other who arrived in under an hour.

[IngridFletcher]

My third took 1.5 hours from first twinge! I know someone who set off on school run before first twinge and ended up having her third in her friend's house when she stopped to pick her child up.

So I think at first twinge and hope!

[robino]

Oh help! Is there a "fingers in ears/ denial" emoticon? I've only just realised that, actually, it's not long til DC3 is due - I've been at least 3 weeks behind mentally. And now you're telling me I'm going to have a 2 hour labour

Have promised DH I'll pack hospital bag this week so that it's done and I'm not having to do it whilst in labour and fending off the DDS.

[IAmReallyFabNow]

That far away I would say first twinge so he is aware.

[robino]

Oh no, it just gets worse. I have a friend up the road who is my first port of call, a friend 15 minutes away who is number two but they both work part time. Crazybutnice Bev next door will help out in extremis. Reckon I can train up a just turned 4 yr old and a 2.5 yr old to boil water and fetch towels?

[SummerRain]

I had two very long labours but with dc3 my first contraction was a massive one so i had a feeling things might go differantly and i started to mobilise the troops... thank god because he was a lot quicker than his brother and sister and was born fairly swiftly after i made it to the hospital. I even had a thread on here panicing as my mother took 2 hours to get here and we had an hours drive to hospital!

[ChasingSquirrels]

me? d) when my waters went, given that happened first with both of mine, followed swiftly by contractions (30 mins / 10 mins respectively) and then arrivals (2 hours / 15 mins respectively)