when do you go into hospital?

[spicecrystal]

expecting my first and just wondered...when do you decide to go into hospital? i know you are supposed to ring the midwife when you feel contractions but after that how long did people wait? and how far gone where u when you did land in hospital?

I rang when the contractions were 5 minutes apart but they told me to stay at home. In hindsight I wish I'd made a bit more fuss because I wasn't really coping and when they finally let me go in I was fully dilated! They will listen to what sort of noises you are making on the phone to try to work out roughly how far along you are so if you feel like you need pain relief I would advise you to scream and shout when you call!

I'm currently having contractions every 6 minutes not very lengthy but quite intense and been having them since 5 thus morning! This is my second and I'm vbac just wondered what everyone would do! I don't wanna go too early but it's really starting to get to me now! X

Hi Gem have you called the MW / Hospital yet..? How are you getting on?

Please keep up posted.

Good Luck

Not yet might ring now as have just tried a bath and it's done nothing

errr. well my experience is with first child you go far too early and second child you go far too late . Somewhere in between would be good.

Go when you need more pain relief.

1st child I day-tripped to hospital over 3 days (went back home each time, wanted re-assuarance as was very late and they monitored me a bit each time). Second child was born in car outside maternity unit , as was in denial that this was proper labour and didn't want to be sent home!!!