What actually happens

[Hollywilson261192]

Im currently 34+4 and i dont really know many people who have had babies etc and im just wondering what its like when you get to hospital when your in labour?

Do you basically just get there, your put in a room and do what you want to do to get comfortable etc

Also what sort of things have you took with you to keep you occupied just incase your in for a long labour?

well you don't go in til your contractions are reasonably strong and frequent (I think 3 in ten mins, each lasting a min or so). by strong I mean that if you can hold a normal conversation during the contraction you are probably not in active labour.

so you arrive and go to the assessment desk. you then go to a cubicle and someone examines you to see how far along you are. in my hospital if you were less than 4cm you are sent home and told to have a bath.

if you are more than 4cm they ask whether you want to go to the midwife led unit or onto the ward (again this was my hospital, yours may not have this choice). I chose midwife led.

There was then a bit of a delay for them to allocate a room and a midwife. she showed us to the room, turned on the water for the birthing pool then left us to it. my dh worked out the gas and air for me and then she left us together, popping in every 20 mins or so. Sometimes stayed longer, sometimes not.

hope that helps.

oh and I took a book and music etc but didn't look at any of it as it was too intense. dh spent hours playing scrabble on his phone however.

I think it depends on how far gone you are. I was taken straight to a delivery room as my waters broke in the corridor and I fell onto my knees and said I needed to push. I wasn't left alone and there wasn't even time to change out of my clothes. They somehow got me into a hospital gown despite my wailing that I had a nightie in the car.

I hadn't taken my bag in as I was so aware that lots of people get sent home and I didn't want to look like an idiot. DH popped out to get it after DD was born.

That said I highly recommend staying at home as long as possible. It was all very nice. Bouncing on my ball, showering, eating toast, chatting to DH, having a bath and generally feeling like I was getting somewhere.

I probably should have gone half hour earlier though to avoid the whole corridor shame even though everyone was terribly nice about it.

I think it depends on how far gone you are. I was taken straight to a delivery room as my waters broke in the corridor and I fell onto my knees and said I needed to push. I wasn't left alone and there wasn't even time to change out of my clothes. They somehow got me into a hospital gown despite my wailing that I had a nightie in the car.

I hadn't taken my bag in as I was so aware that lots of people get sent home and I didn't want to look like an idiot. DH popped out to get it after DD was born.

That said I highly recommend staying at home as long as possible. It was all very nice. Bouncing on my ball, showering, eating toast, chatting to DH, having a bath and generally feeling like I was getting somewhere.

I probably should have gone half hour earlier though to avoid the whole corridor shame even though everyone was terribly nice about it.

Thankyou for all the replies.

Im just starting to get nervous as my midwife has literally bot told me a thing about what to do or what to expect or what to be careful if or anything so im just a bit worried. I didnt even know that i was meant to stay at home for a while.

You can always call the labour ward if you're unsure. They will ask you a series of questions and then tell you to come in if they think you need to. FWIW not being too sure might actually help you, I had period type pains all day, and because they didn't feel like I thought contractions would I didn't think anything of it. I eventually went in at about 8pm (because I made DP come home from work because I felt a bit teary, and he said if it was bad enough for him to have to come home it was bad enough to go to the hospital!), I was convinced I was being a wimp and that they'd send me home but actually I was 5cm dilated and DD was born just over 3 hours later!

Don't worry Holly the hospital midwives will tell you everything you need to know. They know you haven't done this before. They will tell you when to come in, where to go, suggest you should get changed, where the loo is etc.

I would suggest talking to your community midwife about how to gauge when to ring hospital and when to go in.

Do a tour of your labour ward/birth centre and ask lots of questions before hand! Most have set days a week where new mums to be can have a wonder around.

With mine, I went overdue, so I was admitted to be induced. Had a sweep, pessary, given some sleeping pills and told to get some rest.

At which point I went into labour. Once I was 3-4 cms, they moved me to labour ward. Sorry but tbh I was too high on the gas and air to pay much attention, but I wasn't left alone at all during my 18 hour labour. I did have drips in and stuff to try and speed things up. I remember my dp had a little kip, I watched telly and swore a lot, the midwives did their obs.

Okay, at your next midwife appointment make sure you ask her exactly what to do and when. Write it down. Also, write down your questions before you go in, or you might forget to ask stuff.

All labours are different. Some women never go into labour. Your waters may break early on (which usually means things happen very fast), or they might not break until your baby is about to be born. You may have intermittent contractions for days before things really get going. So, anything and everything can happen.

If you can borrow 'The Birth Book' by William and Martha Sears from the library, it's got lots of practical info. There are also sections in your NHS pregnancy handbook on labour and birth - so give it a read and see what questions you have afterwards for your midwife. Knowledge is power

Depends if you go into lbour naturally or have to be induced. I started having contractions....when they got to every 3 mins apart I rang and went in. Was not dilated o sent home.

Contractions continued on and off for 6 days and then went in to be induced at 42 weeks.

They usually let you get to 40+12 here and then you go in to be induced.

I was shown to a bed...on a ward and given checks, blood pressure etc and put on a monitor. ( goes on the bump)

Midwife then came and gave me a pessary to gwt things going. Contractions went full blown 20 mins later and dealt with them as I could. Had a bath...they offered this and also offered food and drink etc. They kept coming back to do checks every hour or so.

Waters broke all over the bed.....so was sent for anotherbath.

Got given a portable gas and air unit thing....had 2 puffsand fell over so didnt use tjat again. Haha

Taken up to delivery I a wheelchair and settled into a room. Was 3cm by this point.

Dp was there and we just talked inbetween contractions ( when there was a gap)

Couple of hours later decided I needed to push ....midwives didnt believe me so I kicked up hell a little and...whaddya know...baby ready.

Ds was back to back so took a litlle while etc.

At birth you can choose to have immediate skin to skin or have baby cleaned up before holding. They then take baby and do checks/get weighed while placenta is being delivered ( naturally or with help of injection)

After that had all my stiyches and other injections etc done. Was In the same room the whole time. When you have recoverd a bit...they will ask you if you want a bath/shower and bring tea and toast :) this is providing the birth goes ok etc.

They will help you every step of the way. I had no bloody idea what to expect but midwives werw great.

Tbh, I wasnt too worried that I didnt know....labour is such an overwhelming experience that as long is someone is looking after you you wont notice much else.

Take drinks, snacks music and a book etc. You will probably use none of this but best to be prepared. :)

Good luck

Holly has the midwife said she will go over your birth plan at your 36 week appointment? That's when mine went through everything with me.

I did NCT classes which were brilliant. Are there any ante natal classes in your area you could sign up for?