When did you go to the hospital once in labour?

[yelyahyoung]

I’d really like to stay at home as long as possible, so I’m wondering how this generally goes as this is my first lol.

So if your waters break and you ring up the hospital and go in to get checked, are you free to go back home (if you’re not really really close that is)? If so how do you know when to go back in lol? And if your waters don’t break but you are clearly in labour, how do you know when to go in?

Sorry, thanks

My waters broke around 5.30pm. I phoned the hospital and they said to come in when the contractions were closer and more painful (so I didn't have to go in immediately just because my waters had broken). I ended up going in around 11pm, and by the time they examined me I was 5cm dilated. Eventually gave birth at 8pm the next day.

The protocol for the local hospital to my practice is similar to the one closest to my house although there is one quite major difference.

If all is well and you're only contracting, they both advise that you go in when your contractions last about a minute and you're having at least three or four in ten minutes for an hour. They say this because sometimes someone might contact frequently for 20 minutes and then stop for a while (hours).

By all is well they mean:

*Baby is moving normally
*There isn't a lot of blood loss (shouldn't be free running blood, a show is slimy mucus with blood)
*Your waters are not broken (this differs slightly)
*You feel generally well with no fever or flu like symptoms
*You are having waves of pain, not constant pain

My local to home hospital doesn't advise low risk women to come in "just" because their waters are broken. If the water is clear and doesn't smell bad, they say to stay at home for up to 12 hours and monitor your temperature and general wellbeing. If you are GBS POSITIVE then you come in right away.

The local hospital to my practice wants all women to come in if their waters break for confirmation, blood tests and fetal monitoring (not CTG). If all is well, you go home for up to 18 hours or you choose immediate augmentation at that point. At around 18 hours, they'd recommend induction or augmentation due to risk of infection. Obviously it is your choice.

You should always go in to any hospital you are close to or booked or call 999 in labour if:

• you are not full term
• there is free running blood or big clots
• baby isn't moving normally
• you have smelly discharge/waters
• you feel unwell/have headache
• you have 3-4 strong contractions in one minute for a prolonged period
• you feel the need to push/open your bowels

With my first, my contractions were all over the place, going from one every three minutes to nothing for an hour, so I went in and came home again three times over 4 days, before finally going in and begging for help because I was exhausted and in agony. I was desperate for pain relief and sleep and my contractions were still all over the place. It turned out that my bladder had filled and blocked and was blocking my progress. So without help I would never have got to the whole '3 contractions in 10 minutes for an hour' stage.

With my second, I had waves of crampy pain, but all in my lower bump and back, so I wasn't convinced it really was labour, (despite being 10 days overdue) because I'd had now show or waters break. It started about 1pm, and I called the hospital when the waves were coming every 5 minutes or so (still unconvinced), which was about 6.30pm and they told me to come in to be checked, since I was so far overdue. By the time I got there they were every 90 seconds and I delivered less than 3 hours later. In both cases my waters were broken by the midwife.

My advice would be to call when you know something is happening, describe it to the midwife and take their advice. If you're low risk they generally like to get you to stay home for as long as possible anyway. But if you feel like you're struggling and need help, don't be afraid to insist on going in. Also don't forget to factor in the time it will take you to get to the car, drive to the hospital and get from the car to the triage midwife. It took me a lot longer than I expected because for one thing I foolishly insisted on DH parking and us walking across the carpark rather than him dropping me at the entrance. But also one of the main roads on our route was closed for resurfacing. My 20 minute journey was actually 40 minutes, and things did speed up in that time.

I forgot to add that and it is particularly pertinent right now - it is fine to go in if you are having normal contractions, everything is fine, and you are JUST unable to cope with normal labour pains and need medication to help.

Mild contractions started Saturday morning, about 25 mins apart, went in Sunday afternoon when 6 mins apart. Waters broke Sunday 5.30pm
Ds born 7.50 Monday morning after a struggle.

Waters broke at 5am. No sign of contractions. Eventually maternity ward had me come in to be monitored at about 10am. All looked fine so they were going to send me home (apparently contractions can start naturally up to 48 hours after waters breaking) but then I passed meconium so ended up staying in and being induced.

My waters started leaking at 6am. I didn't realise what it was at first (thought my bladder had gone!) and eventually rang the midwife about 3pm who told me to go to the birthing centre to be checked. Husband came home and we went to hospital and birthing centre midwife examined me and confirmed it was my waters. I had the option to be induced or go home and see what happened but an appointment was made for me in the morning to be checked again. Got home about 5:30 and all ok until 8:30 when the contractions began. Rang the centre a few times who told me to wait until I was having a certain number of contractions in a certain time (think it was 3 in 5 minutes). My contractions were pretty non stop but when DH told the centre this (I couldn't speak through the pain) they obviously thought I wasn't coping and told me to have a bath and paracetamol and wait. Eventually, about 3am, I decided we were going in as I wanted to be checked because the pain was horrendous. Fully expected a quick check and to be sent home but when I was examined I was 10cm dilated! The midwife's attitude changed rapidly when she realised I was not being a drama queen, the pool was quickly filled and DD was born at 6:30! The moral of the story is listen to your body and seek medical help when you think you need it - if I'd held out like I was being told I would have had a home birth!

I had my show at 6.30pm Sunday evening. Contractions started about an hour after. Was told to come in when I could no longer stand the pain. So arrived at the hospital at 3am Monday morning.

My waters went slowly, it was unmistakable though for me as got gushes every time I moved. I called the hospital and they said that if contractions hadn't started by mid morning (this was 1am) to go in and get checked, my contractions started an hour later and they immediately 2-3 minutes apart, so I went straight down. DD arrived just after 7am.

We are advised to only go to hospital when you are getting at least 3 contractions in 10 mins, or if your waters go and they are discoloured.
The midwives keep you talking on the phone so they can time your contractions and see how you are getting on. They can tell from a 5 min phone call, it’s amazing.
With my first my waters went at home and then contractions came non stop so I called and they told me to come straight in. Did born 1hr 50mins later.
With my second I was contracting around 3 times in 15 mins but coping ok. Called as was getting painful and they said as I was still talking well through them (they weren’t taking my breath away) they advised staying home. Before hanging up I had another one and struggled to talk so they changed their mind and said come in.
Thank god they did as ds arrived 40 mins later (less than 5 mins after arriving in hospital)

Forgot to say that we are advised to call when our waters go so it can be logged in case you don’t then go into labour within 48hrs.

I went in straight away as there was meconium in my waters (they broke before labour started). By the time we got there labour was established so I didn't get the chance to go home. I'd planned to stay home as long as I could but I really freaked out when I saw the meconium.

I think most hospitals go by how regular the contractions are rather than whether waters have broken. The reason being that waters can break before labour starts, at any time during or even right at the end so it's not really a sign of how far along you are.

My water broke at about 7am on Thursday morning so I walked up to the local birthing centre so they could check me over. They sent me home and said to go back if either I spiked a fever or my contractions started and I had 3 in 10 minutes. Nothing happened so I ended up in the bigger local hospital to be induced the next morning. I only needed a pessary and gave birth at 8pm on the Friday.

My first was an induction, so not relevant.

With my second my waters broke at midnight and I went into the birth centre at just after 4am. The midwife didn't think I was in established labour as my contractions weren't long enough (although very close together) but I gave birth just after 6am so I am glad I went it when we did. The midwife had to travel 45 minutes to get to the centre and it was snowy (we were only 5 minutes drive away) so she probably got me to come in a bit earlier due to the weather conditions, which I am thankful for!

It will absolutely depend on individual circumstances. I had all intentions of staying home as long as possible but as it turns out, I labour quickly and intensely so we went in relatively quickly - was woken with contractions at 5.30, in hospital by 7am, baby born just after 12 noon. Also discovered I vomit all through labour which was not fun....

The first time I went in and they sent me home because I was nowhere near ready (very long labour) when I went back I had been in labout for about 25 hours and did another 15ish in hospital.

Second labout I woke up at 3am with contractions, went to the hospital at 6am, was 9cms when I walked in the door apparently 😂 he was born at 8am, the exact time I was booked into have an induction so lucking my Ds1 was already staying at my mums that night. All worked in very nicely.

My waters didn't break themselves with either pregnancy, had to be broken by the midwifes.

I was lucky that I knew when to go (and my instinct was right). Labour (regular pattern of contractions) started about 12.30am. About 6.30 I was no longer coping, got to hospital soon after and was 5cm dilated. Baby born 9.15am.

DC2 it went much quicker. Proper established labour at 1am, left home 3am, arrived and was 10cm dilated, baby born 5am. I probably should have gone half an hour earlier as it was quite intense!

As soon as my waters broke initially (5am) because two weeks before baby had been transverse lay (she still managed to turn prior to birth somehow and that was bloody painful!) and I had been advised to go asap to avoid any complications from it. Position was fine when I got there so was able to leave again but had to check temp to avoid infection. Contractions started an hour later and went back just after 3pm (7cm and 4 hrs from labour).

My contractions started about 3pm on the Sunday and ramped up during the night. I went in about 4am when they were 3 in 10 but when examined I was only 1-2 but very "stretchy". My blood pressure was high so they kept me in. Would only re-examine every 4 hours but when 9am came they were still waiting for my bloods to come back so waited. By 11am I couldn't cope anymore (labouring on very busy day assessment unit) was examined and was 5cm so moved to delivery suite. 5-10cm moved quickly and baby was born less than 3 hours later

I was admitted when my waters broke before contractions due to being 36 weeks on Sunday evening, baby born 3am Monday morning after 5pm induction.

I waited at home too long, tbh, first baby, I didn’t know what to expect. I was in a lot of pain, strong contractions, waters still intact, but because I was quiet the midwife didn’t think I was in established labour, before examination, talking of sending me home, on examination I was 9cms, lots of apologies and immediately transferred to labour ward.

Each pregnancy is different.

Dd1- I woke up with contractions and they were long and coming fast. Hopped in the shower and went in. Was 3 cm's but had high blood pressure (had throughout pregnancy) so stayed in. Waters broken by midwife. Didn't progress at all. Eventually had to have the drugs for inducing. Rushed to theatre after 24 hours and she came out with the help of the amazing staff (about 20 in the room!) and a forceps.

Dd2- started labouring on the 31st december. Again, contractions were coming thick and fast and stopped. Headed in to hospital and nothing. Between the 1st and the 4th jan I went back in on the 4th as decreased movement, and told they'd induced me on 7th jan. I pleaded as something wasn't right and was hooked up to machines on the 4th for hours as movement was slow. Waters broken on the 5th at about 11am and was rushed in for an induction straight away. She came at 9:37pm that night. Apparently I can't actually labour on my own is what I'm taking from that😂

With DC1 I was told to go in at the first sign of anything as I was considered high risk. So had very mild contractions and went in.

DC2 went to be checked after regular contractions for a couple of hours, again was high risk. Was told I could stay or go it was up to me as the ward was empty. I stayed but he wasn't born for another 12 hours.

DC3 waters broke at 4am but no contractions. Rang and was told to come in at 10:00 monitored and given a thermometer, told to go home. Contractions started 4 hours later. Strong contractions every five mins but DH was watching other DC in a school play, so hung on until he got back. DS was born 20 mins after getting to hospital.

DC4 same as DC3 waters broke in the middle of the night. No contractions all day. Went to bed at 8pm, woke at 9 with a massive pain had another 10 mins later rang and was told to stay at home. Ten mins after that went to the toilet and realised I could feel the head. DS was delivered ten minutes later by DH and a surprised paramedic!