Can someone remind me when you're supposed to phone the hospital?

[mogwai]

I'm 38 weeks with my second child and, of course, this time around it's all much more complicated because I've got to make arrangements for the little one before I can go to hospital.

I can't remember at what point you go into hospital. With my first I went in when the contractions were 5 minutes apart and I was no longer coping. Unfortunately I was only 2cm and they sent me home - had a very long first stage.

I'm aware it might all be quicker this time around so want to get it right. Any advice?

Also phone if your waters break with or without cxns. They'll want you in for swabs to make sure there's no infections.

i too have been told to ring as soon as waters break so they can check for infections and they will also check that the cord is in the right place.

Good luck, i am 39+3 so waiting to make my phone call

you see, my waters didn't break first time and I didn't have ashow or anything.

It's a logistical nightmare.

In laws have (helpfully) gone on holiday and haven't much hope of them actualyl coming over here in an emergency. My MIL has no mobile phone.

I rang them when ctx were 4 mins apart and they told me to go in .

Good luck .

Dd1 was induced and with dd2 I rang when i'd been contracting hard for a couple of hours and the contractions were less than 5 minutes apart and lasting two minutes. We got to hospital about an hour later, I was 3 cm but cervix very favourable and she arrived three hours later. With dd3 I rang at about the same point except that the contractions weren't as long - but they were so hefty I knew how much I could take at home! Got to hospital at 3cm again and she was born 4.5 hours later. In retrospect I could have lasted longer at home third time round but the longer you wait the more agonising the journey in and I was worried about third babies happening really quickly and birthing at home accidentally etc etc...

Best rule of thumb is to ring when you feel you're uncomfortable enough to want a total stranger looking at your nether regions and you wouldn't mind.....that's unlikely to be too early!

thanks for replies.

Am so much more SCARED second time round!

Don't be scared! There is a point when you remember 'Oh (insert expletive of choice) I remember this, what have I done!!!!!!' but that is swiftly followed by the point when you don't care about anything except birthing the baby and then you're practically there! It really is about fifty times easier second time - even when it's objectively speaking harder iyswim

See now I worried about this when I was pg with ds2....as it turned out.
I had no signs of labour, no ctx, my waters broke ambulance called turned up 3 minutes later and 4 minutes after that I had had 2 ctx and given birth.....they noted full labour time as 4 1/2 minutes.......

If you haven't already done so, make a shortlist of people who you can call and say 'I'm in labour, please come and collect DD'. If there is no one at all, talk to your midwife about what you should do: you can't be the only one this has happened to.

thanks everyone.

In laws are coming back from their holidays today. It's funny when it's your in-laws though - they are very poor communicators and they simply haven't mentioned the birth or anything like that.

Because they are not MY parents (I have no family), I don't feel I can approach them - my MIL just goes "thin-lipped" if we've ever asked her to have DD up until recently. DH says they would expect us to ring them in the middle of the night but hasn't really thought that (1) they are unable to hear the telephone because it's so far away and that (2) he would need to specifically instruct them to take a mobile phone to bed (and would need to find out the number).

I have lots of friends locally but they have their own children/issues with themselves or partners working away during the week.

If all esle fails, the vicar has offered. I just feel a bit lonely and concerned and wish I has a mum or a sister or an auntie I could rely on.

I suppose worst case scenario they would let us take DD to the hospital and perhaps someone could collect her from there? Then there would be all the faff over the car seat and stuff (not to mention that my in laws wouldn;t have a clue how to find the hospital...).

mogwai you sound just like me. am due in 2 days. My waters never broke last time & when I went in when about 5 mins apart (after many hours of contractions) got sent home as not dilated enough. Went in again nearly a day later when contractions v close & severe they tried to send me home again as even though the machine said I was in full labour I wasnt dilating as DD was pressing in wrong place. I managed to convince them to keep me in as they couldnt answer the question of how would I know when to come back but it did take another 48hrs from this point.

Am worried about going in & being sent back again, another long labour but also the quick surprise arrival. MIL is on standby. She lives about 20-30 mins away but doesnt drive. Has taxi fund in sealed envelope and we keep telling her to have bag packed but not sure she has. Have a couple of other friends on standby nearby who DD knows to fill in if MIL delayed or need quick getaway but have weekends away planned and couldnt help in work hours. The childcare side of things is stressing me out far more than the thought of having the baby.