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Pregnancy

Talk about every stage of pregnancy, from early symptoms to preparing for birth.

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Original poster

when do you call an ambulance??

67 replies

Babyblues14 · 21/03/2017 18:05

This is my first baby, I am worried about when the best time to call an ambulance is when going into labour. My partner works long hours and his work is far away from where we live so it wouldnt make sense for him to come and get me. But im a bit confused about when your supposed to ring. Do you wait until your waters break?? I dont want to go in with contractions only to be told im too early and be sent away, but my DH already has children from a previous relationship and he thinks if I wait for my waters to go it might be too late. How do you know when to call??
Thank you

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Original poster

Babyblues14 · 21/03/2017 18:25

Oh and taxis are ridiculous in my area you have to book them a few hours in advance as my area is a bit far out and no taxis offices close. So will be a bit difficult to get a taxi to hospital

OP posts:

BellMcEnd · 21/03/2017 18:28

It's not stupid to want to ask questions! Just because you're only 15 weeks it doesn't mean there's any less reason to want to know. You might find it helpful to get yourself a notebook and write down stuff you want to ask your midwife at your next appointment. Obviously by all means ask on here too but your MW will be able to give you professional advice.

Congratulations!

RedSandYellowSand · 21/03/2017 18:28

How far away does your partner work?? Unless you labour very fast, you will have plenty of time to phone him, him get home a couple of hours later, and take you to the hospital. Active labour is 8 hrs on average. And you get early labour before then.

khajiit13 · 21/03/2017 18:29

Then you need to call your DP when you feel labour starting and are having contractions and he will have to come home and then see where you go from there. Woman can labour in their homes for hours and hours without any need to go to hospital. I was having contractions for 6 hours before I went in.

Original poster

Babyblues14 · 21/03/2017 18:31

Its an hour an half drive from his work and then about 45 minutes to hospital but with my luck we will get caught in rush hour traffic (hospital is right in the town centre).

OP posts:

AyeAmarok · 21/03/2017 18:31

You need a few willing and available local(ish) friends on standby.

khajiit13 · 21/03/2017 18:32

That sounds like more than enough time. Your midwife will be able to go through it all with you

NotTheBelleoftheBall · 21/03/2017 18:39

We went into hosp when my contractions were 1 minute long and I consistently had three every 10 minutes. Your MW might advise differently, but that was the advice we received.

And you should call your delivery suite / antenatal unit if your waters break pre-term as that is an infection risk (and may signify early labour).

Ditto call your delivery suite / antenatal unit if you experience decreased movements (though I wouldn't expect to feel any movements until after your 20th week with a first baby).

BertieBotts · 21/03/2017 18:39

Well it might differ depending on your hospital. Which is also something to think about, in some areas there is more than one hospital you can choose from or even a birth centre, if this is the case, you could ask around to see what other women you know thought about different places.

There are several signs of early labour, some women get a show which is a little bleed mixed with mucous, some women get diarrhoea and vomiting, you'll likely be getting some Braxton Hicks (practice contractions) for a few days/weeks before, so what you're most likely to notice is that these contractions change and become stronger and/or more regular. You'll be given a time frame by which to call labour ward, which is your usual first action. I can't remember the time frame I had now but it will be when your contractions are evenly spaced and coming less than X minutes apart, or if your waters go, or if you're concerned. You'll call, speak to a midwife and she will ask you some questions about your pain level and the symptoms you're experiencing, then you'll be advised to come in, or to stay at home and either rest, or given some advice to get labour going.

If you choose to have a home birth it's similar but instead of telling you to come in they'll send someone out to you.

Lunalovepud · 21/03/2017 19:03

If you do an antenatal class they will give you all of this information later on in your pregnancy so try not to worry too much...

The usual guidance is that you should call the hospital when your contractions are 5 minutes apart, or your waters break - whichever comes first - and they will advise you what to do next.

Even when contractions are 5 minutes apart it is likely you will still have plenty of time to get to hospital.

I have heard (although I don't know how accurate this is) that for many women, labour starts at night when the woman is relaxed and comfortable in bed so if that's the case for you then your partner will be there and you have no rush hour traffic worries either.

Make your first port of call for transport your partner - he will have plenty of time to get back and get you - labour takes hours.

Do you have another trusted friend you could ask to be on call when the time is near? I am sure you won't need it but it might just help you feel a bit more confident.

Ecureuil · 21/03/2017 19:08

Generally with a first labour that will be plenty of time. DH worked an hour away when we had DD1, I phoned him when I started having contractions so he could come home. DD was born approx 43 hours later. DD2 was quicker at around 10 hours start to finish but still plenty of time for DH to get home and get me to hospital

Original poster

Babyblues14 · 21/03/2017 19:12

Bloody hell Ecureuil 43 hours???
I'm praying for one of those super fast deliveries where you feel nothing and baby comes out while your watching corrie.
My mum claimed this happened to her, though I'm a bit suspicious she is trying to make me feel better

OP posts:

haveacupoftea · 21/03/2017 19:31

You'll possibly know a day or 2 in advance...you'll have signs like your bloody show i think and your bump will drop (FTM here too!). Not everyone waters break so thats not a good indicator. I agree the best thing to do is ring the labour ward and discuss with them...theyre more likely to tell you to take 2 paracetemol and have a bath than to come in. But dont worry about it just yet because for all you know you'll have to be induced early for some reason or another and theyll give you a specific date, or you might go late and then your partner will be there, or itll be 3am and he will be home from work. First labours do go on for a while though like a day or two they say so really i dont think you need to panic.

DoubleCarrick · 21/03/2017 19:39

My early labour started at around 6am on the Thursday morning. By Friday at 1pm I was having x3 contractions every 10 minutes (I'd only been having them at that frequency for half an hour before being examined) and was 7cm. Baby still didn't come until 8pm. There was plenty of warning. I actually sent dh to work the Friday morning but he was only working around the corner

whyIsARavenLikeAWritingDesk · 21/03/2017 19:42

Neither me nor DP drive so my midwife told us to ring an ambulance as a taxi wouldn't take a woman in labour! My waters broke before any signs of labour, needless to say that a taxi did take me to hospital but DD wasn't born until 66hrs after my waters broke(whole other story)

annlee3817 · 21/03/2017 19:51

I was told to come in when contractions were 2-3 minutes apart. My waters started to go and contractions started within the hour and we're immediately 2-3 mins apart, so I went straight down, Dd arrived just over three hours after I got onto the midwife led unit. Every labour is different, I had a pregnancy book by Kaz Cooked that I found brilliant for all sorts of information.

Ecureuil · 21/03/2017 19:52

Yeah it was pretty long. For various reasons the only pain relief I had for the whole 43 hours was paracetamol too. Hopefully yours will be quicker (but not so quick that DP doesn't make it home!)

ILikeSalmon · 21/03/2017 20:06

Please do not ring an ambulance
Someone could die becuase of you wasting their time for a free ride to the hostpital
I can't even believe you asked thjs

Original poster

Babyblues14 · 21/03/2017 20:20

I corrected my question a long time ago Salmon. This is my first baby so I have no idea what your supposed to do. Many people prank call ambulances or call them because they are drunk and feel sick. Please dont make out like I'm doing this for a free trip. I was merely asking. This is why I apologise multiple times in my answers because people are so quick to judge here

OP posts:

user1471495191 · 21/03/2017 20:31

My first contractions were on a Saturday afternoon. Baby didn't arrive until early hours of Tuesday morning. Plenty of time to prepare. I even had time to buy a birthing ball and order replace labour provisions via Amazon prime. I would try not to worry and discuss options/plans with your midwife nearer the time.

Silverthorn · 21/03/2017 20:46

For what it's worth i have had 2 babies and the labours were pretty much opposite.
First baby, woke in a sweat about 1am, my waters broke for several hours trickling out, but no contractions and so i was booked in for an induction. This took 16hrs. I suggest an epidural if you have a drip fed induction!
Second baby, woke in a sweat about 1am again. Twinges of period like pain increased in intensity and duration for about 2hrs. Dithered for ages about calling our babysitter and the midwife tried to put me off despite contractions being frequent and close (unit was full!). Went to hospital where they tried to send me home. I refused and baby was born an hour later with waters intact.
The difference in pain levels and waters breaking/not breaking meant i had no idea if i was in labour or not.
Anyway, your midwife should be able to advise and anti natal classes will help you out.
Do you have a friendly neighbour or local friend who could get you to hospital where dh could meet you?

missymousey · 21/03/2017 21:15

Don't fret Babyblues! You'll get lots of information along the way. I loved my NCT classes for asking all the questions I needed to ask - but that's not for a few months yet.

Meantime, try getting yourself a book so you can find out a bit about what to expect - something reassuring like Milli Hill's Positive Birth Book. And whatever you do, don't watch One Born Every Minute if you're a worrier! They have to make it exciting / traumatic for TV, not because that's real life :-)

Ohyesiam · 21/03/2017 21:17

Op, you have 25 weeks to go , lots of time to think it all through. Have a jotter by your bed, and every time a question come up, write it down to ask your midwife at your next appointment.
With your partner 30 minutes away, and the hospital a 45 minute drive, that gives you about an hour and a half to get him back from work, and you into the unit, which is likely to be plenty of time.
What I did with my first labour was call my OH as soon as I was sure labour had started( regular mild period type pains), about 10 min s apart. He was home within the hour, and we called the midwives, who talked us through what to expect, and how to know when to come in. I went in about 8 hours later, and my waters did not break till I was pushing my ds out, so don't use that as a guide!

By the time your due date comes, you will have been shown round the unit, been given lots of times to ask questions ( maybe ask for reading recommendations), and have talked through the various options.
Good luck with it all. Keep reminding yourself that your body was designed to do this, and thousands of women do it successfully every day.

TalkingofMichaelAngel0 · 21/03/2017 21:19

When you phone the mws on labour they will keep you talking and assess over the phone then tell you when to come in

MrsGsnow18 · 21/03/2017 21:23

I have a number on my maternity notes for admissions and we have been told to phone them if we think waters have broken. They ask you questions etc to assess when they think you should come in. Midwife said usually they tell you to have something to eat, wait and hour or sometimes more after waters break. They try and get you to labour for as long as you can at home though.
One of my antenatal classes was all about stages of labour, it was really useful I thought, if you don't get this in a class you should def do a little research into it to help you know how to recognise signs of active labour/when best to arrive at hospital. There are even things to look out for in the run up to labour (few days before hand) so you could have your DH ready to expect a call to leave work etc!

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