What's the first thing I do at home when labour starts?

[bowgumdrop2018]

So I'm 38+3 and physically I'm ready but sitting here now mentally I don't feel prepared! So I have been sitting here thinking what is the first thing I do ? ... initially it would be great for my eaters to go and the contractions to start after then that way it's clear what's happening but I know sometimes it doesn't always go this way ! So what do I do if 1. My waters go and 2. I get contractions? my plan would be to stop what I'm doing ( if at home) time the contractions ? Then call the hospital? Then if I have time I would want a shower before leaving for the hospital..does this sound like the right way of doing things? I'm scared I don't time them correctly ect! I think I'm just going into major 'shits getting real ' meltdown but what is the first thing you do?

I might not be of much help as I was induced with both of mine, but if it was me at home, I would first make sure I had everything packed and ready (including snacks and drinks) and settle in to watch my favourite movie or TV show to relax! Unless you have an unusually quick labour, the early stage can last quite a while! In fact, even after being induced 10 hours before, DH and I went out for dinner (the midwives let me out of the ward for a last hurrah!) Just don't take a bath as I've heard that can slow the process down.

And yes, get an app on your phone that times contractions. Good luck!

When your contractions are less than five minutes apart (or your waters break), call it in.

It all depends on how your body reacts to labour however your instincts will tell you what to do. Regarding timing, make sure you have an app for timing, you will know when contractions stop and start, they do advise you not to get too hung up on timing and try distract yourself, I stopped timing mine and got into a bath for a couple of hours. Good luck, whatever happens keep in mind that you will be with your baby soon!

My waters went and nothing happened for 2 days (induced due to risk of infection). Second time, had shits, had contractions for 3 hours, went in had emc. Don’t worry, you will know.

I had contractions that felt like bad period pain from 4am on a Tuesday, and only went into hospital at 11am on the Wednesday. We’d popped in on the Tuesday afternoon and been send home immediately. Waters were broken by the midwife at 6pm on the Wednesday, in the end!

Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate- I was severely dehydrated by the time we got to hospital on the Weds. Try and rest/sleep- especially if labour starts at night, which it often does as that’s when we’re most relaxed. You’re likely to have a good long while before you need to head in.

I think I had a shower on the Weds morning but could hardly move from the pain. I remember trying to put my socks on and my husband hurrying/encouraging me, and me hoping that if I stayed really still and didn’t look him in the eye, he might go away and all the pain would stop 😂

Don’t worry too much about timing them, apparently you can slow things down by getting stressed and pumped full of adrenaline. Try to relax, breathe, take your mind off it. Good luck!

Is this baby your first? Have a shower when your contractions start or water breaks.. phone the hospital and they can advise based on what is going on. But also trust your gut.
They told me to stay at home for first baby, but I just knew I needed to go in. I begged my mum and she gave in. 10 minutes after we got to hospital, I was rushed into theatre and he was born 15 minutes later!

I know that once my water breaks, I labour quickly. This is what I did (DS is 11 weeks now).

2am - woke up on and off with contractions

5am - started timing, but jumped in the shower and did my hair/basic makeup, put a load of washing on

7am - DH and children got up for school

7:30am - phoned hospital and they said come up whenever

8am - contractions were 5 minutes apart but the kids had no idea and I was able to get them ready for school

8:30am - hung my washing out

9:00am - left for hospital, contractions 3 minutes apart

9:20am - arrived at hospital

10:45am - was checked and she said pretty much at 4cm so taken to delivery suite. I had already informed her that once waters go, that's it. Luckily she believed me as he's my third.

12:05pm - waters broke on their own

12:32pm - DS was born

Have a snack, rest, keep hydrated, move around, have a shower, potter about, enjoy some time with your partner, try to get the oxytocin flowing...

There’s a strong chance you’ll have irregular or widely spaced contractions for several hours or even days before you need to worry about calling the hospital - try to wait until they are 3 in 10 mins and lasting over 40 seconds. If your waters break, you can call but they are unlikely to invite you in until they have been gone for 24 hours if you give a good history and there are no other signs to suggest there is an issue.

I did the hoovering! I was at home for about 9 hours after the first twinge - our hospital doesn't like you to go in early. Time contractions, try to keep active. If you have a TENS machine, they are supposed to be more effective if you put them on early.

I had pizza and watched telly for a few hours until I felt like I needed to go in. The calmer you stay in the early stages the better in the long run

The only advice I would give is to keep calm!

I went into labour at 7:30pm on the Thursday night. I fed the cat and dog, cooked and ate my tea, went to my Mam's for a bath (we only had a shower) and only went in once I was really struggling through the contractions.

Arrived at hospital at roughly 10:30pm, was examined and told I was 6cm. DD1 was born at 01:34.

Do whatever makes you feel calm and in control at the start.

Eat and drink!

My waters went and I then went shopping.

Ah exciting, you're nearly there!

Every labour is different, but for me it wasn't - BOOM I'm in labour. And my waters didn't go until literally right at the end. My advice would be that stopping everything and calling the hospital at the first sign of action will make for a very tedious labour! I woke up with a contraction then had another really quickly, then nothing for half an hour. DH went to work. I then started timing them, but otherwise carried on as normal. Think I cleaned the kitchen floor and hoovered the stairs.
I called DH to come home when they were every 20 minutes and lasting a minute and a half. He called the ward and they said not to come in until the contractions were every 3 minutes.

All in all it was loads more drawn out than I expected and I was glad I stayed at home as long as possible.

My waters went. Then contractions about 30 minutes later. Whilst waiting for thing to ramp up, I:

• changed the bed,
• hung washing out
• cleaned the kitchen and mopped the floor
• took the Christmas decorations down and hoofed the tree out to the curb
• finished packing my hospital bag
• hoovered
• tidied the baby's room
• had breakfast (and promptly threw it up again)
• watched an episode of Buffy
• dusted
• got the carseat out and in the car
• rang the hospital
• had a shower
• went to hospital

There were 5 hours between waters going and going to hospital. 'relaxing' and bouncing ony ball just made me panic, so I kept busy until I couldn't clean through the pain.

On the way to the hospital I told DH I expected to return home to the house in the same pristine condition!

I woke up at 2:30 with contractions, 20 mins later they were 4 mins apart. I rang hospital and woke DH. We had a cup of tea & fed various animals in case we'd be away for a while. At 4 ish we went to hospital, waters broke at 5. Baby arrived at 8:35.

Get some sleep if you can, even if you just drift off between contractions. Make sure all your bag is ready and you have snacks/drinks/clothes and put it & the car seat in the car. Have a shower, and chill out. Stay as calm as you can

10:15 have period like cramps
10:30 first contraction
I then had contractions every 2 minutes from then on
10:45 I started to empty my bowels
11:15 run a bath and knocked glass off side which woke husband up, we argued about hospital whilst I was in bath. He rang hospital because he wanted to take me in and I didn't want to go too early and get sent home.
Hospital said to come down as it definitely sounded like something was happening (couldn't answer questions until contractions ended) but no panic and drive carefully
11:30-12:30 got dressed, checked bag, made bottle of squash, shouted at husband to stop bloody faffing and get in the car or I'd go without him
1:30 arrived at hospital, midwife examined me and I was 8cm, got up and waters went bang (movie style) husband called out to midwife who had just left to ring delivery. She ran back in ordered me onto bed and told husband to push the bed. In lift to delivery transferred to another bed, examined and fully dilated.

So it doesn't always take hours and hours, and if you feel like you need to go in/it is intense ring tell the midwife that. They're pretty good at telling what's going on over the phone, you can always ring and ask them what they think.

My waters broke, contractions started about 2 mins later and were ever 5 mins immediately. I didn't have time for a shower and they were far too painful early on that I wouldn't have been able to stand in there. I rang the hospital and went in straight away.

I went from 0 contractions to them every 3 minutes in half an hour but they weren't very painful for a couple of hours. They never got more frequent though.

I still have no idea when my waters went with DC1. I had been having Braxton-Hicks contractions for months, but the real thing felt quite different and I could tell. I progressed pretty fast - I think I woke up around 10 pm with contractions around 5 mins apart, DH phoned the hospital, I took a shower and off we went. By the time we got there I was already 6 cm dilated... in the delivery suite around midnight, and gave birth around 9 am.

It depends what happens, With my first i stayed up most of the night playing a game as a distraction, went to bed and my waters broke so we chanhed the bedding, i repacked my hospital bag called in went to be checked came back home and pottered around.

With ny third (i didn't labpur with ds2) i stayed at home as long as i could using my birthing ball, walked around alot too.

I have long labours, both were over 2 days and ended in c sections.

With my first, from first contraction to actually going into hospital was 42 hours so I had plenty of time to shower (twice!), go to the shop to buy snacks,walk up and down a million times, watch TV, moan a lot, eat 3 million Jaffa cakes....

Someone once said to me if you have to ask whether you're in labour, you're probably not.

I don't know if that's true in all cases but I started with a sharp knitting needle pain - thought it was a continuation of head fitting pains - then period like pains crossed with the gripes you get when you have the runs. I had no doubt it had begun when the latter started and we timed my contractions.

I was 3-5 mins apart immediately. That was approx 11am on the Sunday. I didn't have DS until 09.38 on the Monday so time between, in my experience, isn't a speed indicator.

We called and went to hospital on the Sunday when it began due to medical issues of mine.

Also, remember your waters might not go at all. My 3rd was born with the membranes intact.