Giving birth - how do you know when to go into hospital?

[placecalledvertigo]

At what point should you go into hospital to give birth - is it when contractions begin? Or your waters break? I’ve heard that some women go into hospital thinking they’re in labour, only to be turned away because it’s “too soon”!

A lot of people go by the 511 rule which is when contractions are 5mins apart lasting for 1 minute and continue for 1 hour in that pattern.
But if the pain gets to much then contact them, they can usually offer something to help

I think it's when your 4cm dilated when you're considered in active labour

I agree with the above poster, phone hospital if you're not sure. However I would say go in when contractions are either 5 minutes apart or lasting a minute, dont wait until both as you might wait a bit too long like I did!

I was told at the birthing class to call the hospital when I think something has started, and they assess you over the phone and tell you whether or not to come in

I was told to come in when they were 5 minutes apart, then I rang up only to be told to wait until they were 3 minutes apart . I went in anyway and was 7cm so glad I didn't wait.

And if you do go in when it's too early, no harm done. Better to get checked to put your mind at rest.

Depends on how far from the hospital you are and whether it's your first. My midwife said 2/3 contractions in 10 minutes (so about 5 minutes apart) lasting a minute each but we live an hour away from hospital.

I was expecting to be home labouring for several hours the first time around. I arrived in hospital 2.5 hours after my first contraction and I was fully dilated (I had a contraction every 2 minutes right from the start both times). Dc2 I had 2 contractions rang my mother to come for dc1, woke dh and then rang the hospital. We were in the hospital within 2 hours baby born 13 minutes later.

Your midwife should cover this with you, different places have slightly different guidelines but there's usually a triage number to call if you think something might be starting and they can assess you on the phone.

I had inductions with both mine so never had to call!

I think it depends what happens first - whether you start having contractions OR your waters break.

Our hospital tell you to come in straight away if you think your waters have gone, because they wont let you go over 48 hours after they have broken due to risk of infection. So you call and tell them, they ask you to go in, and if you're right and they have broken they just confirm it and then send you home for 24 hours to wait and see if labour begins.

If you start with contractions then you call up, they tell you to take some paracetamol and try to keep active, time them and call back when the pain starts to become too much. So mine started at 1pm, went into hospital at 8pm after a second phone call to discuss contractions and baby arrived 7hrs later.

Call them for advice if waters break - they will probably advise you to come in. As a first timer they wanted me to come in when contractions were consistently 3 within 10 minutes, but I never had that and ended up arriving fully dilated and in transition but thinking I was in early labour (and not coping) because that’s what they had been telling me. So while it’s useful to have the guidelines it’s worth following your instincts too