When to Go to the Hospital in Labor
Many first time parents get to the hospital too early! They get excited or anxious - not realizing that the early stage of labor can last 12-24 hours, or even longer in some cases. You see those viral videos of babies being born in the car or in the parking lot and you think it’s more common than it really is, or that it has a higher chance of happening to you than it actually does.
Getting to the hospital too soon can result in labor slowing down. Oxytocin, the love hormone which is also responsible for those breathtaking, cervix-opening contractions, is best produced in darkness where you feel safe and private and comfortable. Once you get to the hospital, there are bright lights, lots of people around, papers to sign, and many questions to answer. This can really take you “out of the zone”.
There is also a possibility of hearing the nurse speak those dreaded words: “you’re not really in active labor yet, go back home!”
We want to find the sweet spot between having the baby in the parking lot and getting sent back home because you’re not really in labor
(Obviously, as your doula I personally walk you through this stuff when the time comes! )
I like the 4-1-1 “rule” for first time parents. Contractions are 4 minutes apart, 1 minute long, for at least 1 hour. This is a great indicator of strong active labor in many cases.
Don’t start timing the contractions until you can’t ignore them any longer! Continue normal activities, eat, sleep, shower, read, etc. When you have to stop what you’re doing and breathe through the contractions, that’s a great time to pull up your contraction timer app on your phone. You will psych yourself out if you time contractions before you’re really in labor.
If you ever feel your gut/intuition telling you to go, or you feel like you need to push/have pressure in your bottom, go ahead and go.
Ask your doctor when they recommend you to come in, for your unique situation. If you have any risk factors they might want you to come in sooner for monitoring
What if I’m a second/third/fourth/twelfth-time mom?
If this is a subsequent baby, I don’t expect the process to take the same amount of time as a first birth because your body has already done it before. I recommend more like 5-7 minutes apart for the contractions because the process can easily take a quick turn!
What other situations are recommended to go in even if I’m not 4-1-1 yet?
your water breaks
you have a high risk pregnancy (your doctor may want to monitor you earlier in the labor)
you feel any pressure in your bottom or like you have to push
you live far away from the hospital
you have vaginal bleeding, decreased fetal movements, or any other concerning/abnormal symptoms