If i am VBA2Cing w/o a midwife and want to stay home as long as poss....

[sienna]

....how will i know when to go to the hospital?

Thanks

[ngaburon]

Honestly, I would not go in until I was ready to push.

Noelle

[ShwarmaQueen]

I wouldn't know, personally. Can u hire a doula?

[CherryBomb]

If you have a doula she may be willing to check your dilation, though she also may not. I went in when my contractions where 2-3 minutes apart, i was 7cm when I got there. Frankly I don't see how I could have gotten there if I waited any longer, once I hit transition I did NOT want to move. No way would I have wanted to take a 45 minute car ride to the hospital.

[treetop]

I went to the hospital once I started to get nervous. I was 6-7 centimeters dilated. Also, you can become familiar with your own body and check your cervix. Your partner would do great also. I would only recommend this if your water has not broken. How far is your hospital? I think one of the worst parts of my labor was the car ride and I could not imagine pushing while sitting in a car w/ a seat belt! I think before my VBAC I said not until pushing but I have changed my mind for personal comfort reasons.

[CamoShades]

I wondered the same thing, but I had a doula, and she kind of helped me decide. I just had my VBAC last Monday morning (), and at one point I looked at her and said, "Am I crazy for wanting to go now?" She said, very quickly, "Nope, I'll go tell your husband." (He wasn't in the room at the time.) She had told me beforehand that she'd try to talk me out of it if she thought I wanted to go too soon, and when she didn't, I knew it was time. I was checked into my room around 9:30 p.m., was pushing around 11:45 and had my baby by 12:08 a.m. Our drive to the hospital was 45 minutes, and I can't imagine being in transition during that drive.

[MNHall]

I was questioning labor up until my water broke. Even though my contractions were only 2-4 minutes apart, I was still thinking, no way!??!?!! LOL! But, after my water broke and knowing how close the contractions really were the main thing was my view point changed from, could this really be? To: OMG, this is it? AND: If I'm not getting close, I'm gonna be pissed.

I got to the hospital and 30 minutes later I was pushing, so, I felt like I was starting to feel that doubt of transition...the point where you start thinking, I'm not sure if I can do this...that's the point when you're probably in transition! Luckily I got to the hospital right before transition.....but for me, it was the feeling of, omg, this has to be it and has to be getting close.