Hospital birth but laboring at home - how long?

[dharmama]

I am planning a hospital birth (about 25 minutes from my house) in June. My midwife and Bradley teacher both keep saying that the key to having the birth I want will be laboring at home as long as possible.

So…I realize maybe I’m being impatient and this will be answered later…I’m only ½ way through my Bradley class…but I’m wondering how do I know when it’s time to go to the hospital???

I’ve attended two births as a doula (in training) and IMO both were at the hospital too early as they did the bulk of their laboring walking the halls. I’d rather be at my house for labor and come to the hospital to have the baby.

Any thoughts?

Thanks.

~Erin

[mama2m&m]

With my daughter, I labored at home until my water broke. I also had a labor coach with me and she helped me keep an eye on things so I felt more comfortable staying home longer than I would have without her. Since it was my first delivery, I felt it was best to go after the water broke not knowing how long it would be.

I will say however, that that 20 minute ride was the longest of my life cause in active labor i felt every bump in the road. But I would do it again in a heartbeat.

[Defenestrator]

The childbirth educator I worked with last fall tells her classes that at the moment that they think they couldn't possibly stand getting up, putting their shoes on and getting in the car for the trip to the hospital is about the time they should go.

When I am physically present with a doula client (I am terrible at judging over the phone), step one is when I see that she gets into a regular labor pattern with contractions that feel very intense and she has to really focus on that last 45sec-1 min. Some clients want to go in then, and usually I find that they get to the hospital at about 3-5 cm when we go. Step two would be to watch for an uptick in intensity after that, including a number of possible signs like increase in duration, decrease in spacing, vomiting, shaking, squirming and trying to run away (though some moms will do this from the beginning), turning deeply inward and acting almost like a sleepwalker, panicking, grunting at the peak of contractions, etc. When we go at that point, moms are usually somewhere between 7 and 8 cm, and some moms will be complete.

I am a lot more conservative with second time moms than first time moms. With a first-time mom you almost always have a little extra time with pushing. I have seen more than a few second-time moms push out their babies in 2 or 3 pushes. For moms who are on baby 3,4,5,6,7+, we will usually go to the hospital once labor is in a regular pattern because it can often be quite fast.

Hope this helps!

[dharmama]

Hope this helps!

Oh my gosh...YES! Thanks!!

...But I would do it again in a heartbeat.

Glad to hear that. And here's a little for ya! Hope you get to do it again SOON!

[mnnice]

Your water could break first and most drs./midwives will want you to go to the hospital rights away. That was my experience. I would of definitely stayed at home another hours or two if I had it to do over agian.

[mama2m&m]

oh thank you so much erin. that was soooo sweet!!!

[dharmama]

Your water could break first and most drs./midwives will want you to go to the hospital rights away.

That's a concern that I have. One of my friends recently gave birth and her water broke at 37 weeks but labor did not start. She went to the hospital right away (dr told her to) was 2 cm and ended up w/ pitocin, epidural and threatened c-section if she didn't progress etc.

My midwife said she'd like a phone call w/in a couple of hours when/if my water breaks at home and that generally they like to see women in the hospital no longer than 10-12 hours after mebranes rupture (because the peditricians want them on antibiotics ).

mama2m&m ~ You're welcome!

[mollyeilis]

Do you have the McKutcheon book about Bradley? In there, I think, they discuss a birth story. How the couple was ready to leave for the hospital, the hubby went to snap a picture, and the wife smiled for it.

They turned right back around and labored at home for longer. She just wasn't into the serious laboring yet, and they didn't want to go until then.

Have you gotten to the emotional signposts yet? If not, they will tell you more, and your teacher should explain further which signs tell you that you're ready.

We're the only students in our class, and we're planning a home birth, so our main question is when to call the midwife and it's not quite as serious as when to go to the hospital (IMO).

BTW: If I *were* going to the hospital and if I was one of the 10% whose water broke before labor was established, I PERSONALLY doubt I'd call for a while. With water broken I'd rather stay away from a germy hospital, and stay at my nice clean (if nesting ever kicks in) home for a good long time. I doubt I'd even tell the hospital personnel until labor was established, even with water broken.

[boycrazy]

With my 2nd I waited till my contractions were about 4-5 min apart but we live 5 min from hospital. When they checked me at the hospital I was a 7, 90% effaced. Baby was born less that 1.5 hours later, no meds couse it was too late(did not want them ) and pushed for about 6 min. It was a long car ride even that close but I will always labor as long as I can at home then when you get there its too late for all the "interventions". Ummm can't wait to do it again.

[JanB]

With my 2nd baby (the first one, my water broke early, and I wound up at the hospital way too early on), I basically waited until I was cranky, irritable, sick of being in labor, and contractions were kicking my butt. It took about two and a half days of slowly accelerating labor to get to this point. At 8 PM, I looked at my husband, who was helping me walk around the neighborhood to ease contractions, and said, "I can't do this for another night, I want to go to the hospital", even though my contractions were only 5 minutes apart and I'd wanted to wait until they sped up to at least 3 minutes apart. But, I must have felt something happening, because in the car on the way to the hospital, contractions did start coming 2-3 minutes apart, which is when I feel I entered true active labor.

I truly feel that waiting as long as I did to go to the hospital is one of the reasons I had a successful VBAC. If I'd gone to the hospital at the first sign of regular contractions -- two full days before I started active labor! -- I would have wound up with either a Pitocin-augmented labor, a repeat C-section, or most probably both.

[kama'aina mama]

One thing you might want to do is try to find someplace right near the hospital that you think would be pleasant to hang out for a while if you make the drive a little too soon. A nice park, a furniture store.... use your imagination.

[tinyshoes]

Re: Hospital birth but laboring at home - how long?

Originally posted by dharmama My midwife and Bradley teacher both keep saying that the key to having the birth I want will be laboring at home as long as possible.

Not that you need to change your hospital birthing plans, but I thought I'd chime in that a path I took to homebirth was realizing that I wanted to labor at home as long as possible...and after a while, I discovered I'd want to stay at home to push out my kid, too.

For me, I knew it was time to call the midwives when labor wasn't 'fun' anymore. (They had to put on their shoes & drive to me for the birth; I didn't have to go anywhere. )

[dharmama]

Not that you need to change your hospital birthing plans, but I thought I'd chime in that a path I took to homebirth was realizing that I wanted to labor at home as long as possible...and after a while, I discovered I'd want to stay at home to push out my kid, too.

VERY sensitive subject. I really want a homebirth. DH and I talked about it early in my pregnancy and he was SO uncomfortable with the idea that he could barely discuss it. I agreed to a hospital birth but then with taking the Bradley class and learning about hospital policies and procedures....I'm starting to regret giving in so easily.

But...that's a whole other thread.

I appreciate everyone's advice and stories about laboring at home! Thanks!

~Erin

[midwifecpm]

As a midwife the only reason why I want someone to call me when there bag of water ruptures is to tell me the color of the fluid, if there is any odor, any cord hanging from the vagina (cord prolapse) and to just do a quick judge of how much movement the baby is doing. If all of those things are fine then I come to the birth when I am needed.........no reason to rush to the hospital, but at least be aware of those things I mentioned above.
Also remember that with broken membranes you should not be putting anything up there (LOL), don't take a bath - shower is alright, stay hydrated and I even have my ladies start to do some Vitamin C.

Lisa

[tinyshoes]

Originally posted by dharmama


VERY sensitive subject. I really want a homebirth. DH and I talked about it early in my pregnancy and he was SO uncomfortable with the idea that he could barely discuss it. I agreed to a hospital birth but then with taking the Bradley class and learning about hospital policies and procedures....I'm starting to regret giving in so easily.

But...that's a whole other thread.

I appreciate everyone's advice and stories about laboring at home! Thanks!

~Erin

I'm sorry--I sincerely hope I didn't offend or upset you; ... I just imagined that someone could be reading your thread, and it might be valuable for that person to hear my little bit, in case that urged that mama who wants to labor at home to go ahead and stay home, should her life and circumstances accomodate that.

I think Bradley is a great method, and hope you have a wonderful birth (and as you're saying, staying home can be key for that to happen!)

[onlyboys]

I was *acting* the part of doula for my friend at her first birth. She was about 3 hours into her labor when she called for me, I went and about 45 minutes later she began shaking uncontrollably, vomiting, and dozing out during contractions.

I was horrified that she might be in transition, and cannot imagine transition in a car, so I encouraged the pair to go ahead to the hospital.

We went and she was only 4cms. But, I wonder how much of that was true, because 30 minutes later she was complete and pushing.

And, if I waited until I was in enough discomfort to not want to put my shoes on I'd have a baby in the driveway. Labor for me does not get *intense* until I'm about to push. I laughed my way through my last labor, things only got serious when I started feeling pushy.

I think that you'll *know*. Trust yourself.

Amanda

[onlyboys]

About hospitals: Does you caregiver share your ideas about birthing? If not, switch. They are the key to your hospital birth experiences. I've had 3 hospital births (not a candidate for home or birthing center births) and my care provider made all the difference.

Amanda

[midwifecpm]

As a former client who switched from OB care to my care because of a "difference of opinion" concerning VBAC said - "It's only to late to switch care when you are pushing".
I guess convincing a skeptical husband is a different story.
Lisa

[pixie-n-hertwoboys]

Well as someone who labored at home and drove 12 mins to the hosp. and gave birth there I will say that you kinda will know when..... for me it was the fact that I couldn't sit down on my yoni anymore. AND the fact that I started cussing - and I'm NOT a cusser! I told my mom sh** (repeatedly) it hurts.... and then I would apologize in between contractions and she would tell me to go ahead she didn't mind. Also, my contractions were so close together and lasted a loooooong time. I can't remember the exact numbers now. Sorry!

This was for my second baby btw.

DH drove like a mad man to the hosp - and I was trying not to push in the car. I get inside and the nurses are lollygagging around and I start screaming/moaning and pushing. That kinda got them hoppin!! lol I arrived at the hospital at 1:12 and ds was born at 1:21. The nurses earned thier money that day!

Total L & D for me was 4 1/2 hours. I hope yours is like that too.

[Mom2baldie]

While I was in labor to have my VBAC, our plan was to labor at home until transition then leave for the hospital. My doula said that EVERYONE ALWAYS asks for an epidural in transition so we figured that was how we would know to go. Well, I never asked so we were still home with me in the tub when I started feeling the urge to bear down! Still we went to the hospital, my water broke in the car on the way, that made my urge to push extremely strong and my daughter was crowning when we arrived at the hospital. She was my 1st child to birth vaginally so it took me 12 more minutes (2 pushes) to push her out. I guess maybe if she wouldnt have been my 1st she wouldve just slid right out in the car. This time I am just planning a homebirth instead of going throught that again.

A bradley teacher I know says to leave during transition also. Maybe when your contrax get 3 or so minutes apart that would be a good time?

Its really hard to labor in the car though, especially when you are used to being at home and being free to move around... It is a good idea though!