When to leave home during labor?

[sara_m]

Hi, Ladies! Due to a number of reasons, we'll be delivering our first at the local hospital. Luckily, it's a natural birth-friendly place, but I still would like to be there as little as possible. Our OB and labor nurse has told us to come in when contractions are one minute long, three minutes apart for at least two hours. Does that seem early? Also, if my water breaks, does anyone have advice/experience as to how long to go before letting the OB know? The last thing I want is to end up hooked to a pitocin drip at the hospital. This is all so new and we're thousands of miles from family in a new town, so any advice would be very appreciated!

[AmyB]

"Natural Childbirth the Bradley Way" says to go by emotional signposts not by timing contractions. If you can find a copy of the book it's probably more helpful than me sumarizing. Essentially, if you can still crack a smile or do anything besides concentrate on labor it's too early to go to a hospital.

Another signal that the baby is coming is feeling like you need to poop but you can't poop.

You'll get different advice on water breaking. My water broke two days before I told the Docs. I didn't tell them because my sister was bullied into inducing after her water broke and I didn't want the same thing to happen to me. I strongly believe that I avoided an unnecessary C-section by lying about it. At the hospital they knew once I went in, of course, but I pretended it had leaked out little by little so I didn't know. The result was that they wanted to drip antibiotics into me "just in case". I let them do it, but if that happened again I'd say no to the antibiotics because later on they used the IV to give me pitocin without asking. Grrrr.

So, that's my experience.

--AmyB

[Delfina]

Hi there, Sara! How are you feeling? To answer your question, most providers usually ask you to go in when contractions are 5 minutes apart, so it sounds like you won't be in too early... My provider offered to let me come into her office to be checked so that I don't have to go to the hospital since I had the same concern as yourself. Perhaps yours would do this as well.... I don't know a lot about timing with the bag of water breaking, but I am sure you know that if the fluid is not clear you should call ASAP.

Keep in touch!

[pixiexto]

Originally Posted by AmyB

Essentially, if you can still crack a smile or do anything besides concentrate on labor it's too early to go to a hospital

Yeah, great way of putting it! I remember thinking during earlier labor "ok, we've still got a ways to go because I still have my sense of humor!" :LOL
As far as water breaking, mine broke right away ~ it was a slow trickle, not a gush. That was 15 hours before DD was born. I wouldn't have gone to the hospital for that, unless of course I'd noticed any meconium in the fluid.

[rubysmomjess]

We waited until we saw "bloody show." I kind of wish I hadn't waited so long cause the ride to the hospital was really miserable. But the 3/4 minutes apart 1 minute contraction rule would have been too early. Mine were like that 1-2 hours after real labor started. They weren't to terribly painful though.

My doula says that when you start to wish you are somewhere else (ie if at home, wishing at the hospital or vice versa) than means you're starting transition.

[wildfarmsmama]

I remember this being so hard to know the first time.I went to hospital with #1 and home for 2,3& soon 4... I guess I agree with a PP and went when I wished I was there! There was a point when all I could do was get through the current contraction and then rest between them in another world...it was all I could do. Just be sure you've been clear with your birth plan because you communication skills suffer! A DH with a clear statement in his hands would be good