For starters it is important to remember that every woman has her own rhythm and never compare yourself to other mothers because every birth of a child, every birth is unique. No one will be able to predict exactly when that moment of going to the hospital will come. If you’re not sure if you need to head to the maternity ward already, you can call them and consult, and if you think there’s no time for that, head to the hospital as soon as possible. Follow some of these “rules” to know when it’s time to go to the hospital.
If you are carrying your first child, it is recommended that you go to the maternity hospital when contractions or labor occur every 5 minutes and last from 30 to 40 seconds.
If you are giving birth to a second, third or more, you need to be faster – it is advisable to go to the hospital when the contractions are already 7 minutes apart.
Always call your gynecologist or maternity ward if you are concerned about your or your baby’s health.
If you are not sure if you should go to the hospital already, call the maternity ward and explain your situation to them. What you need to tell them to know if you need to head to the maternity ward already is this information:
- Tell them how often you have contractions, how long they last and how much they hurt you
- Tell them when you last felt the baby move
- Tell them how you feel
- Also tell them if you have vaginal discharge, bleeding, if your mucus plug has leaked or if your water has ruptured
Signs that require you to call the maternity hospital immediately, ie it would be best to go to the maternity hospital immediately to make sure that you and the baby are all right and to get to the maternity hospital on time if it is time to give birth:
- You are less than 37 weeks pregnant and have contractions
- Your baby is not moving as usual and you have not felt it for some time or you have felt less than 10 movements in the last 12 hours
- The contractions, ie the labors, are so strong that you can no longer endure the pain
- Your water broke
- Bleed vaginally
How to recognize false labors?
Before real contractions, you can also feel false contractions called Braxton-Hicks contractions, which will make you believe it’s time to give birth. The difference between real and false contractions is – real contractions are more painful, gradually intensify and become regular, while with false contractions you can feel only tightness and unpredictability. If you are unsure, call your gynecologist, maternity ward or head to the maternity ward.
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