[Submitted Question]

I live 2 hours away from the hospital, and we are worried about making it in time when labor kicks in, when should we leave for the hospital? We're just worried about knowing the difference between real labor and false labor.

[WombToBloom]

Some of this answer depends on whether or not you have had a baby before. If you have had a baby before, the second and subsequent pregnancies have a shorter labor, in general. If you have had a very short labor before, you should go to the hospital as soon as you have regular contractions, even if they don’t hurt. Some people elect to have an induction or have their water broken at the hospital to avoid having the baby en route.

If this is your first pregnancy, you need to remember that the average first time labor is at least 12 hours long. This gives you plenty of time to get to the hospital and you can plan to go to the hospital as soon as the contractions are regular and painful. If the doctor says you are at least 3 centimeters dilated in the office, you should come to the hospital if your water breaks or if the contractions are regular, whether or not they are painful. Count your contractions and if they are at least five minutes apart, consider going to the hospital. If your water breaks, even if you aren’t in labor, you should consider going to the hospital no matter what.

[InnerSerenity]

I suggest to clients to make sure that labor is truly happening. Some suggested rules have been contractions that are 5 minutes apart lasting 1 minute for 1 hour. If all mothers went to the hospital with just this many of them will be going either not in real labor or in very early labor. Unless your family has a history of quick labors, you are usually safe staying home until labor is truly set in, which means for several hours contractions have been a few minutes apart 3-4 usually lasting 1 minute each. The other qualifier of when to go in is when your instincts, not your thinking mind, but instinctual mind tell you to go....

Many woman these days go into the hospitals way to early for many different reasons and then sadly end up playing into the cascade of interventions(Pitocin to augment, Epidurals for pain and exhaustion, assisted forcep delivery or C-section) Once you arrive at the hospital and are admitted you are put on the time clock. Sadly birth happens on it's own time clock. At home you are more likely to progress faster through those early stages of dilation where as at the hospital being watched it may take much longer.

Tia Rich
Inner Serenity Childbirth Services

[Knoxville Doula]

Many providers are even going to the 4-1-1 rule -- which means 4 minutes apart lasting for 1 minute for at least 1 hour. Knowing the proper way to time contractions is very important as well! Contractions should be timed as follows:
The time between contractions is from the beginning of one contraction to the beginning of another one
The time a contraction lasts is from the beginning of one contraction until it ends

The advantage to staying home longer is you will actually be more comfortable and progress more quickly in your own environment.

[WombToBloom]

You two are fantastic and I think you each provide such great insight for new moms!

[Nicolexx]

This post is truly inspiring. I like this post and everything shared with us in this Post and very informative.