Hands down, I’d say the most frequently asked question in my childbirth classes is ”How do I know when to go to the hospital?” Trying to discern that fine line between “It’s waaaay to early to get there” and “I should’ve been there SOONER!” can be unusually challenging for many preggies. Whoever is providing support for the laboring mom often find themselves staring at closely watching her, trying to sense some sort of “GO NOW” signal. But particularly for first-time moms, trying to figure out the best time to leave for the hospital can be a bit confusing.
Now, if you are a preggie who is planning on having an epidural from the get-go, this may be a non-issue for you. You can arrive in earlier labor, get set up and carry on as usual (that is, provided that the epi works for you. If it doesn’t…well, that’s another post! ) But if you are a preggie who wants to have an unmedicated birth or at least labor awhile before getting an epi, it will be helpful to stay home until active labor is well-established and there is a clear pattern of three things happening….
What are those indicators? Click on How to Know When to Go to find out more!
Did your doctor, nurse or midwife give you any criteria to know when to go? Feel free to share or ask questions in my comment section.
Blessings!
