Contractions - When to Go to Hospital

Most pregnant women, especially those who are having their first child, feel anxious when they think about labor pain. However, labor pain is something that one has to go through, and one of the best ways of reducing the fear and tension is by knowing how to recognize true contractions and when should one start for the hospital. This is important because many women experience false contractions during the last phase of their pregnancy, which are many times mistaken to be true labor pain. This can lead to an unwanted visit to the hospital as well as unnecessary panic. Hence, knowing how contractions actually feel like will surely be helpful for the mother-to-be to decide when she should go to the hospital for delivery.

What are Contractions Supposed to Feel Like?

The whole process of childbirth can be divided into three sections. The first stage is where the body gets prepared to push the baby out of the mother's womb. The second phase is the actual childbirth process where the woman has to start pushing to bring her baby out of the womb, and the third phase is when the placenta is pushed out of the body. The onset of the first phase is noticed with the occurrence of contractions which can be anywhere from a dull ache to excruciating pain. However, pregnant women may experience pain with severe intensity and then realize that those were not the actual labor pains or contractions. This false labor is also called Braxton Hicks contractions. This may actually begin during the late second trimester or early third trimester of the pregnancy. Though women who are becoming mothers for the first time consider false contractions to be extremely painful, women who have experienced it earlier will surely tell this pain is nothing as compared to actual labor. More on what do contractions feel like.

During false contractions, the cervix does not dilate and one feels the sensation as if the stomach muscles have tightened. One way of recognizing false contractions from the real ones is to note their timing and duration. This is because false contractions last for a very short time and are very irregular. For instance, you may experience pain for a few seconds or minutes, and then it reappears only after a few hours or even after a day. Also, false contractions may stop when you move your position, walk, drink water, etc., while no such thing happens when you are in actual labor. On the other hand, real contractions can be identified easily as they occur in regular frequency. In the beginning, the contractions may last for just a few seconds and may occur after every ten minutes. As you progress into active labor, the time gap decreases and you will find an increase in the intensity with which you are feeling the contractions. When you start having three to four contractions in an hour, it should be considered as the right time to contact your health practitioner or midwife.

Contractions

Some of the most common questions that soon-to-be mothers ask about contractions is when to call the doctor and when to go to hospital. One must understand that one need not rush to the hospital when the contractions start. Rather, it is best to relax and stay at home during the time of early labor. It will be a good idea to keep a track of the contractions as to how much time they last as well as how frequently they are appearing. This will help you to determine when you should go to the hospital. During this time gap, you can indulge in things like taking a bath, eating, reading, watching television or anything that you feel which is relaxing. When the contractions begin to last for 30-60 seconds and are five minutes apart, you should call your doctor who will tell you whether it is the correct time to start for the hospital. However, it is said that, if it is the woman's second or third delivery, she should start much before the contractions begin to occur five minutes apart, as second delivery is said to happen faster than the first. So, if you are having your second or third baby, it will be better to call your doctor or midwife when you start feeling the contractions. Once you are in full labor, the contractions will become longer and will begin to overlap each other. You may also experience a sensation of pushing during this time, but you should not do so till your doctor says so. The second phase can last anywhere between a few minutes to a few hours.

However, one thing you should understand is that contractions during labor will not be the same for everyone. Hence, if you observe things which are not normal like blood spots, abnormal color of the broken membranes, etc. consult your doctor as soon as possible.