When should I go to the hospital? The simple answer to this question is 'when you are anxious or need more pain relief than Tylenol or a warm bath can provide,' and you should bear this in mind at the end of your pregnancy. No matter how many children you have, it is natural to worry about arriving at the hospital just to be sent home again. Still, that is far preferable to leaving things too late.
Here is a list that is a little more defined to help you know when you should go to the hospital. It's time to leave if:
-The contractions are coming in less than 5-minute intervals.
-The contractions are strong enough for you to need to concentrate on them.
-You feel anxious about getting to the hospital.
-Your water breaks.
-You find a bright red discharge from your vagina.
-The baby moves less frequently than usual.
When the membranes rupture and amniotic fluid is discharged it's generally not a sign of premature labor; rather it is typically a sign that the 2nd stage of labor is forthcoming. However, now and then the baby takes a position in your pelvis that creates a small lump of water-filled membrane to develop between the top of the baby�s head and your vagina. If contractions start, stress is put on this bag and soon the membranes break. This suggests that your baby is in back-to-back (occipito-posterior) position. This causes longer labors, but in eighty percent of these cases, the baby turns itself into a more ideal position before it�s born.
If, at any point in your pregnancy, you have bright red blood being released from your vagina, call 911. This is an emergency and an ambulance should be sent for you.
If the baby moves less than normal, odds are it's just resting or sleeping. Nevertheless, any slowing down of the baby's movements while in the womb can be a sign that all is not well. This is not an emergency but you should call your caregiver and check the baby's heart rate.
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Having eight children of his own, Chris Dunn loves writing articles about
birth for his childbirth website.
