when should I actually go to hospital?

Team Naked Doula
Jun 4
2 min read

First things first, all units will ask you to call before you come in. So if you're unsure, anxious, or just need a calm voice: pick up the phone. That's not bothering anyone it's exactly what the number is for.

If you want to know what they're likely to say when you call, read on....

The word you'll hear: established

Most units will ask you to wait until you're in established labour before coming in. It's a clinical term and it can feel a bit dismissive, like everything your body has been doing up to that point doesn't count. It does, established just means the point where labour has properly kicked in and isn't going to stop. Your cervix is open, your surges are consistent, and your body is committed!

The rough guide midwives give is 2 to 3 surges in 10 minutes, each one lasting around 45 - 60 seconds.

But numbers on a page don't always capture it. The more honest signs are these:

You can't talk through them anymore

Mid-conversation and a surge arrives, you have to stop. You cannot speak at the peak. That's a real sign things are moving.

They need your full attention

You can't ignore them. Scrolling your phone, watching TV, carrying on, none of that is possible at the height of a surge anymore. Your body is pulling you in.

You're losing yourself in them

Not in a frightening way, in a going inward way. Your focus narrows. The room around you matters less. That's your brain doing exactly what it should.

Why they ask you to wait

It's not to keep you away. Midwives know labour can be long. If you come in too early, there's a good chance they'll need to send you home and that is demoralising in a way that's hard to recover from mid-labour. Staying home in early labour, in your own space, keeps oxytocin flowing and keeps fear at bay. The unit is for when you're ready to stay.

That said, you know your body. If something feels off, if your gut says go, if anything concerns you: call. You are never wrong for calling. Anxious is reason enough.

Always call first if

Your waters have broken - Even if surges haven't started, call and let them know. Especially if the fluid looks green or brown.
You've noticed meconium - Green or brown fluid in your waters means your baby has passed meconium. Call straight away.
You're worried about your baby's movements - Any reduction or change in movement, call! Don't wait to see if it picks up.
Something just doesn't feel right - That's enough. Just call.

the short version

Call before you go in, always. Wait until surges are strong, regular, and impossible to ignore. Trust your body to tell you when. Trust yourself to call when you're not sure.

Source

NHS - Signs that labour has begun. nhs.uk/pregnancy/labour-and-birth/signs-that-labour-has-begun