Hellobee Boards Topic: If you had a hospital or birth center birth, when did you have to head in?

Hellobee Boards Topic: If you had a hospital or birth center birth, when did you have to head in? https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Sat, 23 May 2026 20:10:06 +0000 Boheme on "If you had a hospital or birth center birth, when did you have to head in?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-had-a-hospital-or-birth-center-birth-when-did-you-have-to-head-in/page/2#post-871626 Thu, 20 Jun 2013 15:12:35 +0000 Boheme 871626@https://boards.hellobee.com/ We left for the hospital when my contractions were 3 minutes apart, lasting a minute, for two hours. The hospital is about 30 minutes away. I wanted to show up close to transition and I did. mrskc on "If you had a hospital or birth center birth, when did you have to head in?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-had-a-hospital-or-birth-center-birth-when-did-you-have-to-head-in/page/2#post-871608 Thu, 20 Jun 2013 15:10:57 +0000 mrskc 871608@https://boards.hellobee.com/ They told me to come in if my water broke or if contractions were 5 min apart. I waited until contractions were 3-4 min apart since I was only a 5 minute drive from the hospital. I got there and I was at 7 cm and delivered my son 3 hours later. sorrycharlie on "If you had a hospital or birth center birth, when did you have to head in?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-had-a-hospital-or-birth-center-birth-when-did-you-have-to-head-in/page/2#post-871590 Thu, 20 Jun 2013 15:08:48 +0000 sorrycharlie 871590@https://boards.hellobee.com/ haha..my situation was not the norm, but.. I called when my water broke, and got the one and only OB (on call) that I had not yet met. So she had no idea of my family history of quick labors. I called at 5:30, and she told me to wait til 10 to come in since I was a FTM. good thing I didn't listen to her..baby was born at 9:27! Foodnerd81 on "If you had a hospital or birth center birth, when did you have to head in?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-had-a-hospital-or-birth-center-birth-when-did-you-have-to-head-in#post-871568 Thu, 20 Jun 2013 15:06:10 +0000 Foodnerd81 871568@https://boards.hellobee.com/ So I asked for more specifics at my midwife appt today-- basically, yes, come in when it breaks, but if nothing is happening and everything is clear, I can go home again, they just have to advise me of the (small) risk of infection. They don't do cervical checks to avoid increasing the risk of infection. They would induce in less than 24 hours from when it broke, but I don't need to stay at the hospital during that time. Sounds fair to me! matador84 on "If you had a hospital or birth center birth, when did you have to head in?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-had-a-hospital-or-birth-center-birth-when-did-you-have-to-head-in#post-871127 Thu, 20 Jun 2013 13:40:33 +0000 matador84 871127@https://boards.hellobee.com/ my water broke and as soon as we pulled in the parking lot about 10 minutes later contractions started. it was crazy! lovehoneybee on "If you had a hospital or birth center birth, when did you have to head in?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-had-a-hospital-or-birth-center-birth-when-did-you-have-to-head-in#post-870956 Thu, 20 Jun 2013 13:17:15 +0000 lovehoneybee 870956@https://boards.hellobee.com/ 5-1-1 rule, but they told us to call first. The admittance nurse told me to call back in an hour (apparently my voice wasn't pained enough?) I called back an hour later, she told me to come in but I ended up going home because my labor stalled. I could have stayed but convinced myself it wasn't time, and I wanted DH to be able to sleep. When I went back in a few hours later I didn't call first, I went in because I could barely catch a breath between them (they were 2-3 min apart) and I hit a point where I thought if I was in that much pain and not in active labor that something was wrong. rattles on "If you had a hospital or birth center birth, when did you have to head in?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-had-a-hospital-or-birth-center-birth-when-did-you-have-to-head-in#post-870912 Thu, 20 Jun 2013 13:09:41 +0000 rattles 870912@https://boards.hellobee.com/ My labor began with my water breaking. My doc said I could labor at home for a few hours but then I would have to come in regardless. My water broke at 7:20pm and I left for the hospital at about midnight, so it had been about 5 hours or so? @FarmWifeGina: Being put on the clock was my big concern, but my grandmother ended up with super infections with her first childbirth after waiting 3 days for contractions, so I tried to push back going in while still being wary. BelugaBean on "If you had a hospital or birth center birth, when did you have to head in?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-had-a-hospital-or-birth-center-birth-when-did-you-have-to-head-in#post-870733 Thu, 20 Jun 2013 12:32:21 +0000 BelugaBean 870733@https://boards.hellobee.com/ They told me to call when my contractions were about 5 minutes apart. They jumped from 8-10 minutes apart to 3-5 very suddenly. I called and they had me come to the doctor since it was closer for a check (so I could skip all the triage stuff if I went in or so I could go back home if I wasn't ready). I was at 4cm and still 3-5 minutes apart so she sent me to the hospital. Smurfette on "If you had a hospital or birth center birth, when did you have to head in?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-had-a-hospital-or-birth-center-birth-when-did-you-have-to-head-in#post-870730 Thu, 20 Jun 2013 12:32:01 +0000 Smurfette 870730@https://boards.hellobee.com/ @Foodnerd81: My water broke and I called the doctor on call and she had my come in right away. I surprised cause I figured she would want me to labor at home since I wasn't even having contractions. But they wanted me to come in and monitor cause they want baby out within 24 hours. lindseykaye on "If you had a hospital or birth center birth, when did you have to head in?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-had-a-hospital-or-birth-center-birth-when-did-you-have-to-head-in#post-870729 Thu, 20 Jun 2013 12:31:54 +0000 lindseykaye 870729@https://boards.hellobee.com/ @kml636: I waited about 8 hours, too. Contractions started around 6AM and we left for the hospital at 2PM. They didn't quite follow the 5-1-1 rule so I went by the can-you-talk-through-this-still rule :) When we left I think my contractions were only 3 min. apart but they were only 30-45 seconds long. By the time we arrived, I was dilated to a 6 and LO was born 5 hours later! ETA: My water didn't break until I was pushing, but I know my midwife told me at one of my last appointments that if it broke before contractions I was technically supposed to call and come in right away, but that she encouraged me to stay at home for a while still and ideally until contractions started on their own. This was as long as the fluid was clear, etc. She literally said - put a bath towel between your legs and take a nap! Haha Raindrop on "If you had a hospital or birth center birth, when did you have to head in?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-had-a-hospital-or-birth-center-birth-when-did-you-have-to-head-in#post-870704 Thu, 20 Jun 2013 12:24:54 +0000 Raindrop 870704@https://boards.hellobee.com/ i had mild contractions for 2 days before they finally got to be about 5-7 minutes apart... then I was told to come in. I was 5 cm so I was checked in. :) sslm on "If you had a hospital or birth center birth, when did you have to head in?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-had-a-hospital-or-birth-center-birth-when-did-you-have-to-head-in#post-870681 Thu, 20 Jun 2013 12:19:40 +0000 sslm 870681@https://boards.hellobee.com/ My water broke at 6:30pm and my midwife wasn't concerned about going in to the hospital. She came by my house to assess me because my contractions were coming so close together right away. I think she came by around 8:30 and we finally went to the hospital around 11:30, only because we were worried the car ride would be too awful if we waited much longer. I think I was 5cm and then baby girl was born at 5:15am! littlek on "If you had a hospital or birth center birth, when did you have to head in?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-had-a-hospital-or-birth-center-birth-when-did-you-have-to-head-in#post-870632 Thu, 20 Jun 2013 12:09:29 +0000 littlek 870632@https://boards.hellobee.com/ My water broke at 34 weeks, which meant we went to the hospital right away. Running Elley on "If you had a hospital or birth center birth, when did you have to head in?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-had-a-hospital-or-birth-center-birth-when-did-you-have-to-head-in#post-870603 Thu, 20 Jun 2013 12:02:54 +0000 Running Elley 870603@https://boards.hellobee.com/ My water broke first and we headed in when it broke! kml636 on "If you had a hospital or birth center birth, when did you have to head in?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-had-a-hospital-or-birth-center-birth-when-did-you-have-to-head-in#post-870572 Thu, 20 Jun 2013 11:56:54 +0000 kml636 870572@https://boards.hellobee.com/ I waited like 8 hrs. I'm glad I did. By the time I got there, contractions were about 5 mins apart. mrsmate on "If you had a hospital or birth center birth, when did you have to head in?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-had-a-hospital-or-birth-center-birth-when-did-you-have-to-head-in#post-870393 Thu, 20 Jun 2013 11:22:38 +0000 mrsmate 870393@https://boards.hellobee.com/ Something nobody told me was that your contractions may not be consistent! I kept waiting for 5:1:1 but it never happened...8 minutes here, 4 minutes here, lasting 90sec here, 30 sec here...so I finally went in when the pain got to be bad enough I couldn't speak through them, 22 hours after they started. It worked out great, I was 7cm upon arrival, got an epi right away, and proceeded to nap for 5 hours. The nurse then woke me up to push and broke my water. Easy peasy. runsyellowlites on "If you had a hospital or birth center birth, when did you have to head in?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-had-a-hospital-or-birth-center-birth-when-did-you-have-to-head-in#post-870023 Thu, 20 Jun 2013 09:18:49 +0000 runsyellowlites 870023@https://boards.hellobee.com/ I know I *planned* a homebirth but I "went in" at 9.5 cm. lol... Even if my waters would've broken I wouldn't have gone in unless I needed to make sure it was infact my waters (like in the case of a leak). for ROM we just watch for signs of possible infection & tell others to keep their grummy hands out of my hoohaa b/c *that* is where increase of infection comes in... pretty much what happens once you enter the hospital, everyone "needs" to constantly check you so here come introduction to germies. IF contractions didn't start within 12 hours I MIGHT go in, but I'd still likely wait & watch like I said. I'd take to sleeping as much as I could to reserve my energy for the "big show". lol. wheres_c on "If you had a hospital or birth center birth, when did you have to head in?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-had-a-hospital-or-birth-center-birth-when-did-you-have-to-head-in#post-870010 Thu, 20 Jun 2013 09:15:16 +0000 wheres_c 870010@https://boards.hellobee.com/ I was told to go in once my water broke but I labored at home for a few hours anyway. I was 4cm when I got there, about 4 hours after my water broke. hilsy85 on "If you had a hospital or birth center birth, when did you have to head in?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-had-a-hospital-or-birth-center-birth-when-did-you-have-to-head-in#post-869969 Thu, 20 Jun 2013 09:04:58 +0000 hilsy85 869969@https://boards.hellobee.com/ @Foodnerd81: that's smart! Unfortunately there was only one route we could take--it was the longest car ride of my life! FarmWifeGina on "If you had a hospital or birth center birth, when did you have to head in?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-had-a-hospital-or-birth-center-birth-when-did-you-have-to-head-in#post-869955 Thu, 20 Jun 2013 09:01:42 +0000 FarmWifeGina 869955@https://boards.hellobee.com/ @Foodnerd81: Ah, then you're probably ok. I just don't want to be put on a clock. Foodnerd81 on "If you had a hospital or birth center birth, when did you have to head in?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-had-a-hospital-or-birth-center-birth-when-did-you-have-to-head-in#post-869950 Thu, 20 Jun 2013 09:00:37 +0000 Foodnerd81 869950@https://boards.hellobee.com/ @FarmWifeGina: My midwives are pretty low intervention (so they say) so it really does sound like they would check me then send me home, as long as the fluid was clear, no fever, etc. The class really stressed how low intervention they try to be. sotofamilia on "If you had a hospital or birth center birth, when did you have to head in?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-had-a-hospital-or-birth-center-birth-when-did-you-have-to-head-in#post-869948 Thu, 20 Jun 2013 08:59:50 +0000 sotofamilia 869948@https://boards.hellobee.com/ @FarmWifeGina: That's interesting - I didn't know that! Good information to have for next time :) Bao on "If you had a hospital or birth center birth, when did you have to head in?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-had-a-hospital-or-birth-center-birth-when-did-you-have-to-head-in#post-869941 Thu, 20 Jun 2013 08:57:45 +0000 Bao 869941@https://boards.hellobee.com/ When my contractions were 5 minutes apart, which was just after an hour when they started. FarmWifeGina on "If you had a hospital or birth center birth, when did you have to head in?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-had-a-hospital-or-birth-center-birth-when-did-you-have-to-head-in#post-869936 Thu, 20 Jun 2013 08:56:47 +0000 FarmWifeGina 869936@https://boards.hellobee.com/ Actually, if you stay hydrated, the body continues to make amniotic fluid throughout labor. And the chance of infection is low as long as you're not sticking stuff up there- ahem, cervical checks, scalp electrodes, etc. I personally would not go to the hospital until I was into a good contracting pattern and was having to concentrate through the contractions. I would keep an eye on my temperature just in case, but yeah... But that's not your conventional wisdom, lol, just me. pelikila on "If you had a hospital or birth center birth, when did you have to head in?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-had-a-hospital-or-birth-center-birth-when-did-you-have-to-head-in#post-869935 Thu, 20 Jun 2013 08:56:30 +0000 pelikila 869935@https://boards.hellobee.com/ My OB told me (since I was aiming for a med-free birth) to not come in until I couldn't talk or do anything else during contractions. She didn't care about timing but more about level of intensity. Foodnerd81 on "If you had a hospital or birth center birth, when did you have to head in?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-had-a-hospital-or-birth-center-birth-when-did-you-have-to-head-in#post-869929 Thu, 20 Jun 2013 08:54:54 +0000 Foodnerd81 869929@https://boards.hellobee.com/ @hilsy85: Funny you mention rush hour-- I already have different routes mapped out to the hospital depending on what time we need to go in! (It helps that most of my appts have been at 8:45 so primo rush hour time). hilsy85 on "If you had a hospital or birth center birth, when did you have to head in?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-had-a-hospital-or-birth-center-birth-when-did-you-have-to-head-in#post-869905 Thu, 20 Jun 2013 08:48:47 +0000 hilsy85 869905@https://boards.hellobee.com/ @Foodnerd81: I also thought there was no way my water would break, since it's statistically so unlikely...but that's what happened! hilsy85 on "If you had a hospital or birth center birth, when did you have to head in?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-had-a-hospital-or-birth-center-birth-when-did-you-have-to-head-in#post-869900 Thu, 20 Jun 2013 08:47:38 +0000 hilsy85 869900@https://boards.hellobee.com/ My water broke at 5am, and we called my OB at 6:30...she knew I wanted to labor at home as long as possible, but since my water had broken a while a go and it was getting toward rush hour (in NYC) she said we should head to the hospital. Good thing, because it took us over an hour and the contractions started to pick up once we got there! Adira on "If you had a hospital or birth center birth, when did you have to head in?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-had-a-hospital-or-birth-center-birth-when-did-you-have-to-head-in#post-869897 Thu, 20 Jun 2013 08:45:55 +0000 Adira 869897@https://boards.hellobee.com/ @Foodnerd81: That's fortunate you are able to take off time before the baby comes! Jealous!! @regberadaisy: haha, it wasn't too bad. At first I was all "What's this? Are these contractions??" and I was posting on HB all morning about it. They slowly got more and more intense and closer together and around 2:00, I was all "I think I should go home before I can't drive myself anymore!" and just left early. Baby arrived 12 hours later and so I started my maternity leave the next day! LazyLightning on "If you had a hospital or birth center birth, when did you have to head in?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-had-a-hospital-or-birth-center-birth-when-did-you-have-to-head-in#post-869896 Thu, 20 Jun 2013 08:45:37 +0000 LazyLightning 869896@https://boards.hellobee.com/ Hospital - went to the ER at 10:30 pm as per instructions when my water broke. I was not having contractions.