https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Thu, 23 Apr 2026 20:43:44 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/laboring-at-home-1#post-339704 Sat, 13 Oct 2012 18:43:29 +0000 SweetMamaM 339704@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@cyndistar3: I still remember my mum being in labour with my last sister - we were at a fast food restaurant when her labour started, we finished dinner, did the monthly grocery shop and then she and dad drove us over to my grandmas in the neighboring town before returning home to get ready to go to hospital. I don't think I could be anywhere near as relaxed! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/laboring-at-home-1#post-339676 Sat, 13 Oct 2012 18:02:15 +0000 tysonja 339676@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@photojane: we live 35 min away from the hospital (w no traffic -- 1 hr 15 min with traffic) and i was afraid of the same thing! thankfully when the time came we went to the hospital in the dead of night. labour was super fast though, and i was at a 10 and holding him in when i got my epidural. best thing ever! pain free, happy pushing! </p> <p>to answer the original question -- my labour was pretty quick, 'real' labour began at 9 pm, we arrived at the hospital at 1am and i was at a 7. i was happy to be there, it was a bit scary being in *that* much pain while at home! :) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/laboring-at-home-1#post-339666 Sat, 13 Oct 2012 17:47:14 +0000 Mrs. Oyster 339666@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I labored at home for about 11-12 hours. The pain was never too, too bad for me during that time - so I actually went shopping at PetCo, cooked up a couple of freezer meals, and went for a few walks around the neighborhood with DH. During the last walk my contractions were definitely under 4 minutes and lasting for longer than a minute and DH started panicking! He insisted that I call the Dr., but I still felt fairly ok. I did call the Dr. to appease him, and was told to come in once it was difficult for me to walk and talk. I rested for a couple more hours and then started to really feel pain. By the time we got to the hospital I was already at 6cm (which I never expected!).<br /> I was really happy to have stayed home for so long because I was able to eat/drink what I wanted, walk around outside, and labor through the contractions how I wanted. Although it did cause DH quite a bit of anxiety :) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/laboring-at-home-1#post-339531 Sat, 13 Oct 2012 13:05:17 +0000 Weagle 339531@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@anonysquire: Yeah, no kidding. Based on the pain level, I thought I would only be a 5-6cm. I had never been so thankful for a lack of traffic when they told me I was at 9cm. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/laboring-at-home-1#post-339389 Sat, 13 Oct 2012 09:24:42 +0000 Arden 339389@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@anonysquire: I wouldn't walk on the treadmill just because when women have contractions while walking, they usually freeze and try to hold on to something like another person or a tree, and if they did that on a treadmill... bad news. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/laboring-at-home-1#post-339326 Sat, 13 Oct 2012 06:33:21 +0000 heffalump 339326@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I started having contractions around 10 at night so I just laid in bed and tried to get some rest. Of course that didn't happen because I was too freaked out and excited! Soon DH broke out his cell phone app and started timing them, and by 1 am my contractions were coming fast and close together. They were 3-4 minutes apart, but not too painful. I didn't know what to do, I was confused because I thought they'd be more painful but I didn't want to not go to the hospital in time, so I called my OB and she said it was ok to go. </p> <p>So I went, they checked me, I wasn't dilating, and an hour later they sent me home. Everyone at the hospital said "You'll know when you're supposed to come back." Well obviously I won't..... I didn't know when to come the first time. On the car ride home I could feel the contractions getting more painful and I already wanted to turn around but I knew I couldn't.. So we went home and I tried to get some sleep, but I couldn't because of the pain. So I filled up the tub and tried to lay in there. But then I was just wet and in pain, it didn't help at all. So I told DH we had to go back NOW! I had known I wanted an epi from the start and I didn't know if they'd give me one yet, but I knew I needed something. </p> <p>By this time it was 5 am. I went back to the hospital and I was 100% sure I was dilating because I was in SOOOOO much pain. But they told me I wasn't. I felt like the wimpiest wimp ever. They game me a shot in the tushy which was supposed to help the pain, but didn't, about two minutes after that they checked again and I was dilating and they said I could be admitted and have my epi. And life was good. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/laboring-at-home-1#post-339314 Sat, 13 Oct 2012 05:46:16 +0000 Mrs. Tricycle 339314@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Thanks for asking this question! I've been thinking about it, too. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/laboring-at-home-1#post-339313 Sat, 13 Oct 2012 05:12:31 +0000 sorrycharlie 339313@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@photojane: I didn't go right away but within an hr the contractions were bad enough to need to go anyway - I was neg for group b though </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/laboring-at-home-1#post-339307 Sat, 13 Oct 2012 04:13:47 +0000 Penny Lane 339307@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I went into labour at 1:30am when my water broke. My contractions were pretty regular right away, about 5 minutes apart, and stayed regular the whole time, just progressively closer together. We went straight to the hospital to get checked. Because I was only 3cm at that point my midwife gave me the choice to stay or go home.</p> <p>I chose to go home and laboured in my lounge. At first I could just curl up in a ball on the couch and breathe through the contractions. But even from the beginning I couldn't bear even to stand up let alone walk around. Eventually my husband had to apply counter pressure to my back during contractions while I sat backwards on a chair. </p> <p>After probably 4 or so hours of that, the contractions were getting too painful for that to help. I sat in a hot bath after that, I have no idea how long for, until my husband came in to check on me and saw me almost crying through two minute long contractions with 30 second breaks and decided we should go back. Luckily he did, cause thinking back I realise I was starting to push then!</p> <p>We rushed off to the hospital again (luckily I'm only a 10 min drive away!). We got there at 11:30am, I was rushed to L&amp;D in a wheelchair (I probably looked ridiculous, I was hugging a big fluffy sheep toy and squeezing my eyes shut as tight as I could). By 12:14 I had a baby in my arms! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/laboring-at-home-1#post-339305 Sat, 13 Oct 2012 03:54:02 +0000 photojane 339305@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>This actually worries me. We live about 30 minutes from our hospital and I want the epi ASAP. If I accidentally go too long at home because the OB tells me to wait it out I will freak out. I have zero pain tolerance, so I'll probably jut show up to the hospital as soon as I feel pain. :)</p> <p>Moms, if your water breaks do you go to the hospital right away or do you still stay and labor at home a while? In the movies they always rush to the hospital after the water breaks! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/laboring-at-home-1#post-339289 Sat, 13 Oct 2012 02:26:10 +0000 anonysquire 339289@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@sorrycharlie: Holy cow that would have been scary!</p> <p>@googly-eyes: Wow 2 days of back labor sounds so painful! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/laboring-at-home-1#post-339284 Sat, 13 Oct 2012 01:46:02 +0000 googly-eyes 339284@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My contractions never got regular so I wasnt sure.. Got to the hospital already 8 cm! But I had contractions (OW!) for two days before... Especially that day, ouch.. I had back labor which can cause irregular contractions. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/laboring-at-home-1#post-339279 Sat, 13 Oct 2012 01:05:31 +0000 sorrycharlie 339279@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I was home for about an hour after my water broke before I realized we needed to go NOW. My contractions were about a min long and 1-2 min apart and I just had a feeling. Similar to @lydg, had I listened to on call OB I would have delivered at home! She said to stay home til 10 or 11, &amp; I delivered at 9:27 </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/laboring-at-home-1#post-339277 Sat, 13 Oct 2012 00:34:17 +0000 anonysquire 339277@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@FriedBabyMama: I just meant was it strange that I would think of doing it, not that I thought people who did it are strange :)</p> <p>@Beebug: @Baby Boy Mom: Seems like that is the common rule.</p> <p>@luckypenny: Geez how frustrating!!!</p> <p>@c.sassy: OMG! Good thing you didn't give birth in your car!</p> <p>@Coco Bee: Thanks! I will have to check out that book.</p> <p>@cyndistar3: Ok you are brave!</p> <p>@red_seattle: @FutureMrsMcK: Thanks ladies for the stories!!! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/laboring-at-home-1#post-339272 Sat, 13 Oct 2012 00:18:17 +0000 lovehoneybee 339272@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I labored at home walking around my neighborhood, bouncing on a yoga ball or soaking in a hot bath for about 17 hours before I went to the hospital. I went in when my contractions were less than 5 minutes apart, lasting over a minute, for two hours. I had called L&amp;D as instructed after the first hour, and she told me to time them for another hour.</p> <p>We went to the hospital, I was monitored for an hour or two, but my contractions pretty much stopped...I was a "a very loose 2cm" which I had been since my last appointment a few days prior. I was given the option to stay there and keep being monitored for another hour or two to see if anything changed or go home--we opted to go home. Even before we got to the parking lot I was doubled over in pain, but I had convinced myself it wasn't real labor. </p> <p>I labored at home for another two hours. It was really late, so DH and my mom both napped. I tried to sleep but couldn't. Where earlier I could grit my teeth and talk to my mom and DH through them, now I could barely breathe. I tried a hot bath--twice--and pacing our apartment, bending over the kitchen counters and moaning, bouncing on the ball, rocking on my hands and knees on the guest bed (my mom was dozing on the couch)...the only thing that brought me any relief at all was sitting on the toilet. </p> <p>I woke them up and told them I needed to go back to the hospital when the pain was so bad that I didn't think I could handle it anymore. We'd probably been home two and a half hours. And even then I thought we'd be sent home again--I'd convinced myself it wasn't real labor. When they checked me again I was a loose 5cm.</p> <p>I never screamed at all...that seemed counter-productive to me. Even when my epidural failed during transition I never screamed--low, deep moans and focusing entirely on each breath. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/laboring-at-home-1#post-339269 Sat, 13 Oct 2012 00:00:03 +0000 red_seattle 339269@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Wow-- lots of questions! :)</p> <p>I labored at home for 21 hours. My contractions started at 6 minutes apart and held steady at 3 or 4 minutes apart and around a minute long for most of my labor, so the 5-1-1 or even 4-1-1 rule just didn't fit my situation at all. So the first time we called the dr, they said go to the hospital. I was checked, they had me walk the halls for an hr, I made no progress, and they sent me home saying "You're only 1cm dilated. Go home, come back when things change. You'll know." ---&gt; really helpful... as in, not at all helpful. So we came back when I felt like the pain was just too much, and they sent me home again bc I hadn't dilated. And then finally, again, I told my mom and DH that we were heading back to the hospital, and that time when they checked me I was almost 4cm and got to stay. </p> <p>Soooo... that's a long way of saying, for me, the way I "knew" it was time to go to the hospital was when the pain level crossed some threshold that I can't even describe. When the nurses told me "you'll know when to come back"-- what they should have said "when all the pain management techniques stop working" and then a few hours after that. And it was not at all super obvious to me-- I mean, we went to the hospital 3 times! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/laboring-at-home-1#post-339262 Fri, 12 Oct 2012 23:21:45 +0000 BoogieBea 339262@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I labored for maybe a couple hours? They also told me I can wait until I couldn't talk but I didn't want to wait til then. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/laboring-at-home-1#post-339255 Fri, 12 Oct 2012 22:57:19 +0000 Mrs. Confetti 339255@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@anonysquire - I don't judge what anyone comes up with to get themselves through labor! I would be afraid I would hurt myself on a treadmill during a contraction, cuz I would just need to suddenly stop moving but to each her own strategy :) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/laboring-at-home-1#post-339251 Fri, 12 Oct 2012 22:51:42 +0000 cyndistar3 339251@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My labor was 48 hours long so I ended up laboring at home, at the mall and at the birthing center. My favorite was walking around the mall in labor. I would stop in the middle of a store and bend over to breathe through a contraction everyone would ask me if I was okay. The look on their face was priceless when I would say "oh yea, im just in labor!" lol </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/laboring-at-home-1#post-339248 Fri, 12 Oct 2012 22:40:23 +0000 Mrs. Pen 339248@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mrs. Jacks: me neither! I was talking all thought labor. Toward the end it wasn't that I couldn't talk thru contractions anymore, I was just too tired too.</p> <p>I didn't have the opportunity, sadly. However my midwife a instructions were to keep in touch with her and they obviously have a knack for these things- she would know when it's time for me to come in.</p> <p>Also, we read the book The birth Partner which was really informative and helpful!! I highly recommend it. Even DH read it. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/laboring-at-home-1#post-339245 Fri, 12 Oct 2012 22:36:46 +0000 Weagle 339245@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>It was about 4 hours from first contraction to pulling out of the driveway. We left for the hospital when I couldn't talk through contractions. They were 1+min long and 3-4 minutes apart. I ended up being in transition on the ride to the hospital and was at 9cm when I got to the hospital. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/laboring-at-home-1#post-339202 Fri, 12 Oct 2012 21:53:35 +0000 luckypenny 339202@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Labored at home for 8 hours. Contractions lasted for a minute and were a minute apart. Went to hospital because doula thought I would give birth at home. Turns out I was only 1.5cm! Doula and I swear I must have regressed getting to hospital </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/laboring-at-home-1#post-339191 Fri, 12 Oct 2012 21:31:56 +0000 Baby Boy Mom 339191@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My doc said 5-1-1 or when my water breaks to go to the hospital. It was only a couple of hours before my water broke, so I don't really feel like I labored at home. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/laboring-at-home-1#post-339177 Fri, 12 Oct 2012 21:14:44 +0000 anonysquire 339177@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@FriedBabyMama: Do you think people ever walk on treadmills during labor? Is that strange? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/laboring-at-home-1#post-339174 Fri, 12 Oct 2012 21:11:21 +0000 Mrs. Confetti 339174@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I really wanted to labor at home, but never actually went into labor! 12 days overdue, I got induced. But at the hospital, I walked a lot in the halls to try to speed things up, and I'd just pause when a contraction hit and moaned. I'd say stick to the inside of your house, so if you are in major pain, your neighbors won't hear you :) Also, screaming in a high pitch isn't as effective, I've heard from my doula - better to keep your voice low cuz it helps to open things up instead of adding tension to your body. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/laboring-at-home-1#post-339173 Fri, 12 Oct 2012 21:11:03 +0000 Beebug 339173@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>If my water breaks, we have to go right to hosp (group B strep pos) but if not, my doctor has said go at 4-1-1 (4 mins apart, 1 min + for an hour +) 5-1-1 was the option mentioned in our birthing class!</p> <p>We'll see what actually happens :) Each doc is different I guess on the answer! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/laboring-at-home-1#post-339171 Fri, 12 Oct 2012 21:09:39 +0000 Mrs. Jacks 339171@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I labored for about 24 or so hours at home. They said not to come in until I couldn't talk through my contractions... so I stayed at home for a long time. Turns out I never really got to that point despite the fact that I had progressed far enough to be admitted. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/laboring-at-home-1#post-339169 Fri, 12 Oct 2012 21:08:18 +0000 matador84 339169@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My water broke and I immediately went to hospital...good thing because I had a precipitous birth--less than 3 hours. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/laboring-at-home-1#post-339165 Fri, 12 Oct 2012 21:03:54 +0000 anonysquire 339165@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>How long did you labor at home? Just wondering how long before you knew you should go to the hospital. And if you wanted to labor at home for the most part of labor how would you know when you need to go to the hospital? Is it super obvious? Please share your laboring at home stories!!!</p> <p>Also people are always mentioning walking while in labor, so if you were laboring at home do you just walk around your neighborhood? And what do you do while you are having a contraction and walking? Scream? I am just so curious about this!!! </p>