Early labor can last for days. All we can do at this stage is wait for signs that your body is ready to deliver, so a lot of people come in too soon and wind up going home again.
A contraction is a tightening of the uterus that feels like cramping or pressure. You should feel it over your entire uterus and possibly into your back.
If this is your first baby, come to the hospital when your contractions:. If your contractions are still far apart and you want things to go faster, try walking around.
It can help your baby move into your pelvis. The pressure that gravity puts on your cervix can also help things move along. You can also try these labor and birth positions to ease discomfort and possibly speed things up a bit. Save the number of Kaiser Permanente's dedicated Labor Line to your phone now so you have it when you need it.
After you call your care team, get going! Grab your hospital bag , head to the hospital, and get ready to meet your new baby. Ready to get maternity care? Find a hospital or care provider near you. They will advise you what to do. The start of labour is called the latent phase.
This is when your cervix becomes soft and thin, and starts opening for your baby to be born. This can take hours or sometimes days. You'll probably be advised to stay at home during this time. If you go to the hospital or maternity unit, they may suggest you go back home. Find out more about the stages of labour and what you can do at home during the latent phase. When you have a contraction, your womb tightens and then relaxes. For some people, contractions may feel like extreme period pains.
You may have had contractions during your pregnancy, particularly towards the end. These tightenings are called Braxton Hicks contractions and are usually painless.
Your contractions tend to become longer, stronger and more frequent as your labour progresses. During a contraction, the muscles tighten and the pain increases. If you put your hand on your abdomen, you'll feel it getting harder; when the muscles relax, the pain fades and you will feel the hardness ease.
The contractions are pushing your baby down and opening the entrance to your womb the cervix , ready for your baby to go through. Call your midwife or maternity unit for guidance when your contractions are in a regular pattern and:. Read more information on when to go to hospital. During pregnancy, there's a plug of mucus in your cervix. This mucus comes away just before labour starts, or when in early labour, and it may pass out of your vagina. Write down when your contractions happen and how long they last.
During active labor your cervix birth canal opens or dilates from 6 centimeters to 10 centimeters. Your contractions might happen even faster if your water breaks. You might feel contractions, but your cervix is not dilating or effacing. A medical study found that more than 40 percent of pregnant women had false labor when they thought they were in labor. False labor typically happens pretty close to your due date, at 37 weeks of later.
This makes it even more confusing. You may have contractions for up to several hours that happen at regular intervals. False labor contractions are also called Braxton-Hicks contractions. You might move along into active labor faster than you expect. If you are having a planned C-section you may not go into labor at all. Call your doctor and go to the hospital if you go into early or active labor before your planned C-section date.
Getting to the hospital quickly means more time to get ready for the procedure. The worst that can happen is that you might be in false labor and have to come home and wait. It might feel like an emergency, but skip the emergency room and make a beeline for labor and delivery when you get to the hospital.
A very useful tip, especially if this is your first baby, is for you and your partner to do a practice drive to the hospital so you know exactly where to go. You might also have an ultrasound. The ultrasound scan shows the length and angle of the cervix.
If you are delivering at home or at a birthing center, you still need to practice a dry run to make sure you are prepared and have everything you need. Always plan ahead for emergencies. Have your doctor on speed dial and a car ready to take you to the hospital if needed. Resting and letting your body progress at home may help you deliver vaginally in the long run.
0コメント