One of the great doubts of women when the moment of delivery approaches is knowing when will be the best time to go to the hospital , due to the “fear” of going too early or going too late.
If you go to the hospital too early, while it is still early, your anxiety will increase and you will most likely be sent home again. On the other hand, the fear of many pregnant women is not arriving on time, although this is very rare.
In the previous days you will notice some signs that indicate that the day is approaching, such as that the belly is lower because the baby has wedged in, you will have felt more regular contractions (without being the true labor contractions yet) and it may have been The mucous plug has detached, an indication that the cervix has begun to dilate.
The best time to go to the hospital
The best time to go to the hospital is when the dilation is practically in the active phase. The recommendation for hospitals is to admit women in labor when they have regular uterine dynamics, when there is a cervical effacement of more than 50 percent, and when there is a 3-4 cm dilation .
The time it can take for a woman to reach that point is undetermined. It depends on each woman and her personal circumstances, -such as, for example, the number of previous births she has had-, so the ideal would be to go when the contractions are rhythmic and regular.
If this is your first child, you should go to the hospital when the contractions repeat about every five minutes for more than an hour . If you have already had a baby, it is preferable that you go before, when you notice that they begin to be regular. The best practice is to use a contraction counter to keep track.
What if I have broken my bag?
Labor contractions are accompanied by other signs that labor has begun, such as the expulsion of the mucous plug, rupture of the amniotic sac, and dilation of the cervix.
If the bag rupture has occurred spontaneously, it is an unequivocal sign that the delivery will occur in the next few hours. Sometimes the membranes break before a woman goes into labor. Surely, if they have not started already, you will start having contractions in the next few hours. You must prepare the bag and go to the hospital.
It is very important that you observe the color of the water in the bag to know how long you have to get to the maternity ward. If it is transparent, off-white or even pink, it indicates that everything is going well and you have enough time to change calmly, finish the suitcase and go out.
On the other hand, if you see that it has a yellowish, greenish or blackish color, go without delay and tell your doctor about it.
In Babies and more | When should you go to the emergency room if you are pregnant?
