When exactly do you need to go to the hospital. The process of giving birth to a child. Emotional signs of the active phase

19.06.2019

Reading time: 5 minutes

As the gestation ends, the pregnant woman begins to think about when to go to the hospital, what signs indicate that the baby will be born soon, and other questions. They are especially worried about women who will give birth only for the first time: everything is still new and unfamiliar. But nature has provided for everything: there are several sure signs that it is time to immediately go to the hospital: childbirth is about to come.

But besides your own feelings and monitoring your condition, some information about pregnancy and signs of an approaching birth are also of no small importance. The first thing to find out is the date of conception, after that it becomes possible to calculate the approximate date of birth. If the exact date of conception is not known, it is calculated according to the ultrasound readings. Since the time required for bearing a child is 38-42 weeks, it is possible to calculate with great accuracy the month in which the baby will be born.

It is believed that the duration of the first childbirth in a woman is at least twelve hours, and sometimes they last up to twenty hours or longer. There is an opinion that the duration of the second birth is significantly less, they last up to ten hours. But it is not possible to say for sure whether this is so: the duration of the first and subsequent births depends solely on the individual characteristics of the woman's body.

How to count contractions and when to go to the hospital

The key to successful childbirth is the right attitude. If the pregnant woman has a positive mental attitude, the chances of a successful delivery will increase significantly. It happens that the staff of maternity hospitals is not very friendly, so you need to be prepared for the fact that you will have to be a little nervous when answering doctors' questions about the place of residence, payment for maternity hospital services, etc. For this reason, some women who have already been to the hospital recommend going to the hospital in advance.

If, according to the results of the examination in the maternity hospital, it turns out that childbirth may not begin soon, the pregnant woman will be sent home (if there is no threat of pregnancy). A pregnant woman will be left in the maternity hospital only if active labor activity begins in a few days or hours. Therefore, you need to pay attention to the harbingers of childbirth, which make themselves felt shortly before you need to go to give birth. The following signs of close births are known:

A few weeks before delivery, a pregnant woman experiences a lowering of the abdomen, the baby's head drops lower, and breathing becomes easier.
The mucus plug comes off in a few days.
For three to four weeks, pulling pains begin in the lower abdomen.
Training bouts begin two to three weeks later.

False contractions should be distinguished from real contractions. Training fights appear only from time to time, without the same interval. Real contractions manifest themselves after the same, constantly decreasing intervals. The intervals between false contractions do not decrease, and sometimes increase. If you change the position of the body during false contractions, they will become weaker or completely stop.

With the onset of real contractions, the uterus opens, copious discharge is observed, which may indicate the onset of placental abruption. Pain is felt in the lower abdomen and lower back. If the intervals between contractions are constantly decreasing, and are already less than ten minutes, you should know that the birth should take place soon.

At first birth

After false contractions, regular labor activity begins. The duration of the first regular contractions is 5-10 seconds, they will repeat after half an hour, or even later. As soon as the pregnant woman feels the onset of real contractions, she should observe the intervals between them, they will invariably decrease. In the first stage, which lasts up to eight hours, the intervals between contractions decrease from half an hour to five minutes, and their duration is already half a minute by that time. During this time, the cervix will open by 3 centimeters.

It is believed that at this time it is necessary to call an ambulance and go to the hospital. At the second stage, the cervix opens already by 7 centimeters, the contractions last for a minute, and the intervals between them are only 3-5 minutes. After four or five hours, the third stage begins, lasting only an hour and a half. Contractions last 1.5-2 minutes at intervals of 30-60 seconds. The cervix dilates 10 centimeters.

Doctors recommend going to give birth already at the first stage due to the fact that sometimes the second, and especially the third stage lasts quickly and the pregnant woman simply does not have time to get to the hospital. If a woman is giving birth for the first time, she may not feel the first stage of prenatal activity, and begins to pay attention to contractions only when the gap between them is only 3 minutes. Therefore, you need to urgently go to the hospital, delivery will begin in 5-6 hours.

At the second birth

Every woman who has given birth is already familiar with the symptoms that accompany labor, can tolerate pain more easily, and knows how to listen to her body. In a woman who has given birth, repeated births are faster and much easier, so she needs to go to the maternity hospital earlier. If at the birth of the first child, the duration of the second and third stages lasts about 6 hours, then at the birth of subsequent children, its duration is half as long - only three hours. In order not to be late, it is recommended to seek medical help as soon as possible.

Frequency of contractions

Before the start of regular contractions, the woman's body must prepare for them, and this is facilitated by the so-called false contractions. They are easily distinguished from the onset of regular prenatal activity, they are significantly weaker and occur irregularly. There are three phases of prenatal activity:

Stage 1 - it lasts for the first birth of 8-10 hours, and for repeated births for several hours less. This stage is characterized by contractions that last from 25 to 45 seconds with an interval of 5 minutes.

Stage 2 - lasts from 2 to 6 hours. The contractions have been going on for a minute with an interval of 2-5 minutes.

Stage 3 - lasts from 2 hours for the first and up to 30 minutes for repeated births. The contractions last a minute and a half with an interval of half a minute to a minute.

What to do if the water broke

One of the main signs of the imminent onset of labor is the discharge of amniotic fluid. If the amniotic fluid and the mucous plug have moved away, contractions have begun, which means that the baby will be born very soon. The amniotic fluid, necessary to ensure the life of the baby in the mother's womb, leaves unexpectedly - sometimes immediately, and sometimes - gradually.

Amniotic fluid is a liter and a half liters of liquid. More often they are colorless, dark or greenish. If the water is opaque, it means that it contains meconium, a waste product of the fetus. A child cannot be without amniotic fluid for more than 24 hours: this is dangerous for his life and health.

If the baby is not born a day after the water breaks, doctors may perform a caesarean section. Some doctors believe that nothing will happen to the child even in two days without amniotic fluid, but this is at the discretion of the medical staff of the maternity hospital. After the waters have receded, you need to go to the maternity hospital immediately - the health and life of the fetus depends on this.

Video: Time to go to the hospital

The birth of a child is the climax of the entire pregnancy, it is important that the delivery process goes smoothly. Therefore, we advise you to listen to your body, and to the opinion of the medical staff. We also recommend watching a video on the topic: "When to go to the hospital."

I would like to hope that there are almost no women who are confident in the birth of a child exactly on the expected date of birth (DA). It is not for nothing that people and medicine have been watching expectant mothers for many centuries in order to determine by signs when the baby is born. Having noticed the harbingers of an early birth, you need to prepare for a trip to the hospital, and some of them involve immediate hospitalization. What signals does the pregnant body give about the impending delivery, can all of them be ignored for the time being and what may indicate a possible pathology of gestation, we will talk about this today.

Harbingers of imminent childbirth in women

emotional instability. Pregnant women can hardly be called absolutely calm people, but shortly before the birth, the situation of the very first weeks is repeated. The mood changes without intermediate states - either laughter or tears. There is a tendency to solitude;
decreased appetite. The desire to eat even your favorite dishes practically disappears;
prolapse of the uterus. In the last weeks of pregnancy, the abdomen noticeably drops, decreasing in size. This is the uterus with the fetus inside moving closer to the birth canal;
frequent urge to urinate and changes in stool. The mass of the pregnant uterus, which has moved to the pelvic area, presses on the bladder and prevents the normal amount of urine from collecting in it. Therefore, you have to empty it more often. The feces in the intestines soften to get out more easily and not interfere with the birth process by compressing the pelvic organs;
weight loss of the expectant mother. Weight gain with normal appetite slows down as a result of bowel cleansing and the removal of excess fluid from edema that torments many women;
passage of a plug of mucus. During pregnancy, the mucous plug in the uterine cervix saves from getting infections in the placenta and amniotic fluid. Shortly before childbirth, she gradually begins to come out through the vaginal opening. From the flow of amniotic fluid, the process of cork discharge can be distinguished using special tests. But keep in mind, if the amniotic fluid flows out, then constantly, and the mucus is either in parts at different intervals, or all at once before childbirth;
nesting instinct. By analogy with birds equipping their nests before hatching, the desire of women to create comfort in their homes is called the nesting instinct. He manifests himself with a desire to put things in order in the house - perhaps the beginning of repairs - and the purchase of necessary and not very things for the crumbs;
baby wiggling. By 36 weeks, babies become quite large and it is not enough for them to swim in their mother's womb. From that moment on, the fetus reminds of its presence less often and with jerks of the arms and legs, very noticeable to the mother;
training or false contractions. They are designed to prepare the body for real uterine contractions. They occur most often in the evenings and in the morning up to 6 times a day for 45-60 seconds. The intervals between false contractions are at least half an hour, pain is usually absent, only uncomfortable pulling sensations.

Video: obstetrician-gynecologist about the harbingers of childbirth

Signs of the onset of labor

It is necessary to clearly separate the precursors and signs that labor activity has already begun. Harbingers, especially in primiparas, begin a few weeks before birth.

Table: features of the harbingers of childbirth in primiparous and multiparous

Precursor	First birth	Repeated births
Prolapse of the abdomen	2-3 weeks before delivery	Due to the weakened abdominal muscles from the previous pregnancy, the stomach looks somewhat lowered from the very beginning, so the movement of the uterus into the pelvic region may not be noticed. Although this happens a week, or even less, before the birth.
Emotional instability	For 2-4 weeks	For 1-3 weeks
Weight loss	3-4 weeks before	For 1-2 weeks
nesting instinct	For 2-4 weeks	in 1-3 weeks
Increased urination, diarrhea or constipation, nausea, vomiting	For 2-3 weeks	7-10 days before
Removal of the mucous plug	For 2-3 weeks, but it is possible to withdraw after the start of contractions	In multiparous, the cork departs in the interval from several hours to two weeks before childbirth.
Fetal movements	For 2-4 weeks	For 1-2 weeks. In some children, the inability to swim as before due to tightness and a decrease in the amount of amniotic fluid provokes active movements of the limbs. The baby often and noticeably “knocks” from the inside.
false contractions	Preparation of the body for childbirth begins about a month before them.	During the second and subsequent pregnancies, false contractions may be absent or begin 2-3 days before real ones.

The cervix softens closer to childbirth, which causes a plug of mucus to come out and preventive contractions begin. From this moment on, women feel an increase in uterine tone, the stomach seems to turn to stone at the peak of muscle tension.
Do not put off collecting bags for childbirth for yourself and your baby at the last moment, it is better to put the necessary things and documents at least a month before the due date

The gradual opening of the uterus for the passage of the child is accompanied by painful contractions of the uterus, called real contractions. In multiparous, the period of contractions lasts about 2 times less than during the first birth. This process cannot be controlled like training contractions, and the interval between contractions is getting shorter every hour.

The outflow of amniotic fluid occurs both after the onset of contractions, and 1–2 hours before the start of uterine contractions. Amniotic fluid comes out gradually or all at once.

An easy way to determine if water or normal discharge comes from the vagina is available at home and does not require commercial tests. It is necessary to roll up a sterile gauze cut (bandage) in 3-4 layers and put it in underpants. After 10 minutes, take it out and examine it carefully. The water will soak the gauze through and through, and the mucus will remain on the surface.

You need to call an ambulance or go to the maternity hospital on your own as soon as the waters break or contractions begin. Both of these signs are signals that childbirth has begun, it is not necessary to wait for the second to appear, and sometimes it is dangerous for the woman in labor and the baby.

In what cases, besides childbirth, an urgent visit to the maternity hospital is necessary

Reasons for seeking medical help may appear throughout all three trimesters of pregnancy. Call the obstetrician team or go to the maternity hospital by private transport or taxi in the following cases:

the appearance of bloody vaginal discharge, especially a bright scarlet color. This may indicate spontaneous abortion, ectopic pregnancy, or placental abruption;
deterioration in general well-being, accompanied by chills, headache, blurred vision and flies before the eyes. These symptoms may be signs of anemia, heart problems, intoxication of the body due to a stop in the development of pregnancy or the onset of proeclampsia;
heat. From scratch, this symptom does not appear, which indicates the penetration of infection into the body and internal inflammation. Both are dangerous, especially during pregnancy;
severe vomiting that does not allow eating and drinking. With this sign of acute toxicosis, there is a risk of dehydration of the mother's body, which negatively affects the child. Also, vomiting more than 5 times a day suggests kidney failure or internal infection;
allergy attack. If a negative reaction to any irritant other than redness of the skin is accompanied by breathing problems, severe itching and other signs, medical help is needed immediately. Otherwise, the development of suffocation and laryngeal edema is possible, and this already leads at least to oxygen starvation and cannot be treated without medical help;
sudden onset of severe pain in the abdomen. One of the main signs of a threat to the safe bearing of a child;
an increase in blood pressure above 140/90. Such a life-threatening pathology for the mother and child, like eclampsia, develops very quickly, the first sign of it is an increase in blood pressure, then convulsions follow;
strong swelling. If the limbs have become like columns of a large theater, we are talking about preeclampsia - late toxicosis of pregnant women, threatening the development of preeclampsia. Also, edema can be a symptom of a serious disorder in the functioning of the kidneys;
absence of tremors or fetal movements for more than 6 hours in a row. Even in the last weeks, children in the tightness of the mother's womb periodically show signs of life with jerks. If the child does not send any signals for more than 6 hours, then he has problems. Possible intrauterine death of the fetus;
outpouring of amniotic fluid or the onset of regular contractions long before due date. Most likely, premature birth began.

I did not have any forerunners, because my son abruptly decided to be born a month ahead of schedule. The contractions were real. On June 9, 2018, my sister went for an ultrasound, because the day before the doctor called and said that the tests were not very good. At the clinic, she underwent dopplerography, which showed a complete absence of blood flow in the placenta. The ambulance team was immediately called and 3 hours later, by caesarean section, my nephew was born at 36 weeks. We did. Due to pre-eclampsia - Anya had high blood pressure in recent days - there was almost no amniotic fluid, they were not produced. There were also no fights. Therefore, if the doctor recommends an additional examination or retake of tests, do not ignore at any time.

Video: what threatens preeclampsia in pregnant women

What is the danger of untimely hospitalization of pregnant women

Every fifth expectant mother is at risk for various indicators and these women cannot avoid hospitalization. And there are previously healthy pregnant women who do not want to call an ambulance once again or go to the hospital after relief, although the symptoms are serious. In addition to the planned ones, there are emergency reasons to go to the hospital; in no case should you refuse to stay in hospital. Risks for untimely hospitalization of pregnant women:

spontaneous abortion;
premature birth;
inability to provide qualified assistance in the "field conditions";
intrauterine fetal death;
poisoning of the body during the decomposition of a frozen embryo;
rupture of internal organs in which an ectopic pregnancy develops;
death of mother and child with a critical form of preeclampsia - eclampsia;
delayed fetal development as a result of hypoxia;
angioedema;
placental abruption, which is dangerous for maintaining pregnancy.

Timely hospitalization increases the chance of carrying a pregnancy and gives the mother and child the opportunity to receive the help of doctors and equipment if necessary.

In addition to the above dangers, there is an individual development of events. Depression is not ruled out due to an incorrect decision to refuse hospitalization. The rapid delivery of women who naively believe that they have a lot of time left takes both the woman in labor and the doctors by surprise.

I personally know a woman who lives three minutes walk from our city maternity hospital, but who gave birth in an ambulance. Even in difficult years, the "ambulance" to the women in labor came to us as soon as possible, and they did not take them to the delivery room. Everything ended happily, but what nerves did it cost all the heroes of the story.

Closer to childbirth, the expectant mother begins to be tormented by the following questions:

when to go to the hospital?
how to recognize the first signs of childbirth?
Are there any special signs of an early birth?
And what are these first signs of childbirth?

We answer in order. There are three main signs of the onset of labor:

First sign of childbirth:

the appearance of regular contractions of the muscles of the uterus - contractions

Most often, childbirth begins with contractions. Contractions are regular contractions of the uterus, accompanied by pulling pains in the lower abdomen and (or) in the lower back. At first, the contractions are weak, lasting a few seconds, and the interval between them is 10-12 minutes.

Sometimes contractions immediately begin every 5 to 6 minutes, but not very strong. Gradually contractions become more frequent, strong, prolonged, painful. Between contractions, the abdomen is relaxed. When the stomach is relaxed, you should try to rest.

Usually in nulliparous contractions last 10-12 hours, in multiparous 6-8 hours. Sometimes contractions are rare - after 20 - 30 minutes. These are not labor pains, but the harbingers of childbirth.

If they do not tire you very much, then you can wait and not go to the maternity hospital. It is possible that everything will stop. It is better to go to the hospital when contractions are more frequent than 1 time in 10 minutes.

The second sign of childbirth:

vaginal discharge of cervical mucus - mucous plug

The mucus plug may come off 2 weeks before delivery, or maybe 3-4 days. This usually occurs after the onset of uterine contractions to dilate the cervical canal - thus expelling the mucus plug.

The mucus plug keeps the canal closed during pregnancy. Loss of the mucous plug is a definite sign of the onset of labor. Discharge of colorless, yellowish, or slightly blood-stained, slightly pink mucus may occur.

The third sign of childbirth:

discharge of water

The fetal bladder can leak, then the water slowly flows out.

It can burst suddenly, then the waters "gush in a strong stream." From time to time this happens before the rhythmic contractions of the uterus begin.

More often this occurs in multiparous. When the rupture of the fetal bladder pain is not felt. If the waters receded immediately, before the onset of rhythmic contractions, you should go to the hospital immediately, since the longer the anhydrous period, the greater the likelihood of a complicated course of childbirth, penetration of infection into the uterus and to the fetus.

How do you know when it's time to go to the hospital? What were the first signs of childbirth you experienced?

You have been waiting for so long for your child to be born, and at the same time it is so scary, because it is hard to imagine ahead, but everyone knows that it is very painful. And not only is it scary. It is terrible that the birth will begin suddenly, and you will not have time to get to the hospital. And girlfriends, acquaintances, and in general everything in a row spur this fear on with stories about the store and the entrance. And after that the question "When to go to the hospital?" rises unusually sharply.

However, you should not take all these stories seriously, provided, of course, that you carefully listen to your body and feel the approach of childbirth in time. After all, even rapid childbirth is 3-4 hours, and normal ones in primiparous last from 8 to 10 hours, in second-borns a little faster, 6-8, but they already know what to expect.

When to go to the hospital? However, they are considered normal, full-term, you must be mentally prepared for them already at 36 weeks, especially when it comes to multiple pregnancies. It is desirable that by this time you already have a bag with things that you definitely need to take with you. Believe me, when the contractions begin, it will be very difficult to concentrate and collect the package, even if you do it according to the list. And the documents (passport, policy and, most importantly, an exchange card) should always be at hand, even when you are away from home. Naturally, you will be admitted to the maternity hospital even without them, but, firstly, without an exchange card, doctors will not be able to correctly build a birth strategy, and they may miss something important, especially if there were any complications during pregnancy. Secondly, a woman without an exchange card will most likely be placed in a block for those who have not been examined, since, theoretically, she may have contagious diseases. And here it is difficult to decide which of these two factors is more terrible. That is why, when you need to go to the hospital, the first thing you have to remember is the documents.

When the bag is collected, it remains only to carefully monitor what is happening to you. Usually, although not always, the body warns of the upcoming birth in advance. Some signs can be felt 2-3 weeks before delivery. In particular, the precursor or Uterus begins to contract weakly, preparing its muscles. These contractions are most often painless and irregular. This is their main difference from true fights.

In a few days or directly on the day of childbirth, a prolapse of the abdomen may occur: the abdomen shifts lower, changes shape, and it becomes easier to breathe. At this time, the child moves to the birth canal and sets the head opposite the entrance to the cervix. This means that he is already ready to get out, and childbirth can begin at any time. At the same time, mucous discharge from the vagina sometimes appears, possibly with blood streaks. It's okay, it goes away, which indicates that the cervix is beginning to prepare for childbirth.

If you observe any of these phenomena in yourself, it means that only a few days, or even hours, remain before the onset of childbirth. Be ready.

So when to go to the hospital? When the real contractions begin. They should be regular, that is, at regular intervals, most often they are painful. In addition, over time, the periods between contractions will decrease, and their intensity will increase. If you are not sure whether your contractions are real or training, then it’s better to get to the hospital, no one will scold you if you make a mistake, but you will feel calmer. In general, in all controversial situations it is better to go than not to go.

Often in the classroom at the school, expectant mothers are advised to wait a few hours, and only then go. Such advice is motivated by the fact that childbirth is a long process and there is no need to spend extra time in the hospital. This opinion is not entirely correct. Of course, if your childbirth is normal, then why not sit at home for an extra hour, but if specifically in your case there will be a rapid birth? If you go right away, you are guaranteed to have time, and if you spend an extra two hours at home, then there is a real chance to give birth in the car.

In some cases, even before the start of contractions, sometimes everything goes away at once, and then this phenomenon is clearly not to be confused with anything, sometimes the water only leaks a little. When to go to the hospital in this case? There is only one answer, immediately. From the moment of rupture of the fetal bladder, your baby becomes vulnerable to various infections, and the sooner he is born in this case, the better it will be for both mother and child.

To summarize, there is no general answer to the question of when it is time to go to the hospital, however, if you feel the need for this, then it is better to go.

The closer the end of pregnancy, the greater the woman's anxiety about the upcoming birth. This period is especially exciting and disturbing for those who will become a mother for the first time. There are a lot of questions about when to go to the hospital, what to take with you and how the birth will take place.

A few days, and sometimes weeks before the birth of a child, there are some changes in the well-being of a woman. During this period, you should worry about collecting the bag to the hospital, the necessary documents, and also inform your loved ones. The birth itself takes place in several stages. In some cases, early hospitalization is recommended.

A few days before the birth of a child, the woman's body begins to prepare. Observing her condition, a pregnant woman can detect the following signs:

reduction, and sometimes some weight loss;
prolapse of the abdomen due to the movement of the child closer to the birth canal;
reduction of heartburn and shortness of breath;
increased urge to urinate;
feeling of heaviness and squeezing in the lumbar region;
leg cramps;
change in intestinal motility: diarrhea, nausea, urge to vomit;
decreased activity of the child;
manifestation of the “nesting instinct” (the desire to prepare the house for the appearance of a child, wash everything, clean it, organize a child’s place in the bedroom);
the development of false contractions - contractions that train the body and prepare the cervix for childbirth;
the appearance of slight mucous discharge, odorless, transparent or slightly pinkish;
discharge of the mucous plug (a clot that looks like a jellyfish).

If such signs are found, there is no need to immediately contact the hospital. Before the appearance of the baby, it can take from several weeks to 1-2 days, it is impossible to determine the date of birth more accurately. The most important thing is to be on the alert so that at the first signs of labor, seek medical help.

When to go to the hospital?

You need to go to the hospital at the first sign of the onset of childbirth. These symptoms need to be known and closely monitored for changes in the condition:

The amniotic fluid has broken. In the normal course of labor, this occurs during the opening of the cervix. Often, the amniotic sac ruptures before contractions and spasms begin. In such a situation, you must immediately contact the maternity hospital, the child should not be without amniotic fluid for more than 10-12 hours. Dangerous outpouring of amniotic fluid before the 37th week, in which case the doctors will need time to prepare the baby's lungs for functioning.
The first contractions appeared - periodic contractile attacks that occur along with pulling pains in the lower abdomen. Thanks to them, the cervix softens and opens. At the first birth, minor, but prolonged (up to 24 hours or more) contractions often develop. At first, contractions do not cause much pain and last 15 seconds. During breaks, the muscles relax and the pregnant woman has the opportunity to relax. Labor activity gradually intensifies, contractions become more frequent, prolonged and painful. Breaks are shortened to 15-20 minutes, and in the process of childbirth - up to 2-3. The pain extends to the lower back, rectum, thighs and calves, sometimes accompanied by chills. When the contractions last a minute or more, and the breaks between them are reduced to 10-15 minutes, you need to go to the hospital. This frequency is the main sign of the imminent birth of a child.

The difference between the first stage of labor in multiparous women is that it passes more rapidly. It is also more common for amniotic fluid to pass before contractions occur.

Situations requiring early hospitalization

A woman can go to the maternity hospital in advance at her own request, having received a referral from the doctor who observed her. Some women in labor feel calmer under the supervision of medical staff, even despite the absence of close people nearby. Especially often, early hospitalization is requested by those who had complications in previous births.

Indications for going to the hospital in advance are the following situations:

Postponed pregnancy. At the 42nd week, it is better to go to the hospital, even if there are no signs of childbirth yet. In the hospital, special procedures are carried out that prepare the body, soften the cervix and contribute to its disclosure.
Preeclampsia. This condition in itself requires hospitalization. One of its complications can be premature birth, and in a severe form of pathology, an emergency surgical delivery will be required.
Planned caesarean section. Early hospitalization allows the woman and staff to prepare for the upcoming operation: perform blood and urine tests, select anesthesia and other medications. The procedure is carried out a week before the expected date of birth (PDR).

These are just the most common reasons to go to the hospital in advance. The issue of early referral to hospitalization is decided by the obstetrician-gynecologist leading the pregnancy based on the woman's condition, her health, and the characteristics of the gestation process (presence of complications).

When is emergency help needed?

An immediate call for an ambulance is required in the following situations:

contractions become regular, repeat every 5 minutes or more often;
amniotic fluid broke;
vaginal discharge became bloody or bleeding developed (scarlet blood);
pains do not occur periodically, but torment constantly, by nature - aching or cramping.

A separate case is a rapid birth. They can not always be foreseen, the hallmark is the rapid opening of the cervix. At the same time, rest periods are constantly reduced and soon last 2-3 minutes.

Therefore, if previous births were rapid or there is a hereditary factor, then an ambulance should be called at the first contractions.

In all of the above cases, you should seek emergency help. It is unsafe to get to the maternity hospital in your own transport, as childbirth can go to the next stage and the woman's condition will worsen. The ambulance has the necessary equipment for such situations.

The birth of a child is a rather long process, consisting of several stages. A few days before it begins, changes in well-being appear, which are called precursors.

The first stage of labor includes the passage of amniotic fluid and the onset of contractions. You need to go to the hospital when the intervals between contractions are 10-15 minutes, and the contraction itself lasts about 60 seconds.

Early hospitalization is necessary for the development of preeclampsia, post-term pregnancy, planned caesarean section and some other complications.

You need to immediately call an ambulance if the interval between contractions is less than 5 minutes, there is a discharge of water, spotting or excruciating constant pain in the lower abdomen.