When do i ring labour ward

If it's your first pregnancy, you may feel unsure about when you should go into hospital or a midwifery unit. The best thing to do is to call your hospital or unit for advice. If it's your first baby and you're having contractions but your waters have not broken, you may be advised to wait.

You'll probably be asked to come in when your contractions are:. If you do not live near your hospital, you may need to come in before you get to this stage. Make sure you know the signs of labour and what happens. Second babies often arrive more quickly than the first, so you may need to contact the hospital, midwifery unit or midwife sooner.

Do not forget to phone the hospital or unit before leaving home, and remember to take your notes. If you're planning a home birth, follow the procedure you have agreed with your midwife during your discussions about the onset of labour. Make sure you know the signs of labour. Maternity units vary, whether they are in hospitals or midwifery units, so the following is just a guide to what is likely to happen.

Yellow — Moderate — You should be seen within 1 hour. Green — Non-Urgent — You should expect to be seen within 4 hours. During busy periods, waiting times may be increased. Some reasons for delay may be due to availability of Doctors, availability of rooms on Maternity Triage and may be due to Midwifery staffing levels. We appreciate that visiting Maternity Triage may be a stressful time for you and your family. We also understand that waiting can be frustrating and so we do our best to keep waiting times to a minimum.

Your patience is very much appreciated at this time as we aim to see everyone as soon as possible. We recommend that you bring a drink and light refreshment in anticipation of any delays which may occur. Staff can advise you of the nearest place to purchase food and drinks.

Fresh water is available in the waiting area. Full details of these can be found on our website. We would like to thank you for your understanding during this time. Midwives are available on the telephone for support 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and will provide you with information and advice.

Sometimes labour starts early, before 37 weeks. If this happens, phone the Labour Ward immediately on If you are having a home birth - telephone the Midwifery-led Unit and they will arrange for a Midwife to come to your home. When you come into hospital, the Midwife will ask you questions about your pregnancy, when your contractions started and whether your waters have broken.

The Midwife will undertake an Antenatal assessment the same as the Midwife does in the community clinic. Depending on the frequency of your contractions, the Midwife will offer you a vaginal examination to determine whether labour has started. The latent or early stages of labour last until your cervix is about 4cm dilated and you have regular strong contractions, sometimes this can take a long time.

If you go to hospital before you are in established labour you may be asked if you would prefer to go and enjoy the comfort of your own home again for a while, rather than spending many extra hours in hospital.

Being relaxed and confident helps labour to progress but if you are feeling very uncomfortable at this point please discuss this with your Midwife. There is lots of evidence to support that a change in your birth environment can have a hormonal effect on your body, which may affect the progress of your labour. Often, when women come into hospital, they become anxious and stressed.

A hormone called adrenalin is released which reduces the effects of oxytocin. As a result, women often find that their contractions slow down or even stop when they come into hospital. This is ok and is a natural hormonal response. Do not worry - your Midwife will help to make you feel comfortable and at ease. Attend a tour of the hospital so that you know what to expect, and what the hospital looks like.

Your birth partner will also be less anxious as they know where to park and when to bring you when you are in labour. Bring some of your favourite music with you we do have some CD players or you could bring your iPod. This mucus comes away just before labour starts, or when in early labour, and it may pass out of your vagina.

This sticky, jelly-like pink mucus is called a show. It may come away in 1 blob or in several pieces. It's pink because it contains a small amount of blood. If you're losing more blood, it may be a sign something is wrong, so phone your hospital or midwife straight away. A show indicates that the cervix is starting to open. Labour may quickly follow or may take a few days.

Sometimes there is no show. It's likely your waters will break during labour, but it can also happen before labour starts. Your baby develops and grows inside a bag of fluid called the amniotic sac. When it's time for your baby to be born, the sac usually breaks and the amniotic fluid drains out through your vagina. This is your waters breaking. Sometimes when you're in labour, a midwife or doctor may offer to break your waters.

If your waters break naturally, you may feel a slow trickle or a sudden gush of water you cannot control.