# Bradley Method Mamas: When did you know it was time to go to hospital?



## diamond lil (Oct 6, 2003)

This is my first pregnancy and my DH and I are doing Bradley classes. We love it. The only thing we are unsure of is exactly when do we go to the hospital? It is only about 2 miles away, so getting there is not a problem.

I'm afraid of going too early and I'm also afraid of going too late. My doctor told me not to go to the hospital unless I talk to her first. She is very pro-Bradley and natural birth. I'm just looking for signs that it is time to go. I don't want to be calling my doctor every hour and asking, is it time yet???

Can anyone offer a paranoid mama-to-be some advice?

I also wanted to add that our small-town hospital is *very* natural-birth-minded and we are looking forward to a positive birth experience there.


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## chandasz (Apr 13, 2005)

If it makes you feel any better. EVERYONE feels this way. There is no simple answer to this but know that most people go to the hospital way too soon. If you have a supportive provider and birthplace that will let you go home if you are less than 5 cm and not showing late labor signs-- then don't worry as much (although the ride to the hospital sucks).

Here are some guidelines to consider (but NOT to live by):
1. Ctx are 4-1-1 (4 minutes apart, lasting 1 minute, for 1 hour)
2. Have you lost your modesty? (late labor sign)
3. No longer talking through contractions. Down to business attitude. In a "zone". If you were crossing the street and a truck was coming-- would the truck just have to wait a bloody minute for you to be good and ready to get out of its way?
4. Have you started to say that you can't do this any more? That you give up? You are upset. Hot and cold? Burping? Puking? Cranky? (signs of transition)

Review that chart in your workbook. Don't go by one signal alone. ESPECIALLY contraction timing. In neither of my births- did I ever experience 4-1-1.

By the way- if it's YOUR idea to call the dr. and ask if it's time yet-- then it's too soon.

I asked my DH how he decided when it was time for us to go to the hospital for our first birth? He had to talk me into it-- then insist-- I didn't want to go. He said he noticed a big change in me. He had talked to our midwives maybe 4 times.

Don't feel bad about calling your caregiver. That's what they are there for. It's ok.

You are going to be great! Remember that you really do know more than you think and will know a lot when you are done with your classes. Trust yourselves. It is going to be fantastic!

I am a Bradley Teacher by the way. LOL


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## philomom (Sep 12, 2004)

I got to the hospital at 9 centimeters both times. The only thing I can tell you is I waited until the contractions were very regular and very strong. I also showered, re-packed my hospital bag and ate while I was "sizing things up". For me the car ride is the worst part... even a short one... we had three miles to go... but golly!... there ought to be a "pause" button for contractions while you are in the car.


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## sparkysgirl (Feb 29, 2008)

In the bradley book, natural birth the bradley way it talks about emotional sign posts. The first one is excitement (0-2 cm)this is where you are excited and have that "this is it" feeling. the second is seriousness (2-7 cm)where you need to sit or lay down during contractions or just need to concentrate to get through it. The third is self doubt(7-10 cm) (better known as transition) If you are experiencing this part then get to the hospital. The book goes into more detail about all of these in the chapter "emotional map of labor" and give details about what the coach can do and more details about how you will be feeling and how far apart contractions will be. Of course this is textbook labor and an actual womans labor will always vary slightly. But the info may be useful in determining when to go. Also you could consider learning to check youself for dialation, then you'll really know when it is actually time.


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## SublimeBirthGirl (Sep 9, 2005)

I went way too soon, and got a pile of exhaustion and an hour of Pit for it. If I lived 2 miles from the hospital, I'd leave with the urge to push. I had an hour drive, but could have waited literally another 10+ hours to go, and things would have been much better if I had. You're almost certainly not going to have your baby in the car being that close. You should also seriously consider leaving if you're not at least 5-6 cm when you arrive. Most first timers go way too soon. Labor is more intense than most of us can even imagine before we do it.


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## meganmarie (Jan 29, 2005)

I agree with SublimeBirthGirl. Most people go way too soon. You are so close, don't be afraid to err on the side of waiting longer.

My Bradley teacher gave great advice on how to know when to leave your house - maybe you guys just haven't gotten to that class yet! And sparkysgirl has done a good summary of the Bradley book (worth reading if you haven't - it was written by Susan McCutcheon). Basically Chandasz has given you the perfect list - I LOVE it - this was it for me:

Quote:

1. Ctx are 4-1-1 (4 minutes apart, lasting 1 minute, for 1 hour)
2. Have you lost your modesty? (late labor sign)
3. No longer talking through contractions. Down to business attitude. In a "zone". If you were crossing the street and a truck was coming-- would the truck just have to wait a bloody minute for you to be good and ready to get out of its way?
4. Have you started to say that you can't do this any more? That you give up? You are upset. Hot and cold? Burping? Puking? Cranky? (signs of transition)
Both times, I threw up before we left for the hospital. That was a sign that I was entering transition. The first time, I even felt pushing contractions in the car. Freaked DH out, but was fine with me. I arrived at hospital 9-10 cm dilated both times and had a baby in my arms no more than 1 hour later. Spending so short a time in labor in L&D is fantastic. They don't have time to do ANYTHING to you, even an IV. And it puts the staff in a tizzy which is fun to watch, not that you will be watching since you will be in laborland, deep into the contractions and just breathing as best you can.

Good for you taking your classes and doing your research - and for finding a supportive doctor! - you're going to do great!


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## diamond lil (Oct 6, 2003)

Thanks for all the support and great advice. I have not finished the McCutcheon book yet. We are only halfway through our classes. My doctor told me that most of her patients arrive at the hospital dialated at 8 to 10 cm. The nurses are always amazed. I hope I am one of those!


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## Honey693 (May 5, 2008)

I would also say it can't hurt to tour your hospital and ask. Mine is pretty gung ho about natural birth and the nurse who showed us around said if we come in to early (less than 4 cm) we'll get sent home. I know I want to stay home a lot longer than that, but it's nice to know that if I freak out and insist we go and I'm not very far they'll send my butt back home.


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## MKury (May 14, 2007)

I agree with many of the pps and would encourage you to look in your student workbook and both you and your dh memorize the chart about the signposts. Your emotional signposts will be the most accurate assessment of where you are. During my birth, I was only at 4cm, but was in transition. I had basically given up and told my dh that I understood why women got epidurals. I also told him what a horrible job I was doing. A couple of contractions later I was pushing. So, dilation isn't necessarily the most accurate determination of progress. Since you are only a couple of miles from your birth place, you could probably safely wait until you begin feeling confused and scared, and are having good, strong, long contractions that may or may not have a little bit of a pushy-ness at the peaks. If you can smile at your dh as he is taking your picture, you need to stay put!!







Good luck. So far, my couple of students who have gone to hospitals and birth centers have been over 9 cm dilated and getting ready to push by the time they arrive. And emergency childbirth is covered in class 11 (I think) so you and dh will be prepared if the baby happens to be born at home or en route. Good luck! You'll do wonderfully!


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## notjustmamie (Mar 7, 2007)

I also went in too early. My contractions were very close together and I thought I was in transition. Little did I realize that, although they felt like they hurt a bit, they weren't anything like the ones that would be required to actually get the baby out.

My new theory is: don't leave the house until you no longer feel like leaving the house. If you're excited about the idea, it's too soon.


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## KD's Momma (Oct 24, 2004)

I'm not sure I would be considered a Bradley laborer but All my deliveries were nonmedicated natural births in hospitals. What I did was labor at home until the contractions were about 3 minutes apart and I was having to concentrate to get through them. we also live very close to our hospital - thank goodness - the drive is horrible. I can't sit during a contx and so I was riding on my knees in the floor board with my head in the seat. I kept saying "run the lights, don't stop, get there now!!" The first contx I had when I entered the room I needed to push (with the first), second I was only there an hour before delivery, and third was 45 minutes.

Good luck


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## stacyann21 (Oct 21, 2006)

DB actually recommended going (to the birth center). I had been in labor for about 8 hours and my contractions were becoming painful. They were about 3 minutes apart (although it varied quite a bit). I remember I was lying in bed on my side and had a pretty intense contraction. All of a sudden my demeanor went from easy-going and jovial to "OMG, I can't do this!". That's when he said "Hey, maybe we should head over to the birth center?" LOL. After a 30 min car ride we arrived at the center. I literally had a contraction in the doorway. My mw hurried me into an exam room and checked me, I was at 8cm. It all went down(up?)hill from there


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## cathicog (May 7, 2005)

this is what I tell people, besides what the previous posters have said:
Contractions lasting 60-90 seconds long, start to finish, with 2-3 min apart from beginning of one to start of the next. (you could probably wait longer than that and be fine, since you are so close to the hospital). With a first baby, I wouldn't hesitate to wait til they were 1-2 min apart, you would probably be in transition, with about an hour before the baby would be born. That seems close enough...Keep us posted, OK?


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## Catherine12 (May 15, 2006)

I would say don't go until you either have an urge to push, are unable to breath through contractions, or feel like you can't do it anymore.

Though if you have access to a birthing tub (or tub they let you labor in but not birth in) at the hospital, but not at home, I might go a little earlier, since the tub really makes transition easier.

Like the OP, I also had Bradley classes/hospital birth with my first baby. It was a good experience (though I decided on homebirths for my next two births, this was due to the appeals of homebirth and not a bad hospital experience). I starting suggesting going to the hospital about 17 hours into labor (counting the early labor I mostly slept through). dh didn't feel it was time and managed to delay me for another hour (emotionally, at this point I was feeling like I really wanted it to be over, but was not yet at the "can't do it" stage). I was 5 cm dilated when admitted; it took another two and a half hours to get to 10, and an hour and a half of pushing. I feel like we got the timing right because I was able to use the tub during transition; if the hospital hadn't had the tub I would have wanted to stay home another hour.


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