How Will I Know It is Time To Go To The Hospital?

How Will I Know It is Time To Go To The Hospital?

Photo by Lukas Blazek

On the day of deliver, Antonio Lévano, a well-regarded OB/GYN in Peru is in contact with his patients.

Many women ask him, “Antonio, how will I know when it is time to go to the hospital?”

He encourages them to spend as much time at home as possible. At home they are comfortable. They can eat, move, take a shower, etc. 

“How do I know I am having contractions?” they ask.

He says, “You will know the difference. It will feel different than how you normally feel.”

He asks his patients to make a note of the time, every time they feel a contraction. When it is ten minutes in between the start and stop of contractions, they send him a message. He has an app for them to send all of the contractions and times, so that he can see the progression.

He prefers that they are at home until contractions are every 3 to 4 minutes and they feel a lot of pressure or pain in the pelvis. He emphasizes that it is not just the amount of time that is the indicator for him, if they are ready to go to the hospital to deliver. He wants to hear their voice to hear if they are out of breath or unable to talk as usual; this is a sign that it is time to go. If they can talk normally, it is not time yet.  

If mothers, follow this advice, the time in the hospital will be less. Everyone is always more comfortable at home than in a hospital.

Thanks for the great advice, Antonio!

Share below. Did you follow this protocol when you gave birth? Did your OB/GYN suggest an app to track your contractions that you could send the data to him so that he could keep up-to-date on your progress? Any other tips for mothers to know when it’s time to go to the hospital?

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