When you feel contractions and your due date is around the corner, the question about heading to the hospital looms large for most moms-to-be. But rather than go too soon (and get sent home!), focus on timing your contractions and tracking the signs of labor. You can always check in with your doctor if you’re not sure — your practitioner is ready to reassure and guide you through every labor stage.
When should you call the doctor if you think you’re in labor?
Once contractions start coming more frequently, are more consistent, are longer in duration, and are more painful, it’s time to call your practitioner. Even if the intervals aren't consistent, or if you're not sure you're in real labor — but the contractions are coming pretty regularly — call anyway, just to be safe.
If your contractions are mild to moderate and coming more than five minutes apart (and up to 20 minutes apart), you’re likely in early labor. Contractions in this stage of labor can be regular or irregular and last 30 to 45 seconds each.
Early labor can last several hours or even several days, which is why you probably won’t be heading to the maternity ward just yet. The best place to be during this phase of labor is at home, resting (you’ll need plenty of energy for pushing later).
Looking for real-time advice through every stage of labor? Download the What to Expect app for expert info and support from a community of mamas who’ve been there.
If you’re not sure if you’re in labor but think you might be, get on the phone. And if you’ve had a baby before, labor tends to go more quickly (hooray!), so make the call as soon as you start having regular contractions.
What to Expect Community parent EuropeanGirl91 labored at home with her fourth baby on board — and then things got intense quickly. “I had mild contractions all day, not painful. I went to bed and around midnight got woken up by a painful contraction. I started timing them and they were 4 minutes apart for maybe 8 minutes, then quickly switched to 2 minutes apart, then literally non-stop within 30 minutes!”
Also call the doctor if:
- Your water breaks
- You experience any bleeding or bright red discharge (not brown or pinkish)
- You experience blurred or double vision, a severe headache, or sudden swelling — these are signs of preeclampsia, a very serious condition
How do you know when it’s time to go to the hospital for labor?
Knowing when to go to the hospital for labor is very individual, but when you call your practitioner, he or she will let you know when it’s time to get in the car. Each case is different and depends on many factors, including:
- How far away from the hospital you live
- How dilated your cervix was at your last exam
- How your baby is positioned (if you have a breech baby, you’ll likely go to the hospital as soon as you’re in active labor)
- If you’ve had prior uterine surgery
- If you have complications like gestational diabetes or preeclampsia (which need monitoring sooner rather than later)
What are signs that labor is near?
You’ll know labor is near when:
- Your show (aka vaginal discharge) becomes tinged with blood
- Your contractions start coming more frequently (perhaps every five minutes apart)
- These frequent contractions don’t subside and stay consistently strong instead of easing up (as they might in early labor)
- Each contraction is longer in duration (say 30 to 70 seconds long) and more painful than those in early labor
- Your back hurts (a lot)
- Your water breaks
What should you do if your water breaks?
Your practitioner likely gave you a game plan if your water breaks. If those instructions have slipped your mind, no worries. Just give their office a quick call so you know exactly what steps to take next.
If you've tested positive for group B strep, you’ll likely be told to go to the hospital right away after your water breaks. Definitely call your doctor right away if the fluid looks green or brown — it could be that the baby had his first bowel movement (called meconium) in utero.
If your water breaks before labor begins, you’ll likely start to feel contractions within 12 to 24 hours of that first trickle. Is it past that timeframe and nothing's going on yet? Most practitioners induce labor within 24 hours of a rupture if you’re near your due date (a few induce as early as six hours after) to prevent infection.
If your practitioner suggests you hang at home a bit longer, don’t be discouraged. Before you know it, your contractions will pick up steam and you’ll get to meet your eagerly anticipated bundle of baby!
Yes 
No 
