Staying at home during early labour...

[Munchkin30]

Hey all,

Just want some thoughts. I know we're encouraged to stay at home during early labour but I find that scary.

My daughter was 14 days overdue and the early labour bits were the worst bits, partly because I wanted to get admitted to a midwife led unit rather than the hospital to be induced on that 14th day but also because until I was being monitored and looked after in the hospital I was terrified something was going to go wrong. I really relaxed once we were in the hospital.

Since then I've had 2 losses at 12 and 21weeks and I'm terrified of something going wrong right at the end. I feel like I'd almost rather get induced so I can be in hospital being monitored from the start.

Does that make sense?? Any thoughts?? Do you think they'll let me go in early?!?

Thank you ladies xxx

 

[ambertwogood]

I would voice your concerns to your ob they will do their best to accommodate you. Hugs.

 

[Tattoo]

Yeah, you need to speak with your midwife or whoever is handling your care. It seems unlikely that they'd agree to induce you early, but they may be able to accommodate you going into hospital earlier on. Or the midwife may agree to visit you at home for additional monitoring.

 

[Munchkin30]

That's a good idea tattoo. I don't want to be induced and certainly not early (I've for far too much to do, I could do with being 2 weeks over again ) I don't want to take up a needed bed on the labour ward either so maybe I could try that?? My midwife has seen me go through my losses but she's very matter of fact about stuff and tends to dismiss concerns sometimes unless there's a medical concern. There's a bereavement midwife at the hospital who's been amazing so I might ask if there's something that can be done.

 

[Betheney]

My hospital say "we recommend you come in when...." but they then told me that they would never tell a woman she can't come in.

When i went in with my first i was so hysterical with the pain. They felt my tummy for the head, timed my contractions all looked at one another and said "Sweety, this really is just early labour, we honestly would send a woman home at this point, but... We can see how upset and distraught you are so we're jusy going to leave you and your husband in this birthing suite and check on you every few hours." I think in have birth approx 5hrs later to everyone's surprise.

With my mum she has crazy 30-60 min labours and she thought she was going to go into labour on her due date so turned up to hospital not in labour and advised them she isn't leaving. Lol. Then she spent the day walking the halls and just hanging around. Line you she just needed to ve there. She did in fact go into labour and give birth shortly after that day too.

 

[Vickieh1981]

We would never tell you that you can't come in during the early stages. If I was working on triage and you rang me before it sounded like you were in established labour I would advise you to stay home because it really is the best place for you. Labour progresses better normally when you are in your own surroundings - but that said stress releases hormones that block the labour hormones so if you really were that upset it may not help.

What I would say if I was speaking to you on the phone is that you would be more than welcome to come in and be assessed - we would listen in to baby, do your obs and observe contractions to see whether it looked like established labour. If it did then we would offer to examine you and see but we wouldn't offer it otherwise. If you really wanted to be examined then the midwife would be likely to do it depending on your hospitals policy.

However, what I would tell you on the phone is that if you not then in established labour we will send you home (unless you are a high risk pregnancy and needed to stay) and so that's why we say to stay at home as long as possible xx