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Benefits of Laboring at Home
Now a day, a lot of people like to go to the hospital as soon as they feel that they are going into
labor. The advantage of doing this is that if you are uncertain of what to do in early labor you may
feel safer once you get to the hospital knowing that medical personnel is nearby. However, there are many benifits to
laboring in your home. At home you are in your own space and therefore "King and Queen of the castle".
You can go and do as you please. You can eat what you want and as much as you want (which is not allowed
once you are at the hospital). You can walk around freely; do pleasurable activities without being interrupted (read
a book, watch a movie, talk on the phone, bake a cake, go out to dinner, walk around the block, finish up the nursey).
There are many enjoyable distractions that you can pursue while the contractions are not too painful and your body is working
towards getting ready for active stage/transition labor. Once you get to the hospital, you are on hospital time
and they have specific requirements they must adhere to to ensure your medical care. To do their job accurately,
they must ask a lot of questions (even if you have already pre-registered) and possibly start an IV (depending on your doctor).
Most of the hosptials in Charlotte require that you get hooked up to the Fetal Heart Monitor every hour for 20 mins . They
often request that you lay on the bed which can make contractions more painful. The "at home" atmosphere
of a leisure pace, calm atmosphere, and just resting in your own bed queitly without beeps and other monitor noises may
be long gone. So if a slower, calmer, quiter, go at your own pace labor is more appealing to you, staying at home
may be the best option. Once at the hospital, the hospitals timer is activated. They have
a certain time frame labor should be progressing towards. If dilation has not advanced "reasonably" (usually
one cm per hour) they may suggest intervention methods such as medications or rupturing the membranes in order to speed up
labor. At home, you can allow labor to develop on its own rate without worry about being pressured to keeping pace with
other standards. I am not suggesting that the medical staff is incorrect in their methods just that they may have
a different view of how you should progress than your body does. You choose which part of labor you would like to go
to the hospital in and choose how you want to progress in your labor.
*Note: As long as your pregnancy is
not at high risk.
When should you go to the hosptial?
There are several
stages of labor. Early labor (around 8-12 hrs) and Active labor (around 5 hrs) are the longest. The transition
stage is from 7-10cm. The best time to go to the hospital is in the Active Stage. Usually in this stage, a regular
pattern of contractions have been established and the contractions are around 3-5 minutes apart lasting around 45-60 seconds.
Often when a mom goes to the hospital, her contractions slow down and in some instances, stop. Here is one of the best
signs to look for when deciding when to go - how mom behaves during a contraction. If she is still excited and can function
through contractions, it may be too early to go. If mom has focused more inward, is stopping and needs to concentrate
during a contaction, and is less talkative in between contractions, it is a good time to go to the hospital.
When does the amniotic sac usually rupture?
Generally, the water sac breaks in transition
or in the active stage of labor. You do not have to go to the hospital just because your water breaks.
Usually contractions will start soon after the water breaks and up to several hours afterward (sometimes even 24 hrs later).
If your contractions do not start on their own and you are at the hospital, the medical staff will want to encourage
contractions by using medication. It is up to you to decide when you would like to go to the hospital. When your
water does break, remember the word TACO. It is good to observe these signs when your water breaks the Time
that water broke, the Amount of water that was disspelled, the Color of the water (clear, bloody, greenish),
and the oder. Ideally, the water should be clear without any oder. If you notice the water has a
greenish tint and a foul smell then it may indicate an infection or that the baby has passed its first bowel movement.
You would need to go to the hosptial immediately.
How can I tell if my water sac broken?
If you are
unsure of if your water broke, go to the bathroom and urinate as much as you can, dry yourself off completely, and put
on a new fresh dry pair of panties. Then lay down for a half hour. After the time is up, check your panties to
see if there is any leakage. If so, then you probably have ruptured your membranes.
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