Hospital Triage
What is triage? Think of your trip to the hospital(especially first time moms) as purgatory. You have to prove to the OB nurse that you are worthy(in labor) of staying to deliver your baby. This is called triage. The OB nurse places monitors to monitor the baby’s heart rate and contractions, as well as performs other tests, to determine if you are truly in labor or your water has broke. Most of these tests are definitive, although some may be ambiguous, so beware of the skeptical OB nurse.
So here are a few guidelines to help determine whether you are in labor or not(from an OB nurses perspective):
Contractions: Just because you contract a few times a hour(at term of course) does not always mean you are in labor. This is what OB nurses look for:
How frequent are the contractions? The frequency is not the only gauge of labor but it, along with other factors I mention, will determine true labor. Contractions every 10 minutes are great, but first timers can do these contractions for 18-24 hours before true labor. True labor contractions will take your breath away and stop the world. So if you walk into the OB unit and smile bubbly at me and tell me you are contracting every 5 minutes, you will more than likely be sent home(some people do fool us).
Is your cervix dilating? If you were 1cm/50%effaced/ and baby’s position in the pelvis was high at your doctor’s office, you have been contracting for hours, and your recheck is still !cm/50%/ and high then you may be in early labor but you will probably go home. A good indication of cervical dilation is “bloody show”. Your cervix, like you lips, are very vascular. Just think about cracked lips and how they bleed, same goes for a stretched cervix(although heavy bleeding, more than soaking a pad, is an emergent issue and should be addressed immediately).
Do you feel like you need an epidural? If you are contracting and feel like an epidural(even if that is not in your plan) is necessary to deal with the contractions, then head to the hospital. Strong, consistent contractions dilating your cervix, and your water breaking are sure fire ways to earn a stay on the OB unit.
As an OB nurse, it must be said: 40 weeks is a term baby! Not 35 weeks(even though your friend had a 35 week gestation baby and it was fine), 40 weeks! No one ever promised you being pregnant was comfortable,we understand you are uncomfortable, but important brain and lung maturation occurs in the last few weeks of gestation. So please do not ask for an induction or try to induce labor by other means, until that magic number 40! Let your little bun cook until he/she is finished!