When to Visit the Hospital for Labor
A board-certified emergency medicine physician, Zachary Lutsky, MD, has practiced at multiple medical centers and hospitals throughout Greater Los Angeles, including Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. Over the course of his career, Dr. Zachary Lutsky has dealt with, among other things, heart attacks, strokes, and births in the emergency room.
Regardless of how many children a woman has had, determining when she should go to the hospital while in labor can be challenging. While the specific timing varies depending on an individual’s health, personal history, and pregnancy, most women experience labor in three specific phases.
The first phase, early labor, is characterized by contractions that are about five to seven minutes apart. Each contraction lasts about 30 seconds and is relatively easy to handle. Since early labor may last anywhere from several hours to days, it’s not usually advised that women go to the hospital.
Rather, most women wait to go to the hospital until they reach active labor. In active labor, contractions occur for about 60 seconds and are three to five minutes apart. Breathing techniques, position changes, and birthing balls can all alleviate pain from contractions.
Known as the transition phase, the final stage is characterized by contractions that are two to three minutes apart and last for 90 seconds each. Although some women plan on arriving at the hospital during this phase, others may prefer arriving during active labor.
Aside from the phase of labor, women must be careful to distinguish active labor from false labor. Otherwise known as Braxton Hicks contractions, false labor neither lasts longer than an hour nor occurs in any sort of pattern. Usually, such contractions aren’t very painful and will disappear with the patient’s movement.
Regardless of how many children a woman has had, determining when she should go to the hospital while in labor can be challenging. While the specific timing varies depending on an individual’s health, personal history, and pregnancy, most women experience labor in three specific phases.
The first phase, early labor, is characterized by contractions that are about five to seven minutes apart. Each contraction lasts about 30 seconds and is relatively easy to handle. Since early labor may last anywhere from several hours to days, it’s not usually advised that women go to the hospital.
Rather, most women wait to go to the hospital until they reach active labor. In active labor, contractions occur for about 60 seconds and are three to five minutes apart. Breathing techniques, position changes, and birthing balls can all alleviate pain from contractions.
Known as the transition phase, the final stage is characterized by contractions that are two to three minutes apart and last for 90 seconds each. Although some women plan on arriving at the hospital during this phase, others may prefer arriving during active labor.
Aside from the phase of labor, women must be careful to distinguish active labor from false labor. Otherwise known as Braxton Hicks contractions, false labor neither lasts longer than an hour nor occurs in any sort of pattern. Usually, such contractions aren’t very painful and will disappear with the patient’s movement.
