When should you call in case of labor?
When in doubt you can call our practice at all times!
But we do have some guidelines…
Before 37 weeks, you should call us in case of contractions, blood loss or broken water.
After 37 weeks, you should call us in case the following occurs:
Contractions, and it’s your first pregnancy, call us when you have been having contractions regularly every four minutes for two hours.
In case you have already given birth before, call us when you’ve been having regular contractions every five minutes for one hour, or sooner if you’ve had instructions to do so during one of your checkups, or feel that it’s necessary.
When the water breaks, please call us, even at night or during the weekend, regardless of whether you are having contractions, when:
– The color of the amniotic fluid is green, yellow or brown. This is a sign the child has defecated in the fluid and a reason for us to immediately come by for a checkup. If you are in doubt about the color, always ring us.
– The baby has not lightened yet. We will inform you about the lightening of your baby at exams from 36 weeks.
NB: If your water has broken but you are not having contractions yet, don’t bathe. Showering is fine, but don’t use vaginal douches.
If your water breaks at night and if the color of the amniotic fluid is clear or pink, the baby has lightened properly and you do not have (regular) contractions yet, then it is safe to wait until morning to call us.
Blood loss: At the end of pregnancy, you may lose some drops of vaginal blood in combination with mucus or secretion. This is called the mucus plug. This does not announce labor is underway, but it is a normal phenomenon. In all other cases of blood loss, we would like to hear from you.