c. Departure

Your health care provider will give you advice about when you should go to the hospital.

Generally, you should go to the hospital if one of the following situations occur.

• If your waters have broken (rupture of the membranes)
• If you have vaginal bleeding
• If your contractions are five minutes apart and the hospital is located less than 30 minutes away.
• If your contractions are 10 minutes apart and the hospital is located more than 30 minutes away.
• If you have lasting persistent pain.

When in doubt, call the labour and delivery ward at the hospital.

How to Time a Contraction

• Use a watch with a second-hand and count the seconds out loud.
• Note the time when a contraction begins. Note the time when the contractions ends. This is the length of the contraction.
• Note the time when the next contraction begins. The time between the beginning of one contraction and the beginning of the next contraction is the frequency or how far apart the contractions are .

The following diagram will help you time a contraction.