Did you know that 90% of women that show up at the hospital thinking they are in labor end up being sent home?
Women often end up at the hospital embarrassed realizing that they did not need to go! A hospital visit (when you are not in labor) can cost you unnecessary time and money. It is our goal to save you both TIME and MONEY by helping you understand WHEN you should go to the hospital.
Labor is a journey. If you look at the signs of labor as a step-by-step journey, then you will be able to understand what is happening and when you are truly ready to go to the hospital.
Just like in any journey, labor can involve detours and it can vary in duration. Labor and birth are not a perfect science. It is longer for some women and shorter for others. Expect that your journey will be different in timing from other women.
I want to mention the Pearently FREE Natural Birth Workbook! This 4 Step Process is a great start if you are considering a med-free birth. Click the button below to download the workbook…
Labor involves regular contractions (interval of time between contractions) that last a certain amount of time plus pain. You need to have all three of these before you can confidently say that you are in labor.
The first of these is regular contractions. Regular or frequent contractions is defined as contractions happening every two to five minutes. They must have an interval of less than five minutes to be considered regular (frequent) contractions.
So, if you are contracting every fifteen minutes, then you are NOT having frequent contractions. Frequent is every two to five minutes.
The second part of understanding the signs of labor is the length of contractions and the length of time you have been having regular, painful contractions. How long is your contraction lasting each time you have one? Contractions that are regular in nature are thirty to ninety seconds long. So, your contraction starts and it lasts a certain period of time. In order for your contraction to be regular that time period needs to be thirty to ninety seconds, and this needs to be going on for at least 1-2 hours and continuing.
The third part of labor is pain. Pain is a necessary part of childbirth, and the pain has a great purpose. As the pain climbs, your body will increasingly release hormones that help you cope with each step of the climb. Women have been blessed with the strength and fortitude to handle the pain of labor and birth!
Do you want some help making a plan? I have created my FREE Natural Birth Workbook just for you. This 4 Step Process is a great start if you are considering a med-free birth. Download below…
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