Essential Info: Early Stages of Labor that I Call My Provider

ANSWER “So you may be wondering when it’s time to call your provider, as you get near labor or labor has started. One thing you might think when you lose your mucus plug, it’s time to call your provider. Not necessarily. That may mean labor is going to happen maybe tomorrow, maybe in the next couple of weeks, maybe it’s going to be a while longer. So you don’t necessarily need to let your provider know at 3:00 AM about that. Your provider will have a different set of instructions on when they want to know about where you’re at and labor, especially depending on if they’re taking call in the facility that you’re planning on birthing the baby. If you’re having a home birth, if you’re in the birth center, it all varies.

But one standard rule is when you’re contracting regularly, usually for at least an hour or two. Some providers will tell you when you’re contracting every five minutes apart or every three minutes apart, but it varies, especially depending on how far you live from your facility. What number, baby, this is for you and how you’re coping. So it’s time to call your provider when you’re contracting regularly for at least an hour or two. You’ve eaten something, you’ve had something to drink, you’ve laid down, and they’re so cranking out. You also want to let your provider know if you think that your water is released. And then they can talk you through what your plan of care is that you come up with together.”