Contractions: when to go to the maternity hospital? When is it time to go to the maternity hospital - signs of impending labor Interval of contractions when to go to the maternity hospital

24.04.2024 -

Timely birth occurs at 37–42 weeks of pregnancy. Most of them begin with regular contractions. Less often, amniotic fluid is released first.

Towards the end of pregnancy, training contractions appear, which do not lead to the onset of labor. These contractions are necessary to prepare the body of the mother and baby for the upcoming process. There are a number of differences between preliminary contractions and real ones. You need to know them in order to go to the maternity hospital on time.

Childbirth and its harbingers

During childbirth, there are several periods:

1. dilatation of the cervix;
2. expulsion of the fetus;
3. birth of placenta.

The labor process usually begins between 37 and 42 weeks of pregnancy. The appearance of a baby at a period of less than 37 weeks is a premature birth, at a period over 42 - late birth. In total, the duration of all periods in primiparous women is 12–16 hours, in multiparous women - 8–10 hours.

When registering a woman for pregnancy, the doctor determines the expected date of birth (ED). Since the time of conception is difficult to determine, the count is made from the first day of the last menstruation. According to statistics, only a small percentage of children are born on time. The calculated date is approximate and serves as a kind of guideline for the woman and the doctor. It is permissible for a child to be born 10 days before and after the birth date.

Objective research data help determine the gestational age - measuring the abdominal circumference and the height of the uterine fundus. The time of birth can also be determined using an ultrasound examination. When the PDR does not coincide with the results of ultrasound, preference is given to the latter.

A few weeks before the birth, symptoms of the imminent birth of the baby appear. They are called harbingers. The work of a woman’s body is restructured, changes occur in the nervous, endocrine and reproductive systems. The placenta is “aging” and the baby is preparing to move through the birth canal. The stomach drops, the cervix “ripens”, and training contractions begin.

At the end of pregnancy, the expectant mother is regularly examined by an obstetrician-gynecologist. If there are no contractions before 40 weeks, and the due date has approached, the woman is placed in a specialized department. There she is under constant supervision of medical staff. After 42 weeks, labor is induced artificially.

Start of labor

The main signs of the onset of labor:

Regular contractions.
Rush of amniotic fluid.
Bleeding from the genital tract.

If they occur, a woman needs to call an ambulance and go to the maternity hospital. Childbirth should occur under the supervision of medical professionals.

Birth pains

Spontaneous labor begins with regular contractions. Due to them, the cervix opens. It must stretch to 10–12 cm so that the fetal head can pass through the birth canal.

At first, uterine contractions are short, infrequent and do not disrupt the pregnant woman’s usual lifestyle. Their duration does not exceed 20–30 seconds, and the intervals between them can be 15–20 minutes. Over time, the duration of the contraction increases and reaches 60 seconds. The pauses gradually decrease and the intensity increases. Pain is felt in the sacral area, which then spreads to the perineum. The opening of the uterine pharynx occurs with regular contractions at intervals of 10 minutes.

During your first pregnancy, it’s time to go to the maternity hospital if contractions occur regularly at intervals of 5–7 minutes. During the second, third and subsequent births - when the pause between contractions is 10 minutes.

During contractions, the upper part of the uterus contracts, which spreads in waves down to the internal os. In this case, the muscle fibers move relative to each other. At some point, tension covers the entire organ. Afterwards, muscle relaxation occurs.

The walls of the uterus gradually thicken, the circular muscles of the cervix tighten, which promotes its opening. In first-time mothers, the internal pharynx opens first, and then the external pharynx. During repeated births, these processes occur simultaneously.

Full dilatation of the cervix during the first birth takes 8–12 hours. With the second birth, this period ends faster. At the moment of complete opening of the uterine pharynx, the membranes rupture. After the amniotic fluid is released, contractions may stop or weaken for a while, and then become strong again.

Differences between real contractions and preliminary contractions

Starting from the 20th week of pregnancy, training contractions of the uterus appear. They are felt by a woman in the form of tension in the reproductive organ for a short time. Closer to childbirth, contractions become more frequent and intensified. Under their influence, the cervix shortens and softens, and the fetus moves lower, towards the entrance to the pelvis. This is necessary for further successful delivery.

Preliminary contractions are irregular. Physical activity and emotional stress can provoke their development. They do not lead to childbirth, since the opening of the uterine pharynx does not occur. The pain that occurs during contractions is localized between the navel and the pubic joint.

To understand when real contractions began, you need to count their number and duration. Labor contractions are always regular; over time, their strength increases, and the pauses between them shorten:

Premature rupture of amniotic fluid

In the womb, the baby is inside the membranes and is surrounded by amniotic fluid. They contain a large amount of hormones and other biologically active compounds. Liquid is a natural environment for fetal development, participates in metabolism and protects against mechanical stress. As a rule, rupture of the membranes occurs immediately after dilatation of the cervix.

In 10–15% of women, labor begins with the release of amniotic fluid. In this case, the membranes rupture even before contractions begin. There is an abundant flow of clear (sometimes pinkish) warm fluid from the birth canal. If the baby's head is firmly positioned at the entrance to the pelvis, the amount of water discharged will be small.

Rupture of the amniotic sac occurs painlessly. As a rule, contractions occur within the next 12 hours, and childbirth occurs naturally. If labor does not begin, it is stimulated with medication.

When the bladder ruptures in the upper pole, amniotic fluid leaks, which is difficult to distinguish from vaginal discharge. There are special amnio tests for this. They can be used at home. But if doubts remain, you should consult your doctor. A long period without water is dangerous for the fetus.

If your water breaks, you need to go to the maternity hospital even if there are no contractions.

Rupture of the membranes may be preceded by the passage of the mucus plug. During pregnancy, it is located in the cervical canal and closes the entrance to the uterine cavity. Its release is sometimes accompanied by a small amount of blood. If the bleeding is profuse, this is another reason to call an ambulance and hospitalization.

The final weeks of pregnancy are the most exciting for the expectant mother. For a woman expecting her first child, the sensations experienced at this moment are new. She is increasingly worried about how to understand in time that it is time to go to the maternity hospital?

The imminent birth of a child is signaled by the onset of contractions. It is difficult for inexperienced mothers to correctly assess their feelings during this period. As a result, some of them rush to go to the maternity hospital when there is still quite a lot of time before the baby is born. Others put off getting ready until the last minute, which leads to dire consequences. You can avoid this by understanding what happens to the female body on the eve of childbirth.

Scramble: what is it?

For the baby to be born, the cervix must dilate completely. To do this, local muscles begin to actively contract. This process and the accompanying sensations are called contractions.

It takes several hours for the cervix to fully dilate. Technically, this time period is considered the first period of labor. However, before the muscles of the uterus begin their active activity, helping the baby in the womb to take the desired position and gradually pushing it towards the exit, the organ must become toned and properly prepared. For this, the female reproductive system is “trained” in advance.

Types of contractions

Contractions of the uterine muscles are real (generic) and false (preparatory). Both have important tasks. Real contractions “start” the birth process. False - they prepare the uterine muscles in advance for this key moment, “train” them.

The sensations experienced by a woman during contractions of different types are very similar (more details in the article: what do contractions feel like?). However, in some ways they differ from each other. In order not to miss the moment when it is time to go to give birth, the expectant mother must clearly grasp this difference.

Training, or “false”

Typically, preparatory contractions begin in women half a month to a month before the expected birth (that is, at approximately 36 weeks of gestation). However, irregular uterine contractions are considered normal in medicine from the beginning of the second trimester of pregnancy, so the timing can vary greatly.

The main sign of false contractions is the lack of systematicity. They are irregular, the time intervals between attacks are completely unpredictable, as is the frequency of uterine contractions.

A training contraction rarely lasts long (more details in the article: when do training contractions begin and how long do they last?). The discomfort goes away on its own, often immediately after the pregnant woman changes her body position or begins to breathe deeper.

Contractions during childbirth

The uterine muscles of a woman whose baby is about to be born contract differently. Real labor pains are characterized by:

regularity;
rhythm;
soreness;
increasing intensity.

The last point means that the time intervals between uterine contractions will gradually decrease, and the discomfort experienced by the woman will increase. At the same time, the muscles of the organ will continue to tense in a certain order - from top to bottom.

Most women who have given birth again claim that it is impossible to miss the moment when the training contractions end and the real ones begin. For those who are pregnant for the first time, the difference in sensations is not so obvious. That is why obstetricians recommend that expectant mothers pay attention to side signs of an early birth.

Associated symptoms of the onset of labor

However, there are exceptions to this rule. Some women who have given birth note that their waters began to break gradually. Having discovered wet marks on their underwear, many did not immediately understand what was happening. The gradual release of amniotic fluid is not a sign of pathology, but it significantly complicates the calculation of the time remaining before birth.

It is much easier to track when the moment of labor comes by observing the reaction of the pregnant woman's intestines. Just before giving birth, the brain of the expectant mother gives the body a command to get rid of everything unnecessary. Mandatory procedures also include bowel movements, so about a day before it is time to go to the obstetric ward of the hospital, the woman will begin to experience severe diarrhea. At the same time, the expectant mother will completely lose her appetite. In this way, the baby is guaranteed an unhindered passage through the birth canal.

In what cases should you go to the maternity hospital?

If a woman has true contractions, this does not mean that she should immediately go to the hospital. To calculate the moment when to go to the maternity hospital, the expectant mother should start counting the number and frequency of uterine contractions.

You can measure how much time passes between contractions using any counter devices; a regular stopwatch will do.

During the first pregnancy

If a woman is expecting a baby for the first time, she should start getting ready for the hospital only when the interval between contractions is reduced to 5-7 minutes (we recommend reading: when do true contractions begin?). The remaining time is enough for her to get to the nearest maternity ward and undergo the necessary obstetric examinations.

Is it possible to go to the hospital earlier? There is no direct ban on this. However, usually, if first-time mothers try to get to the maternity hospital with contractions that occur less than once every 10 minutes, doctors delicately advise them to go home, since there is still a lot of time before the baby is born.

During repeated births

The situation is different for those for whom the current pregnancy is already the second or third (we recommend reading: harbingers of childbirth during a third pregnancy). In multiparous women, the cervix dilates much faster, so you need to go to the doctor when contractions begin to repeat every 10 minutes. Otherwise, you may not have time to get to the hospital in time, and then the woman will have to give birth to her second or third child right in the car.

Indications for early hospitalization

Sometimes doctors insist on early hospitalization of a woman long before the expected date of birth. This happens if:

pregnancy occurs with complications (for example, accompanied by gestosis);
there is a risk of premature birth;
The doctor decided in advance to deliver by caesarean section.

Expectant mothers who are carrying a fetus are subject to mandatory hospitalization. 42 weeks is the deadline by which a woman can deliver her pregnancy on her own (for more details, see the article: 42 weeks of pregnancy, but no birth: what to do?). If by this time there are no signs of the onset of labor, she is guaranteed to be hospitalized.

Situations requiring an emergency ambulance call

It is believed that an ambulance can only be contacted if the lack of emergency medical intervention will cost the life of the expectant mother or her baby. The following factors indicate that the situation is urgent:

Presence of bleeding in a pregnant woman;
intractable pain during uterine contractions or their irregular nature;
tension (tone) of internal organs that persists for 30 seconds or more;
severe swelling;
a sharp deterioration in health;
sudden cessation of the child's movements.

However, it is reasonable to call an ambulance even if a woman’s contractions become more frequent (or her water breaks) and she feels that she will not have time to get to the maternity ward on her own. This is especially true for those pregnant women who have had rapid labor in the family. This feature may be hereditary.

Young mothers think about the future almost throughout their entire pregnancy: what gender the baby is, what it will be called, how contractions will begin, how the birth will go. One of the most frightening issues remains childbirth, especially for first-time mothers.

Women who have not yet given birth are very afraid of missing the onset of labor and being late to get to the maternity hospital. After all, it is known that contractions are considered the main sign that it is time to go, but they are easily confused with harbingers, or training contractions; they begin approximately a month before everyone expects it.

This article discusses: how and at what time the first contractions begin, how to determine that they have begun and what to do if this happens.

False contractions

From the 9th month of pregnancy, the expectant mother may feel short-term tension (similar to tone), as well as small contractions called training (false contractions). It is quite easy to distinguish them from the real ones:

are unsystematic in nature;
may be strong in the sacrum, lower back and lower abdomen;
subside after sitting in a warm bath, taking antispasmodics or a sedative.

Most often they occur after a pregnant woman is overworked or from severe stress, but then they calm down.

Signs of the onset of contractions

No doctor can say exactly when and at what interval a pregnant woman’s contractions begin, since this is a very individual process. Each person has their own rate of growth: quickly in 2 hours or slowly in 2 days. However, they definitely increase with a certain periodicity, and do not calm down even after a bath or No-shpa. In addition, symptoms of real contractions include:

feeling cold or chills;
strange dull pain in the lower abdomen and lower back;
purgation;
vomit;
waste of plug or water.

At the first occurrence of contractions of the uterine muscles, you need to start noticing the frequency of their occurrence; if the period between them shortens, the continuation time increases, you should start getting ready to leave for the maternity hospital.

Although you should not rush too much, since full disclosure can take quite a long time and it is better to do this at home, when there is something to distract you. Therefore, you can leave if the interval between contractions is 10 minutes or less, and the contraction itself lasts 45 seconds. If your water breaks, you need to go immediately, because the baby will not be able to live without amniotic fluid for a long time.

Having established that the contractions are still real, it is better to give the body a rest, you can even sleep, since the woman in labor will continue to need a lot of strength, and she will not be able to sleep for a long time.

When do contractions start?

Contractions can occur at any time of the day or night, although they most often begin at night. This is due to the fact that the hormone oxytocin is most actively produced at night, and it is responsible for the onset of contractions. If a woman does not know how to determine that labor contractions have begun, it is necessary to monitor other symptoms of the onset of labor:

if a couple of times before contractions the expectant mother’s mucous plug comes off, then most likely the contractions are already labor;
Light leakage of amniotic fluid or a violent outpouring can signal the onset of contractions;
you need to time the contractions.

The main thing is the attitude of the pregnant woman and concentration during childbirth. If she is very worried that she will not have time to get to the maternity hospital or is afraid of complications, then she should ask the doctor to put her in storage: this gives her confidence that she will not miss the beginning of the main moment in her life and the process will be monitored first.

Could contractions not start?

Some pregnant women are very worried that they will not be able to understand the appearance of real contractions, since they have been worried about training contractions for a long time, or they will not come at all. There is no need to worry about this, any expectant mother, when the time comes for the birth of the baby and labor contractions begin, accompanied by the dilation of the cervix, the passage of the child through the birth canal, this will be determined immediately by their frequency, as well as the increase in their strength.

If you are concerned about the absence of labor contractions, you should discuss stimulation options with the doctor who is monitoring the pregnancy: drinking herbal teas, taking hot baths, walking, resuming sexual relations with your spouse, and more.

If you know how to understand that contractions have begun, the expectant mother will be much calmer. She will have time to prepare for everything in advance and will definitely arrive at the maternity hospital on time.

Your due date is approaching, how do you know when to go to the hospital? This question is relevant and worries many women. The answer is simple. Signs of approaching labor are uterine contractions, which are characterized by pain and regularity, as well as rupture of the membranes, or both of these phenomena together. Contractions are involuntary, independent of the woman, contractions of the uterus, with a regular nature and a certain frequency.
Contractions occur in three phases: initial, active and transitional. Each phase is characterized by its duration, duration, time interval between contractions and the degree of dilatation of the cervix.

So, how do contractions begin and how can you recognize them?

During pregnancy, contractions can be erratic. Sometimes they are very painful, but do not last long. During the birth process itself, the nature of the contractions becomes more regular and prolonged. At the very beginning of this phase of preparation for childbirth, they are repeated at intervals of fifteen to thirty minutes and seem not intense and weak. You just feel discomfort in the lower back and abdominal area. Contractions are characterized by mild nagging pain, similar to pain during menstruation. Then they gradually increase, become more painful and stronger, the time intervals between them decrease, they become short and regular. You may feel your uterus become hard and then soft again. The nature of contractions is spontaneous and automatic, they do not depend on your desire.

The preliminary phase of preparation for childbirth begins from the moment you feel that contractions are recurring regularly. During this time, it is better not to eat or drink any liquid. During childbirth, it is better to be on an empty stomach so as not to provoke vomiting during contractions and to have the opportunity to have general anesthesia. During this time, try to mind your own business, relax, read your favorite book, magazine, turn on the TV, hurry up and not concentrate your attention on what is happening.
A warm bath will help you relax.
It may seem to you that after taking a bath, the contractions have become less noticeable, this is proof that labor has not yet truly begun. It is important to take a comfortable position, choose the position in which you are most comfortable, for example, sitting on a chair or on the floor with a pillow, or just walking around. You must focus on your personal feelings. A great way to relax is breathing exercises combined with your favorite music. This will allow you to relax as much as possible during the contraction and prepare to “accept” the next one.

When to go to the maternity hospital?

The main thing is not to give in to the panic that grips you, you need to try to wait until contractions appear at intervals of every five minutes for two hours, then you can go to the maternity hospital. Of course, these terms are provisional. There are times when contractions do not occur at all, so they have to be stimulated. It is important to remember that contractions are an integral part of childbirth. You need to be attentive to your body and listen to its slightest changes. The main thing is to get in the right mood and be confident only in the best, that contractions will take place naturally and without pain, because the entire process of childbirth is provided for and laid down by nature.

Counting contractions, online contraction counter

How to understand that contractions have started video

What every expectant mother needs to know?

The gestational age at which the baby is considered full-term varies significantly according to different experts and, on average, is in the range between 39 and 42 weeks.

The main harbinger are precursor contractions - painless contractions of the abdominal muscles. Such contractions appear at any time, are irregular, and pass quickly after taking antispasmodic drugs.

With the help of precursor contractions, a woman’s body begins to prepare for the upcoming labor.

Less commonly, a few days before giving birth, women notice a small amount of mucus appearing in the vagina. This plug serves as additional protection at the entrance to the cervix.

A little about the beginning of labor

When should you go to the maternity hospital? The answer is simple - at . However, there is emergency reasons when delaying admission to the maternity hospital threatens various complications.

Such reasons are the appearance of bloody discharge and prenatal rupture of amniotic fluid.

Labor activity represents pain that is regular, painful and repeated at regular intervals.

Gradually, the frequency of contractions increases, while the contractions are not stopped by the use of conventional antispasmodic drugs, what distinguishes them from precursor contractions.

It can be difficult to distinguish between both of these types of contractions, in which case it is better to play it safe and go to the maternity hospital.

Appearance may accompany normal labor (cervical dilatation is accompanied by minor vascular damage), but most often the appearance of blood is a sign of placental abruption and other pathological conditions.

The development of placental abruption threatens the death of the fetus and mother, so if even a small amount of blood appears, it is better to call an ambulance.

First, you need to know the expected calendar date of birth. The length of pregnancy is different for each woman; on average it is 280 days, or 40 weeks; fluctuations from 38 to 42 weeks are considered normal.

How to find out your due date?

There are different ways to calculate your due date. Some try to determine the day of conception and count the days from it. However, the day on which sexual intercourse occurred and the day of conception itself may not coincide, since sperm are able to maintain their viability and “wait” for the egg in the woman’s genital tract for several days.

Determining the date of birth by menstruation

The most common way to calculate the date of birth is “by menstruation”. This is usually a well-documented event. It is necessary to remember exactly the first day of the last menstruation, from the beginning of which it is proposed to count 280 days. And it’s even simpler - add another 7 days to the date of the first day of the last menstruation and count back three months. For example, the last menstruation began on September 5th. Then birth can be expected on June 12 (5 + 7 days = 12, 9th month September - 3 = 6th month June). But this method will be unreliable if a woman has an irregular menstrual cycle or does not remember the date of her menstruation.

Our Due Date Calculator will help you calculate your due date based on menstruation.

Determining the date of birth by ultrasound

In modern conditions, the date of birth is determined quite accurately, based on the data of an ultrasound examination (ultrasound) performed before the 12th week of pregnancy. In later stages of pregnancy, the error in determining the due date using ultrasound increases. This is due to the fact that the size of the fetus, which the doctor focuses on in his calculations, at the end of pregnancy has large individual fluctuations.

In the same way, calculations are made based on the date and duration of pregnancy established at the first visit to the doctor (the “first appearance at the antenatal clinic” method). The sooner your doctor determines your gestational age, the more accurate future birth date predictions will be.

Determining the date of birth by fetal movements

You can roughly calculate the date of birth by the first movement of the fetus: in primiparous women this occurs on average at 20 weeks, and in multiparous women at 18 weeks. Of course, these are very subjective sensations, because the moment of the baby’s first movement is not always clearly visible.

You can find out about the full-term pregnancy and impending birth by several signs. In about 1 - 2 weeks, the so-called “harbingers” of labor appear.

Harbingers of childbirth

Most women at the end of pregnancy notice that their stomach “sinks” and it becomes easier to breathe. This happens because during full-term pregnancy, the amount of amniotic fluid decreases slightly, and the fetal head is pressed against the entrance to the woman’s pelvis. The uterus becomes more excitable, it “trains”, prepares for the upcoming big work. Irregular, low-painful tension of the uterus and a feeling of heaviness in the lower abdomen and lower back are called “pregnant contractions.” Even a doctor cannot always say with certainty whether labor is beginning or preparatory contractions are occurring. If this state of increased irregular excitability of the uterus continues for 1 - 2 days, then it is better to contact maternity hospital, where they can assess whether the child is suffering.

A few days before birth (or on the day of birth), light mucous discharge may appear from the genital tract, sometimes with small streaks of blood. Usually they say that “the mucus plug has come off.” This is a favorable sign of softening and “ripening” of the cervix.

Towards the end of pregnancy, many women release colostrum from their nipples, a precursor to mother's milk.

A healthy woman with a favorable pregnancy can stay at home until labor begins. If there are deviations in the woman’s health, the pregnancy has complications, if signs of fetal suffering are established, then, of course, the last 1 - 2 weeks (and more, if necessary) should be in the maternity hospital under the supervision of specialists. Recently, many women, especially city dwellers, prefer to go to the maternity hospital in advance. This is obviously due to the general deterioration in the health of the population and the desire of families to insure themselves against various accidents whenever possible.

When is it time to go to the maternity hospital?

So, at home you felt some changes in your condition. Heaviness appeared, a slight pain in the lower back, lower abdomen, the uterus tensed and became very dense to the touch. At first, contractions and relaxations of the uterus are irregular, lasting 5 to 10 seconds with long breaks (up to half an hour). Then their frequency and intensity increase. It was the contractions that started. If you are giving birth for the first time and live close to maternity hospital, then you can wait until contractions become regular - once every 5 - 7 minutes. If the birth is repeated, then immediately with the onset of contractions you should go to maternity hospital. Repeated births are usually faster than the first, and there is a risk of giving birth outside a medical facility.

Often, amniotic fluid may leak before contractions begin. The normal water content in the uterus by the end of pregnancy is up to 1.5 liters. You may feel a light, warm fluid leaking from your vagina (not associated with urination). A little liquid may pour out, or even 1.5 - 2 liters. Be that as it may, if you notice unusually wet underwear, this is a situation in which you need to go to the maternity hospital. If the water has completely poured out or is leaking slightly, this means that the integrity of the membranes has been compromised, and the child is no longer protected from environmental influences, primarily from infectious agents. Time is counted by the clock; in such a situation, it is advisable for a child to be born no later than 12 hours after the water breaks. Doctor in maternity hospital should determine whether you have a chance of having a vaginal birth or whether it is better to have a caesarean section. In most cases, after the water breaks, normal contractions begin, and the birth ends safely.

The above described typical normal situations at the end of pregnancy. But complications are also possible. There are situations that require special attention and emergency assistance, which a woman with a full-term pregnancy should know about. Immediately call an ambulance and go to maternity hospital, If:

Bloody discharge appeared from the genital tract, spotting or “like menstruation”;

Blood-stained water leaks;

The pain is very strong, the uterus is painful to the touch, does not relax between contractions;

Fetal movements become unusually strong, weak, or painful;

you are worried about a headache, your vision has become blurry (“spots are flashing” before your eyes), pain has appeared in the epigastric region, your blood pressure has increased, you cannot urinate.

In any case, if you feel any discomfort, be sure to consult with the doctor monitoring your pregnancy, and at night, contact maternity hospital. Practice shows that it is better to play it safe than to underestimate the seriousness of the situation and endanger the life of the child and your own.

1. Decide in advance in which institution you will give birth. Many women prefer to have the same doctor manage their pregnancy and deliver the baby. In practice this is not always feasible. The state monitoring system for pregnant women is organized in such a way that the doctor is not necessarily present at the birth of his patient. And in non-governmental clinics, the obstetrician who observed you, due to various circumstances, may not be next to you at this very moment. However, you should not perceive as a tragedy the situation when you are given birth by an unfamiliar doctor. Choose a facility with a good reputation for delivery; if you are not “assigned” to it on a territorial basis (formal objections may arise during hospitalization), decide in advance for yourself whether you agree to paid services. It is advisable to undergo a set of examinations accepted in this institution and enter into a service agreement.

2. Keep your documents collected, namely:

An exchange card with the data of all tests and ultrasound examinations in the third trimester;

Passport;

Insurance policy.

IT'S BETTER TO ALWAYS HAVE THESE DOCUMENTS WITH YOU!

In the absence of medical documents, childbirth should be carried out in the II obstetric (observation department) or even in a specialized infectious diseases maternity hospital! If you don’t have a passport or insurance policy with you, then problems may arise with the possibility of free childbirth (under compulsory health insurance). Be careful.

3. Prepare a bag with things: 2 - 3 cotton shirts, 3 - 4 diapers (preferably special disposable ones), 3 - 4 pairs of cotton panties, pads (the largest), bathrobe, washable slippers, 2 - 3 pairs of cotton socks, toiletries, towels .

However, in the maternity ward itself, you won’t need anything other than slippers: usually the necessary linen and clothing are provided at the birth center. maternity hospital. Everything else, including things for the baby, will be brought to you by your relatives after the birth.

Our service will tell you what to take with you to the maternity hospital List of things to take to the maternity hospital

It will be more convenient for doctors, and you too, if, when you feel the approach of labor, you do not put much strain on your stomach. While waiting for labor to begin at home, limit your diet to light crackers, a cup of broth, and tea.

Trim your nails; You can shave your pubic area yourself - this is a mandatory procedure before giving birth.

Do not lose your presence of mind, be decisive and collected - you will have difficult but joyful work. Remember that first of all, you are responsible for yourself and for your child.