Preparation for Rapid Labor

November 07, 2009

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Preparation for Rapid Labor

by Lisa Rodriguez, R.N. and Marjorie Greenfield, M.D.
reviewed by Marjorie Greenfield, M.D.

Most women have plenty of time to get themselves to their chosen place for childbirth. In fact, it's a lot more common for first-time parents to get to the hospital too early or to have a few false alarms than it is to deliver en route. Nevertheless, some babies do come pretty fast.

If you had a rapid labor with a previous baby, or you simply have a feeling that you'll need to make a mad dash to the hospital, you may want to make some preparations. You might not have much control over how quickly you approach delivery, but a little advanced planning can get you from home (or wherever you are) to your birth center or hospital as quickly as possible.

Listen to your body
You need to be in tune with your body so that you can identify when you are indeed in labor. If you previously delivered a baby in less than three hours, from start to finish, you face the same likelihood with this delivery. Second births take, on average, about half the time of the first. So, while a five- or six-hour first labor might leave you thinking you'll have plenty of leeway to get to the hospital, be aware that you may have only a small window of time to get there for your second baby.

Contractions--Strong or regular contractions are sometimes the first sign of labor. Women who are at risk for a speedy labor should be watching for strong contractions, even if they aren't yet regular; and for mild contractions that are getting more and more frequent, even if they aren't that strong. If there is any question whether this is the real thing, calling your doctor or midwife and talking through the symptoms can help to determine if it is a true or false labor. Be aware that the healthcare professional who takes your call may not have your records handy, so you may want to emphasize that you are concerned about rapid labor.

Has your water broken? When the water breaks, it can be anywhere from many hours to mere minutes until the baby comes. Women who have rapid labors may enter active labor very quickly. Therefore, even if there aren't contractions, it's often best to drop everything and get to the hospital after your water breaks if you have a history of rapid labor.

Anticipate

Make sure you are able to reach your partner at all times. Consider investing in a beeper or cell phone for those times when the two of you will be apart.

If your partner works at a location far from your home or office, consider making backup arrangements with a coworker or neighbor to drive you to the hospital, if need be.

If you have other children, plan ahead to have child care within easy reach when the big event occurs. If there isn't time for someone to make it to your house, you can take the children with you to the hospital and have them picked up there.

Is your car reliable? If not, make sure you have backup transportation. And if your vehicle runs just fine, be sure to keep plenty of gas in the tank!

If your hospital is some distance away, know where the nearby hospitals are along your route in case you need to drop by their emergency room to give birth.

Make sure you have preregistered at your hospital so that you don't have to scramble around at the last minute, trying to locate your insurance paperwork and other necessary information.

Keep a bag packed with all your essentials for the hospital, and place it in the trunk of your car or in an easily accessible area of your home.

Your labor hopefully will follow a controlled, normal pace. Still, it's a good idea to learn about emergency birth procedures, so you can be prepared if your little one decides to make her debut without much warning.


RELATED INFORMATION

			Emergency Birth Procedures
			Packing Checklist for Labor and Delivery
			Phases of Labor
			True vs. False Labor
			Childbirth Preparation
			Events of Labor

Created September 27, 2001
Reviewed August 21, 2004

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