I'm 37wks, 4cm, 80% effaced & my baby is -2 station. Will I deliver before reaching the hospital?

You mentioned that you're 37 weeks along, you went to your doctor's appointment, and you were 4 (centimeters dilated), 80 (percent effaced), and -2 (baby's station). And this is your 2nd baby, you've heard that 2nd babies come a lot faster than the 1st, which is true, and you're scared you're going to deliver your baby at home or in the car. So what do you do? When do you go to the hospital? Now, here's a little bit of background information - your body has done a lot of prep work up to this point to get you to 4cm, 80% effaced, and -2 station. So yes, you are going to go very quickly once you start contracting, but it's going to take regular and intense contractions for your cervix to change. And the true definition of labor is cervical change over a short period of time, so like from hour to hour. So in your situation, as long as the hospital is within a reasonable distance from your home, I would go to the hospital once your contractions are about 5 minutes apart, and they're intense enough that you're having to breathe through them and focus. And once you're at that point, you should go in and get checked to find out if your cervix is changing. And then, of course, if you have changed, they're going to keep you and you're going to have your baby.

Also look for other signs of labor, like if you're leaking fluid. That might be a sign that you're water is broken. And once your water is broken and you're already 4cm, you're going to probably go pretty fast. And so go in if you have any suspicions that you're water is broken, also because the amniotic sac acts as a barrier between the inside and outside world, and once that barrier is breached, or your water is broken, then the chance of infection goes up a little bit, especially as time goes on. So it's a good idea to get to the hospital, and if you aren't in labor, they will induce you if your water is broken.

Another sign of labor is bleeding or spotting with contractions. As your cervix starts to change, then it might start to bleed a little bit. The cervix has a lot of vessels in it, and when they get irritated when your cervix starts to dilate or change, then you see a little bit of spotting. So it is normal to see what we call "bloody show" during labor. So if contractions, leaking of fluid, and any spotting or bleeding - those are all reasons to go to the hospital.

Also watch for your baby's movement. And in spite of contractions, you should still feel your baby move in between. So if you ever notice a change from your norm, your baby isn't moving as much as usual, or not moving much in between contractions, then go to the hospital - that too, in and of itself, is a reason to get checked out.

If you haven't delivered by your next appointment, talk to them about induction. Some doctors offer patients the option to be induced electively at 39 weeks. We don't do it before then just for fun, because studies have shown that babies do best if they're born after 39 weeks. So at that point, your doctor might decide to schedule you for an induction, you go into the hospital, they'd start your IV, and then start oxytocin or pitocin, same thing, it's the hormone that makes your uterus contract. And then it could be 2 hours later, it could be 7 or 8 hours later, but regardless, in a short amount of time, you'd deliver your baby afterwards. Inductions go really well and really smoothly in most cases. So talk with your doctor if you have more questions or concerns about that. And don't hesitate to go to the hospital and get checked out if you're having regular contractions, if you have any bleeding or spotting, or if you feel like you're leaking fluid.

Congratulations ahead of time on the birth of your baby! I'm so excited for you! You're on the downslope, you're almost there, and I hope everything goes well. If you have any other questions for me in the future, feel free to ask them on our Facebook page at   / intermountainmoms  , and recommend us to your friends and family too.