We are reaching the end of our pregnancy and our body and our mind they start to get impatient. The proximity of delivery makes us start to think about the moment and all kinds of doubts arise. We begin to notice new sensations, any symptoms puts us on notice and we are not clear if it warns us of the beginning of labor or not. What do I do, do I go to the hospital or not?
Childbirth
Childbirth is a physiological process for which our body prepares from the beginning of pregnancy. Although medicine has made great strides, we are currently still without knowing in advance the exact moment when labor will start nor what are the causes that start it up.
If you have already reached week 36 of pregnancy. !! Congratulations!! The time to meet your baby is getting closer and closer. Delivery is normal that occurs from week 37.
Latest tests
Surely they have extracted a vaginal and rectal discharge sample to perform a culture and assess the presence of Streptococcus Agalactiae. Your midwife, in the maternal education courses, will have explained to you the need for this determination.
Vagino-rectal swab culture
It is about to detect a bacteria which is sometimes present in the vaginal or rectal flora of some people. It is not pathological for them, but when the baby passes through the birth canal it can become infected with that bacteria and it would be very dangerous for its health.
It is important to know whether or not you are a carrier of this Streptococcus Agalactiae because if you are, it will be necessary to antibiotic treatment during labor, not to treat the infection in the mother (it is not considered an infection), but to avoid the effects of the bacteria on the baby.
In many maternity wards too you will have a visit with the anesthetist, who after reviewing the third trimester analytics assesses the possibility of administering epidural analgesia in childbirth.
Monitors
These are the latest tests that will be carried out before starting the visits in the consultations of the chosen maternity, from now on all visits will be in the monitoring consultation.
In this consultation they will give you the result of vaginal and rectal exudate And you they will carry out monitors. To perform the monitors, they will place belts around your abdomen for 20 or 30 minutes.
The purpose is to record both the heart rate of your baby like the existence or not of uterine contractions. Afterwards, you will usually go to see the obstetrician.
To attend this consultation it is important that have a good breakfast at home and take something to eat to drink before doing the monitor. It is normal that when you get to the consultation, they have passed several hours from breakfast and the baby will be asleep, so a juice or a piece of fruit will provide the necessary glucose to wake up ...
In the monitors office they will quote you two or three times, depending on when the delivery occurs. Normally in the week 39/40 it will be the first date. The appointments will be weekly at the beginning and in the end they will be every 48 hours approximately.
If 10 days after your probable due date you have not given birth, you will be indicated the need to stimulate labor. Generally, in the last consultation of monitors, they give you the rules for your admission to maternity.
When to go to the emergency department
- If the bag of waters breaks. It may be that the break is frank and you have no doubts or that the leakage of liquid is lighter but continuous, you will notice a constant sensation of humidity. If he liquid is transparent and baby moves Normally we can take a shower before going to the emergency room, but if the color of the liquid has a greenish or bloody tone or the baby does not move it is better not to wait.
In any case, when in doubt, it is better to go and consult
- If you have contractions every 5 minutes, which last almost 1 minute, for 1 hour. Take into account where you live and your distance to the hospital. In a big city at rush hour it can be very difficult to get to the hospitalIt is better not to wait so long at home if you anticipate that it may take an hour or more to get to the hospital.
- If vaginal bleeding appears in an amount similar to a menstruation. If the bleeding appears after you have had a vaginal examination, it is not very heavy and the baby is moving well, it will probably be normal.
- Fever
- Severe abdominal pain that doesn't go away
- Absence or significant decrease in your baby's movements. In late pregnancy you may notice different baby movements, but never absent. If you haven't noticed him for a while, lie down, have something sweet and stimulate him, talk to him, sing to him ... If the baby responds to stimuli everything is fine, if he does not respond or you notice that he is lazy and has trouble moving it is better to go to the emergency room.
For any other symptom that worries you: Go to the emergency room and consult.