5-1-1- Rule: At term (actually after 36 weeks). When your contractions are 5 minutes apart, lasting 1 minute each for an hour consistently and increasing in strength/intensity.
In active labor, the contractions are less than 5 minutes apart, lasting 45-60 seconds and the cervix is dilated three centimeters or more.
The 5-1-1 Rule: The contractions come every 5 minutes, lasting 1 minute each, for at least 1 hour. Fluids and other signs: You might notice amniotic fluid from the sac that holds the baby. This doesn't always mean you're in labor, but could mean it's coming.
Generally, doctors are looking to admit individuals who have dilated to 3-4cm with consistent contractions that are five minutes apart and about a minute long. However, there are other reasons why someone who does not meet those parameters to be admitted.
When you have regular, painful contractions lasting one minute each and occurring at least every five minutes for more than two hours, it's time to go to the hospital. This is the transition from early to active labor.
Contractions are intermittent, with a valuable rest period for you, your baby, and your uterus following each one. When timing contractions, start counting from the beginning of one contraction to the beginning of the next.
It usually takes from 15 minutes to an hour for the cervix to dilate from 8 to 10 centimeters. Contractions are 2 to 3 minutes apart and last about 1 minute.
A simple rule for when to go to the hospital for labor is the 5-1-1 rule. You may be in active labor if your contractions happen at least every 5 minutes, last for 1 minute each, and have been happening consistently for at least 1 hour.
During the active stage of labor, your cervix dilates from around 6 cm to the full 10 cm. (The last part of active labor, when the cervix dilates fully from 8 to 10 cm, is called transition.) This process takes about 5 to 7 hours if you're a first-time mom, or between 2 and 4 hours if you've had a baby before.
If your water (aka “amniotic sac,” “bag of waters” or “membranes”) hasn't broken on its own when you arrive at the hospital, and you're five or more centimeters dilated, your OB might recommend bursting the bag by hand—especially if your cervix seems to be making slow (or no) progress.
The intensity of Braxton Hicks contractions varies between approximately 5-25 mm Hg (a measure of pressure). For comparison, during true labor the intensity of a contraction is between 40-60 mm Hg in the beginning of the active phase.
During normal labor, the amplitude of contractions increases from an average of 30 mm Hg in early labor to 50 mm Hg in later first stage and 50 to 80 mm Hg during the second stage. The uterus is not a flaccid sac but has baseline tone.
In figure D, the cervix is 90% effaced and 4 to 5 cm dilated. The cervix must be 100% effaced and 10 cm dilated before a vaginal delivery. The first stage of labor and birth occurs when you begin to feel persistent contractions. These contractions become stronger, more regular and more frequent over time.
Getting up and moving around may help speed dilation by increasing blood flow. Walking around the room, doing simple movements in bed or chair, or even changing positions may encourage dilation. This is because the weight of the baby applies pressure to the cervix.
There's no scientific hard and fast rule for how long the latent and active phases last in women. The active stage of labor can range from a woman dilating anywhere from 0.5 cm per hour up to 0.7 cm per hour.
The time between dilating to 1 cm and giving birth varies from woman to woman. One woman may go from having a closed cervix to giving birth in a matter of hours, while another is 1–2 cm dilated for days or weeks.
Try being upright
One of your biggest allies is gravity. When you are upright—standing, sitting or kneeling—the weight of your baby presses on the cervix, encouraging it to open. An upright position may also help get your baby into the best position for birth.
1/5 or 0/5 = deeply engaged. If it's your first baby, engagement tends to happen in the last weeks. In subsequent pregnancies, it may happen later or even not until labour has started.
During active labor, your cervix dilates to about 7 to 8 centimeters. Contractions will be more evenly spaced, intense, and frequent, coming about every three to four minutes apart. Active labor usually lasts from two to three-and-a-half hours (with a wide range of what's considered normal).
It may last up to 2 to 3 days. Contractions are mild to moderate and shorter (about 30 to 45 seconds). You can usually keep talking during them.
Your contractions may feel like cramps in your lower stomach and can start off feeling like period pain. You may have dull lower back pain or pain in your inner thigh that you feel down your legs. At first, your contractions will be short and around 30 minutes apart.
Our general rule is to sleep as long as possible if you're starting to feel contractions at night. Most of the time you can lay down and rest during early labor. If you wake up in the middle of the night and notice contractions, get up and use the bathroom, drink some water, and GO BACK TO BED.