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Labor

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Labor starts with contractions or the rupture of fetal membranes, i.e. the waters breaking. Always call the childbirth helpline before leaving for the hospital to give birth.

Kuvituskuva: äiti synnyttämässä vesialtaassa, mukana tukihenkilö ja kätilö



You should come to the hospital when contractions 

  • come regularly less than ten minutes apart
  • last for approximately a minute
  • feel so intense and painful that you are only able to focus on the contraction. 

Before the start of actual labor, contractions have usually already lasted for several hours. 

If you suspect that your waters have broken, place a sanitary pad and monitor the situation. If your water  has broken and you are experiencing strong and painful contractions, call the childbirth helpline.

If you do not experience strong contractions after your water has broken, call an obstetric emergency department.  They will give you more detailed instructions. After the waters have broken, you can often still wait at home for contractions to begin. For the majority of mothers, labor will start within 24 hours of the time when the waters have broken, but you should come to hospital earlier than this.


What to bring to hospital?




The labor process











Newborn



Further information


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