re: When should I go?

That's what I've heard. Lol. And one of my friends said she didn't even start to feel anything till she was a 9...and wouldn't that be kinda pushing it to get to the hospital? Or as long a my water hasn't broken (or breaks in transit) I'm good? Sorry...this is my first, and my mom's advice alone isn't setting me at ease. Haha

Record what time your contractions start. When the contractions are 3 minutes apart from start of one contraction to the start of the next and the contractions last 60 seconds. This should go on for at least an hour.

This is what our midwife told us and several other people on this site have been told to wait till.


http://www.babies.sutterhealth.org/laboranddelivery/labor/ld_when-hosp.html

Quoting Caimma:" Record what time your contractions start. When the contractions are 3 minutes apart from start of one ... [snip!] ... people on this site have been told to wait till. http://www.babies.sutterhealth.org/laboranddelivery/labor/ld_when-hosp.html"

Yes, this is exactly what my midwife told me.
Even if your contractions aren't painful, you will notice the tightening in your abdomen. After I had an epidural, I never had the urge to push. We just timed my pushing with my contractions, which I felt as tightening.