

X Trustworthy Source Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Main public health institute for the US, run by the Dept. If you have the time, wash your hands for five minutes if you don't have time for that, wash them thoroughly for at least one minute. Scrub your arms all the way up to your elbows. Wash your hands thoroughly with antimicrobial soap and warm water. Remove any jewelry, such as rings or watches. If the baby is preterm then you should contact the mother's physician and emergency services at any signs of labor.Also, if the mother feels like she's going to have a bowel movement, the baby is probably moving through the birth canal, creating pressure on the rectum, and is on its way out. If the contractions are two minutes or less apart, buckle down and get ready to deliver the baby, especially if the mother's had other children and they were fast labors.X Research source The Worst-case Scenario Survival Handbook. First-time mothers are likely to give birth when contractions are three to five minutes apart and last 40 to 90 seconds, increasing in strength and frequency for at least an hour.X Research source If this is the case, you probably have time to make it to the hospital if you live close to one. X Trustworthy Source Mayo Clinic Educational website from one of the world's leading hospitals Go to source Physicians recommend that you contact the hospital when contractions are 5 minutes apart and last 60 seconds, and this activity has been going for an hour. Contractions that are 10 minutes apart or less are a sign that the mother has entered labor.X Research source Here's what you need to know about contractions: The further along labor is, the more regular, stronger, and closer together contractions become. Time the contractions from the beginning of one to the beginning of the next, and note how long they last.
