Labor and Pregnancy Emergencies

If you need to call, always call our main number, 919-781-9555.  This number is answered by our operator between 8:00 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. and then triaged to the appropriate nurse or staff member.  If that staff is assisting another patient then leave a message.  We typically can return your call within the hour.  Your detailed message will allow us to survey your medical record prior to returning the call.  For accurate record identification we will ask for your full name and birth date during each call.

After hours, the telephone relays to an automated voicemail system.  Please speak slowly and clearly, giving your full name and birth date.  A voice prompt will ask you to enter your phone number and then record a message for the doctor.  When you hang up the voicemail will be sent to the on-call physician’s cell phone who will call you right back.  If you are not called back within 20 minutes please repeat the call as the physician may be attending another delivery or emergency.  It’s always best if the patient makes the call herself and is available to speak to the doctor when her call is returned. (Using a family member’s cell phone impedes our ability to trace and link your call to your medical record).

After hours calls should be reserved for labor concerns and emergencies only.  If your question or concern is not of an urgent nature please wait until regular office hours to call (8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.).

Labor is experienced in many different ways.  Our best advice is to presume labor happens when your contractions have accelerated to about every 5 minutes, last for about a minute, and are of increasing intensity over the course of several hours.  If you don’t want to carry a stopwatch, just count your total contractions over a two hour period.  Expect about 30 contractions during that time to be typical of real labor.  The only way to know for certain is for us to do a dilation exam of your cervix.

After normal business hours, if you believe you are in labor then come directly to the Rex OB Emergency in the Women’s Center for an evaluation (you do not need to call the on-call obstetrician).  Either the Arbor/Wilkerson doctor or the Rex OB Hospitalist will see you immediately.  If you have some medical concerns and “aren’t sure” what to do please consider coming directly to the Rex OB Emergency for an evaluation.  If you are greater than 20 weeks go the Women’s Center OB Emergency.  Women less than 20 weeks along must go to the Rex Main ER where Emergency Room physicians will evaluate you.  Here are some general guidelines to help you decide: