Check the clinic answering machine for the name and pager number of the midwife currently on-call. Sometimes we have someone else cover our pager if we are unavailable for a few hours, or we use a different number than usual, so always check the answering machine. If you have call-display, you may have access to our home or cell phone numbers. We ask that you still use our pagers, as this is the most efficient way to contact us, as well as the least disturbing to our families.
Please page us day or night if you think you are in labor and have:
FIRST BABY: 3-2-1 Rule = consistent contractions every 3 minutes for over 2 hours that are over 1 minute long
SECOND or more BABY: 5-1-1 Rule = contractions every 5 minutes for 1 hour that are 1 minute long
DAY (between 9 am and 9 pm): If you suspect you may be in labor and/or your water has broken, page the midwife on call. A heads-up call can help us to arrange our day so that we will be available when you need us later.
NIGHT (between 9 pm and 9 am): If you do not need a midwife immediately, please wait until morning. We appreciate our chances to sleep through the night, and having a perky midwife when labor gets hard may be just what you need. But if you know you are in active labor and need a midwife now, please page us!
AFTER you call 911, call your midwife IMMEDIATELY.