Maternity Care and Labour Planning for Patients from Hebbal
The last three months of pregnancy go quickly, and the families who feel calmest at the end are usually the ones who made a plan early: where to go, who will drive, what to carry and when to call. Sai Speciality Center offers antenatal care and labour planning to women from Hebbal and the north of Bangalore, with Dr. Kavitha Lakshmi Easwaran, MBBS, MD (OBG).
We are a specialist clinic, not a hospital. Antenatal care is with us, and delivery is planned with Dr. Kavitha at a partner hospital. This page is a practical guide to the third trimester: signs of labour, when to call, what to pack and how to plan the trip.
Quick answers
- When should I call in labour? When contractions are regular and about five minutes apart or closer, or sooner if you are unsure or worried.
- What needs an urgent call at any hour? Waters breaking, bleeding, reduced baby movements, labour before 37 weeks, or very frequent or long contractions.
- When should I pack my bag? By about 36 weeks.
- Should I drive myself? No. Arrange a driver and a back-up well before your due date.
- How do I book? Call 80887 01001 or 99019 25700.
Why Labour Planning Matters in a Busy City
In many parts of the world, a woman in labour can reach a hospital in a few minutes. In Bangalore, the same drive can take an hour or more at the wrong time of day. Hebbal is a busy junction on the way to the airport and the northern suburbs, and traffic around major junctions can be heavy at many hours. That does not mean you should worry. It means you should plan.
A good plan answers four questions before the last month begins:
- Which hospital will we go to, and how long does the drive take at different hours?
- Who will drive, and who is the back-up?
- What will we carry, and where are the papers?
- Whom do we call first, and what do we say?
We go through these with you in the last months of pregnancy. Our page on delivery guidance explains how.
The Third Trimester Week by Week
From about 28 weeks, visits become more frequent. This is a typical pattern, which your doctor will adjust to your health:
- 28 to 32 weeks: visits every two to three weeks. We check blood pressure, urine, the baby’s growth and your haemoglobin, and talk about movements and feeding. Some women need a growth scan.
- 32 to 36 weeks: the baby’s position is noted. We discuss birth options, pain relief and who will be with you. This is a good time to decide on your hospital and to visit it if the hospital allows.
- 36 to 40 weeks: weekly checks. We confirm the plan, the signs to watch for, and what to do if your due date passes.
- After 40 weeks: your doctor reviews whether to wait or to offer induction, depending on your health and the baby’s.
Our month-by-month pregnancy guide covers earlier months, and the page on antenatal care describes the full schedule.
How to Tell That Labour Has Begun
According to the NHS, the signs that labour may have started are contractions or tightenings, a “show” (a pink, jelly-like plug of mucus), backache, an urge to use the toilet, and your waters breaking. Real labour contractions usually become longer, stronger and closer together. Braxton Hicks contractions, the practice tightenings many women feel from the second trimester onwards, are usually mild, short and do not build up. If you cannot tell the difference, call us. No doctor will mind a call that turns out to be a false alarm.
You can note the timing of contractions on your phone: when each one starts, how long it lasts, and how far apart they are. Share these details when you call. See the NHS page on signs that labour has begun for more.
When to Call
Call us or your delivery hospital if:
- You think you are in labour
- Your contractions are regular and about five minutes apart or closer
- You are unsure or worried about anything
Call urgently, at any hour, if:
- Your waters break
- You have vaginal bleeding
- Your baby is moving less than usual
- You are under 37 weeks and think you are in labour
- Contractions last more than two minutes, or come six or more in ten minutes
- The fluid that leaks is green, brown, smelly or blood-stained
The NHS advice on reduced movements is plain: do not wait until the next day, and call immediately, even in the middle of the night; the NHS page on your baby’s movements explains why. If you think the baby is coming and you feel a strong urge to push, call the ambulance service on 108 or ask someone to take you to the nearest hospital at once.
If Your Waters Break
Waters can break before contractions start. The fluid is usually clear or pale and can be hard to tell from urine. Put on a clean pad, note the time and colour, and call. If labour does not start on its own within about 24 hours, induction is usually offered because of a small rise in the risk of infection. Until then, the NHS advises checking your temperature every four hours while you are awake and reporting a raised reading.
What to Pack for Hospital
Pack by 36 weeks and keep the bag where anyone can find it. A sensible list:
- Papers: your antenatal file, all scan and blood reports, photo identity, insurance card and paperwork, hospital registration details, and some cash and a payment card
- For you: loose comfortable clothes, a front-opening nightdress or top for feeding, maternity pads, underwear you do not mind discarding, slippers, toiletries, a phone and charger, a light shawl, and snacks if the hospital allows them
- For the baby: soft cotton clothes, wraps, nappies, caps and socks, and a car seat or a safe way to carry the baby home
- For your partner or birth companion: a change of clothes, a charger, water and some snacks
Ask the hospital for its own list, since rules differ. Put the most important papers in one folder, so that nobody has to search for them at 3 a.m.
Planning the Trip to Hospital
- Do a trial run at the hour you are most likely to travel, and note the time.
- Do not drive yourself, and do not travel alone in labour.
- Name a back-up. Have a second driver, a taxi number saved, and the 108 ambulance number ready.
- Keep the fuel tank topped up in the last month, and keep the car clear.
- Know the closest emergency option too. If you are far from your chosen hospital and something goes wrong, the nearest hospital with an emergency department is the right place to go first.
- Tell your family the plan so that everyone is calm when it begins.
Pain Relief and Birth Choices
Labour is painful for most women, and there are many ways to cope: breathing, movement, a warm shower, a supportive companion, massage, and medical options such as an epidural, which the hospital may offer. Which options are available depends on the hospital and on your health. Ask the hospital in advance. Our articles on preparing your body and mind for normal delivery and improving your chances of a normal delivery offer practical help.
Plans change. A birth plan expresses your wishes, but safety comes first, and your team may suggest another route if it protects you or the baby. Ask for explanations at every step. If a caesarean is advised, ask the reason and what the alternatives are.
Going Past Your Due Date
Only a small share of babies arrive on the due date. Many arrive a week or two either side. If you pass 40 weeks, your doctor will check you and the baby and talk through the choices, which may include waiting with extra monitoring or induction. Do not start home remedies to bring on labour without asking your doctor. Our articles on halim seeds in pregnancy and after delivery and which fish are safe in pregnancy explain two common questions about food in the last months.
Where You Deliver
Sai Speciality Center is a specialist clinic, not a hospital. Your antenatal care takes place at the clinic with Dr. Kavitha Lakshmi Easwaran, and your delivery is planned with her at a partner hospital. At your first visit we explain which hospital that is and how the arrangements work, so that you know where you will deliver well before your due date.
For women from Hebbal, we recommend asking at your first visit how the partner hospital fits your travel plan. Our guide on how to choose a maternity hospital lists the questions to put to any hospital.
Warning Signs: When to Call or Go to Hospital
- Vaginal bleeding
- Severe or constant abdominal pain
- Fluid leaking from the vagina
- Severe headache, blurred vision, or sudden swelling of the face and hands
- Fever, or burning when passing urine
- Your baby moving less than usual
- Regular painful tightening before 37 weeks
Do not wait for your next appointment. Call the clinic, or go to the nearest hospital emergency department if it is out of hours or the problem is severe.
Getting to the Clinic from Hebbal
The clinic is at 201-1, 1st A Cross, 2nd Main Road, East of NGEF Layout, Kasturi Nagar, Bengaluru 560043. Hebbal is on the northern side of the city. Travel time depends on the hour and on traffic on the Outer Ring Road and the roads around the Hebbal junction, so call 80887 01001 or 99019 25700 to book and ask which times are quieter. In the last trimester, when visits are weekly, plan your trips so that you are not rushing, and bring someone with you. For a wider look at our work on this side of the city, see gynaecologist care in East Bangalore.
Meet the Doctor
Dr. Kavitha Lakshmi Easwaran is a Senior Consultant Obstetrician and Gynaecologist. Her qualifications are MBBS and MD (OBG), and her Karnataka Medical Council registration number is 69643. You do not have to take our word for this: doctors registered in India are listed on the National Medical Commission’s Indian Medical Register, and you can search for a name there. We encourage you to do the same check for any doctor you are considering.
Dr. Kavitha’s approach is to explain each test and decision in plain words, so that you and your family know what is happening and why. We aim to talk through the plan for labour with you and your partner or family before the last month, so that decisions are made calmly.
Other Maternity Pages
- Maternity care in Bangalore: how to choose a hospital and what to ask
- Maternity care for patients from KR Puram, Horamavu and Banaswadi
- Maternity care near Indiranagar
- Maternity care near Kalyan Nagar
- Maternity care near RT Nagar
- Maternity care near Whitefield
- Maternity care near Marathahalli
- Gynaecologist care in East Bangalore
Frequently Asked Questions
When should I go to hospital in labour?
When contractions are regular and about five minutes apart or closer, or if you are worried. Go sooner if your waters break, you have bleeding, the baby moves less, or you are under 37 weeks.
How can I tell Braxton Hicks from real labour?
Braxton Hicks tightenings are usually mild, short and irregular, and they do not build up. Labour contractions become longer, stronger and closer. If you cannot tell, call.
What should I do if my waters break?
Note the time and colour of the fluid, put on a clean pad and call us or the hospital at once. If the fluid is green, brown, smelly or blood-stained, tell them immediately.
What should I do if the baby moves less?
Call straight away, at any hour. Do not wait until the next day.
When should I pack my hospital bag?
By about 36 weeks. Include your antenatal file, reports, identity and insurance papers, clothes for you and the baby, and a charger.
Should I drive myself to hospital in labour?
No. Arrange a driver and a back-up, and know the number for the 108 ambulance service.
How early should I decide on a hospital?
By the end of the second trimester. This leaves time to check the hospital, its package, your insurance and the route.
What if I go past my due date?
Your doctor will check you and the baby and talk through the choices, which may include waiting with extra monitoring or induction.
Will Dr. Kavitha be at my delivery?
Your delivery is planned with Dr. Kavitha at a partner hospital. Discuss what happens if labour starts when she is not available, at your visit around 32 to 36 weeks.
Can I choose an epidural?
Pain relief options depend on the hospital and your health. Ask the hospital in advance and discuss it with your doctor.
What should I do in an emergency?
Go to the nearest hospital emergency department and call us. Do not wait for an appointment if you have bleeding, severe pain, leaking fluid or reduced baby movements.
Book a Maternity Consultation
To book your first antenatal visit, a second opinion or a pre-pregnancy check, call 80887 01001 or 99019 25700, or use the contact page. The clinic is at 201-1, 1st A Cross, 2nd Main Road, East of NGEF Layout, Kasturi Nagar, Bengaluru 560043 (open in Google Maps).
About this page: it is general information prepared by Sai Speciality Center, last updated in October 2026. It is not advice for any one patient and does not replace advice from your own doctor. If you think you are in an emergency, go to the nearest hospital emergency department.
