Final answer:
Patients should head to the hospital when they experience regular and intense contractions as this indicates true labor, which signifies the body is preparing for childbirth. This situation occurs in the first stage of labor when the cervix dilates in response to uterine contractions.
Step-by-step explanation:
A patient should go to the hospital when the contractions are regular and intense. This is an indication of true labor, which is characterized by regular contractions that do not abate with hydration or rest, and they become more frequent and powerful with time. These contractions are stimulated by the stretching of the myometrium and cervix by a full-term fetus in the vertex position, leading to cervical dilation.
The process of childbirth is divided into three stages: cervical dilation, expulsion of the newborn, and afterbirth. True labor progresses in a positive feedback loop, where cervical stretching induces reflexive uterine contractions. By the end of the first stage, contractions may occur as frequently as every 1.5-2 minutes and last for a full minute, indicating that the baby is soon to be born.