How long was my labor?

[Emily's Mama]

People often want to know how long one's labor was, but I have no idea what to say, as I'm confused by what constitutes labor length. I've heard it based on contraction intervals and lengths, based on when you start to dilate a certain amount, etc.

Before any contractions began, I was 3cm dilated (that I know of, as that was checked a few days before contractions)

I started contractions every 10 minutes exactly, for 1 minute each, at 5am.

Around 8am they went out to about 15 mins apart, for 1 min each.

Then between about noon and 7pm they were anywhere from 4 mins apart to 12 mins apart, about 1 min each.

Between 7pm and 10pm they were mainly 4-5 mins apart, but some went out to 6 or 7 mins apart, still about 1-1.5 mins long.

At 10pm I was at hospital, was checked and was 7cm dilated. Midwife said contractions were still "not coordinated". Baby was posterior.

At midnight, had artificial rupture of membranes and instantly had contractions about 2-3 mins apart, lasting 1-1.5 mins each.

At 1:30am-ish was told I was 10cm and could push.

Baby came out at 1:58am.

ON the hospital notes, they put down that my labor started at 9pm and was therefore just under 5 hours long. I'm not sure why they picked 9pm.

How long would you say my labor was?

[runner29]

I would say you had more like an almost 14 hour ACTIVE labor. (I had the same problem because I had contractions ~5 min apart, ~45 sec long for days before they started getting stronger and a little closer together and finally after 22 hours of (more) active labor my DD was born.)

I have no idea why the hospital picked 9pm for start of labor. It sounds like they didn't listen to you or messed up or were just lazy. At the most conservative, I think most people would probably agree you had to be in active labor since 7pm (but I think probably from noon on.)

They usually just keep track of active labor length because it's really hard to tell when early/latent labor starts for many women.

hth!

[callieollie]

How do they define active labor? I know I've seen it in terms of centimeters dialated (I like I usually see around 4 centimeters as the start of active labor) but if you don't know how far dilated you are, how do they determine the start of active labor?

[Emily's Mama]

Originally Posted by callieollie

How do they define active labor? I know I've seen it in terms of centimeters dialated (I like I usually see around 4 centimeters as the start of active labor) but if you don't know how far dilated you are, how do they determine the start of active labor?

yes, this is where my confusion lies too! Before labor began my midwife had said active labor is when you are having contractions 4-5 mins apart, that last for 1 min. But she also said it can be when you start having contractions that actually make you dilate. But I was already 3cm before contractions even started. And, as you say, what if you don't have any internals to check if you are actually dilating anyway?!

[soso-lynn]

I think some hospitals might just put the time at 1 hour befoe you got there, since their directions are to come after 1 hour of contractions evey 5 minutes or whatever it is they use as a cutoff.

I think that labour is a continuum that you cannot really put a definite start time to. When people ask, I would phrase it a way that reflects that, if only to open their minds a little.

[callieollie]

That would be confusing! For my dd's birth, I didn't have any internal exams until I got to the birth center and was 6 cm dialated. Before that, I just woke up with contractions 2-3 minutes apart (I just skipped right over the 15, 10, and 5 minute apart stuff!) and I never had a contraction that lasted longer than 45 seconds! My whole labor was only 3 1/2 hours but I really only felt like I was in "labor" for about 1 1/2 hours (before that I just thought it was braxton hicks and even told my dh not to call the midwives because I didnt' want to wake them up with a false alarm! Good thing he didn't listen to me because dd was born 30 minutes after getting to the birth center!). I guess it's all different for everyone!

[Mama Poot]

I've been confused by this regarding my daughter's birth. I had two full days of prodromal labor that made sleep impossible, followed by 14 hours of active labor. In my mind, I labored for three days with Fleur, but I tell people 14 hours (so they don't freak out, kwim?)

[ColwynsMommy]

Originally Posted by Mama Poot

I've been confused by this regarding my daughter's birth. I had two full days of prodromal labor that made sleep impossible, followed by 14 hours of active labor. In my mind, I labored for three days with Fleur, but I tell people 14 hours (so they don't freak out, kwim?)

Doesn't it bug you that it sort of negates the 48 hours of work you you did? I had two days of prodromal labor, too, and while it wasn't agonizingly painful, it did keep me awake the whole entire time. Active labor for me was only an hour, so if I say that my labor was only an hour long, it gives a whole different impression than what my labor was actually like.

[Mama Poot]

Originally Posted by ColwynsMommy

Doesn't it bug you that it sort of negates the 48 hours of work you you did? I had two days of prodromal labor, too, and while it wasn't agonizingly painful, it did keep me awake the whole entire time. Active labor for me was only an hour, so if I say that my labor was only an hour long, it gives a whole different impression than what my labor was actually like.

YES!!! Mine was very painful. I couldn't lay down because it would only hurt more. Funny story though, I learned how to cook a fresh lobster at 3am. I was having "fake" contractions 3-4 min apart, while not agonizing I still had to breathe and vocalize through them (I'm sure the downstairs neighbor thought I'd brought a cow into the house) There was a cooking show on, and I just focused on it like crazy to try to forget about the pain. I'll never forget that show, and I'll never forget how you can steam a lobster on the rocks in a stockpot Oh yes and you can also use a rolling pin to get the meat out of the smaller legs and the claws.

Fleur's birth was honestly a lot more difficult than I anticipated, with her being my 3rd kid and all. I was so tired, and my body was so drained from everything. I had hyperemesis the whole time and two rounds of the flu. I'm amazed everything went as well as it did, even though it took forever.

[Vortexing]

Originally Posted by Emily's Mama

yes, this is where my confusion lies too! Before labor began my midwife had said active labor is when you are having contractions 4-5 mins apart, that last for 1 min.

If that were the absolute rule then apparently I didn't even HAVE active labor with my DD. Good to know. So I vote for contractions that are productive, otherwise apparently I defy the laws of birth (which I have a suspicion isn't the case). Apparently I wasn't laboring every night for three nights it was just my imagination.