Should I anticipate a short labor?

[Micealc]

My 1st was induced (although I had been walking around for a week 3 cm dilated). Pitocin drip began at 9pm, OB broke my water at 10pm, started pushing at 4:30am and DD was born at 4:46am. So, total labor time was less than eight hours. I'm having a HB with my 2nd, and I'm wondering if I should anticipate a short (even shorter) labor, or if the fast pace of the first was probably due to the pitocin. Thoughts?

[lindsayjean]

I think it's hard to know for sure, but I would guess yes. My first was pit induced and a total of 6 hrs from the start of pit and my recent homebirth was very fast. I started getting my first faint twinge of maybe labor at 11pm, realized I was in labor at 12am, and he was born a 1:54. So about 3 hrs total. Best birth ever!!

[MrsAngelic]

My first was induced and was 6 hours. Second was not and drug-free, it was 3 hrs 55 minutes. That was the pregnancy I discovered Red Raspberry Leaf so that may have had something to do with it. The next two births were 6.5 hrs and 5 hrs....both were posterior so not sure if they would have been faster if they were in a better position. The pushing stages took longer for sure because of the back labour and pain with pushing, whereas with the first two pushing felt great. Each birth is so different.

[nashvillemidwife]

No.

[MyLittleWarrior]

Plan for anything and expect nothing! Each birth and baby is different. My first was a pit induction and was a pretty straight forward 14.5 hr labor and vaginal birth. My second was 3.5 hrs from start to finish, not induced and completely drug free. I'm calling my mw at the first real contraction since she lives almost an hour away and I very well could go faster this time, but I am not discounting the fact that it could also be a longer/harder labor then DS2 was, just because it's a different baby with completely different circumstances.

[xixstar]

sure, hope and plan for one but don't expect one. My first labor was an 8 hour induced event with a super fast transition (6cm to pushing in 15 minutes). So I was planning a pretty short labor for #2.... second labor was 25 hours though, so much for what I had in mind.

[wbg]

Originally Posted by MyLittleWarrior

Plan for anything and expect nothing! Each birth and baby is different.

[ExuberantDaffodil]

I would agree that it is hard to know what to expect.

I was induced with pit with my first (plus had most of the standard interventions), and had about a 4 hour labor (water was broken at 1p, I had him at 5:17p). I figured it went so quickly because of the induction.

My second was a homebirth with zero interventions. I woke up at 2a with a strong contraction and what felt like a "pop" (I guess it was my water breaking), and my baby was born two hours later.

[XanaduMama]

I wasn't induced with #1 but was "augmented" with pit after ROM with no cxs for 18-odd hours. From first contraction to baby was 3.5 hours

#2: from ROM to baby was about 7 hours, but only really an hour of what I'd consider serious labor (and easy peasy compared to pit labor!). That 7 hour labor was infinitely preferable to the first 3.5 hour experience!

So...who knows.