If you had a fast labor...

[berrymama]

how did it start? With my first, my water broke and I immediately started contracting every 5 minutes, though I wouldn't call them strong. Within an hour, contractions were 3 minutes apart, and DS was born 3 hrs from rupture. So a total of 3 hours, but only the last 1.5-2 hrs were really painful enough to breathe through. Now I am 35 weeks, and wondering if I will recognize when I am labor if my water doesn't break first, especially if it is a fast labor. I would be fine with an unplanned unassisted, but it would be nice if the midwife were there (she lives 20 minutes away).

So if you had a fast (less than 3 hour labor) at what point did you know 'this is it'? Did contractions start out 5 min apart right away and progressively get closer? Were they sporadic and then your water broke and you moved super fast? I am just thinking about possible scenerios...I know nothing is certain in labor I read about people having 1.5 hr labors (or shorter!) and I wonder how they start!

[crayon]

One big hard contraction at 4pm (nothing before that) then nothing until about 6pm and she was born at 10pm. It was fast, hard but totally worth it- my first one took 3 days of slow labor.

[yentroc]

I just had my ds two weeks ago. It was a 3 hr labor. (dd's was almost 24 hrs with 3 hrs of pushing)

It started with mild-ish contractions that woke me up at 5:40am and I had ds at 8:40. The contractions were 5 mins apart for 20 minutes and then became strong, on top of each other about two minutes apart and I could not talk through them... once I knew I was not able to talk, I knew it was serious. By the time my mw's showed up, I was 8-9 cm. They almost didn't make it.

Good luck! Hope you have a short but managable labor!

[mamaonthefarm]

My labors from the first contraction until the baby popped out were:

baby 1: 3 hrs
baby 2: less than 1 hr
baby 3: 2 hrs

As you can see, my fastest was my 2nd babe. I was asleep in bed with no symptoms of labor and all of a sudden my water broke. Contractions started and he was born less than an hour later. My next fastest was the 3rd babe. This time, my labor started with contractions and my water didn't break until a few minutes before he was born. (The pushing phase with the last two babies was maybe less than 30 seconds - it just took 1 push each time)

I'm 32 wks pregnant with the fourth baby now.

[Hedgehog Mtn]

With baby #1 water broke at 5am, contx started around 6:30 posterior baby born around 10:30

Baby #2 thought *maybe* something was going on but not really sure, called MW had 3 contx within 5 minutes on the phone and she was born less than 7 minutes after that phone call started.

Baby #3 woke up at 6:30 knew right away with the first contx it was *it*, longest labor and hardest, born at 11am.

Baby #4 felt I needed more quiet than family dinner lol went upstairs called MW who showed within 20 minutes, baby born less than 10 minutes later.

Baby #5 I've been 100% sure I was in labor more times than I can count in the past 2 weeks. I doubt I will believe it when it hits for real because I've never had prodromal labor like this before.

So 2 babies were really quick, baby #2 was no warning - we went over and over it, there were just no early signs, #4 was quick but I KNEW I was in labor from the time I went upstairs.

[broodymama]

My 2nd and 3rd labors were both just over 2 hours each, and that was in hindsight. The beginning of the 2 hour point was a "hmmm, was that something maybe possibly resembling a contraction? I'm not sure" moment. By the time I was sure I was in labor each time I was in transition and had a baby in my arms about an hour labor. Needless to say, when I call my midwife and say "hey, I think I might have felt something kind of like a contraction" she heads over.

[mntnmom]

About the 3rd hard contraction, I knew it was the real deal. They were about 10min apart, and got close really quick. 3hrs later I was warm in bed, feeding my baby. With the last 2 babies it worked out pretty much the same.

[JorgieGirl]

I'm in the same boat. My first labour was fast and my mw's and family barely made it in time. I'm really not sure how this next one is going to go. Can't wait to find out!

Ah, my first one my water broke at the very beginning.

[MyBoysBlue]

My first was 2.5 hours. I was woken out of sleep at 5:11 am and he was born at 7:40. I was feeling really hot and when I threw the covers off my water broke. No contractions at first but then they started fast. We got to the hospital and DS was born 40 minutes later.

My second was a UC. I had only 10 mins of very weak contractions that I was timing for fun but they were about 1 min apart and didn't hurt so I thought them only BH contractions. Then my water broke and it was immediately intense and he was born 25 minutes later.

[berrymama]

Oh dear...Looks like I should really be prepared for a fast one!

[ExuberantDaffodil]

My first was a 4 hour labor.

my second was an accidental unassisted two hour labor.

I know "this is IT!" when the contractions felt pinchy in my cervix and I had to lean over a counter and breathe-moan through them.

[Lilcrunchie]

With DS, I contracted for a few weeks beforehand and was 2-3 cm dilated and 80% effaced for 2+ weeks (still had them do dilation checks back then ). I did not have any strong contractions for a few days before active labor (but had them in the 2-3 weeks prior). I woke up to feeling a little trickle, then a big gush as my membranes ruptured as I was getting out of bed. Contractions were immediately 5 mins apart. My midwives had me come in right away as I had a 40 min drive to the hospital they deliver at, and knew I was already dilated/effaced pretty well. DS was born 6 hours and 20 mins after my membranes ruptured. Labor was *very* obvious w/ my membranes rupturing, contractions immediately 5 mins apart, etc.

With DD, I was not sure I was in active labor. Had some contractions but they were mild. Hung out on my birth ball for a bit. Called my midwives (different practice) and we weren't sure if I should even come in to the birth center. I was talking through all contractions so they weren't sure (but I did mention to them that I talked/walked through most of my contractions with DS). We eventually decided I should come in just to see. Went in about 2 hours after the first contraction, and they checked me and I was 10 cm. I had NO idea I was at 10. With DS's labor transition was obvoius...with the 2nd labor...it was not. My membranes were still in tact so I basically hung out for an hour waiting to feel pushy. DD was born about 3 hours after the first contraction, but for most of that I wasn't even sure I was in active labor.

I'm pg with #3 and one of the older midwives in the practice keeps joking about third babies and how you never know...she said it could be a longer labor than with the other two. I think I'm going to be stumped on when to go in LOL. If it happens during weekday hours I need an hour total to get someone here (DH or my parents) and drive me to the birth center (30 mins away). But then again, apparently it could be a long labor LOL.

My two experiences were very different. Even as a 2nd timer, I was not sure I was in active labor with my DD. I also never had bloody show, obvious loss of mucus plug, etc. until I was in full blown labor. With DD, I was constipated (TMI) the whole time I was in labor...never get the notorious "loose stools" or anything.

[soso-lynn]

I had one huge contraction that startled me (I was reading). I immediately got up and went to the bathroom. Within a few seconds, I was throwing up and having what felt like one infinite contraction. Even though I called the midwives and all, I only realized I was in labour when she was crowning. My water only broke as her head came out. The whole thing was about 2 and a half hours but it felt like 5 minutes.

In hindsight I remembered feeling a bit weird for the 2 hours before that first contraction, like foggy or something.

I'm really curious to see how it goes this time.

[ColwynsMommy]

My third labor was both long and really fast. I had 48 hours of prodromal labor.. the contractions were enough that I needed to be upright, leaning on something, and swaying.. but not incredibly painful. It didn't bother me when people were talking during a contraction, etc.

Then I had one contraction where it irritated the hell out of me that my mom kept chatting away. It wasn't any more painful than the others, though. I was at 2cm at this point. I sent my mom and my kids downstairs and moved into the bathroom (it was weird, after every single contraction, I felt like I had to go to the bathroom). I sat down and didn't get up for an hour, until the baby was born. For the first half hour, I was convinced I was overreacting. I was yelling a lot, it was a very intense feeling, but it wasn't really painful. So I was hesitant to call the midwife.. I figured I had hours left. Then the baby surged really low, and I had my husband call. The baby was born a half hour later, about 5 minutes before the midwife arrived.

So for me, I'm going to pay attention to my mindset this time. If I don't mind people being around, then I figure it's not really time. But for that hour of active labor, I didn't want anyone even in the room with me during a contraction. I'm not really worried about whether or not the midwife will show, but I'm worried that my husband will be at work and unable to get here in time (long commute). I really don't want to give birth alone, while also trying to care for my three little kiddos.