Did each labor get faster for you? - Page 2

[jessymama]

This is true for me.

DS1 - 12 hours

DS2 - 3 hours

DD - 56 mins

I am counting from first contraction to the birth.

[BubbleMa]

I've only had one, and it was about 8hrs.  I would love it if this one come in 2-3 hrs! 

Originally Posted by AfricanQueen99 


Thanks for the link. That was my second labor - contractions on top of each other that I couldn't wrap my mind around. I also had a severe tear (my labia was literally hanging on by a thread). Interestingly enough, that kid was 8.12 at birth so not small by any means, there was no IV/pitocin and I've never touched cocaine in my life.
I do hope #3 is quick, but I'd like to be more emotionally present for that birth.

I'm curious, what does that mean?  Is there a correlation between iv/pitocin/cocaine and size??  I've never heard that before.

[Jaimee]

#1: 20 hours, 45 min. of pushing

#2: 5 hours (after a couple weeks of prodromal labor, which dilated me to 5+cm prior to labor), about 2 1/2 pushes

Third labors are notoriously wild cards.  I posted a couple threads about this a while back and got a whole lot of different answers about third births.  Here's one: http://www.mothering.com/community/t/1312847/third-labors-and-births-discuss.  So I figure I'll put my expectations somewhere in the middle of my two and be pleasantly surprised if it's faster.

[AfricanQueen99]

Originally Posted by BubbleMa 

I'm curious, what does that mean?  Is there a correlation between iv/pitocin/cocaine and size??  I've never heard that before.

Check out the link that I was quoting in the post you quoted.  It was discussing precipitous labor and different pieces that might make babies come faster.  I was just noting that I didn't fall into the guidelines mentioned, but my second kid was just plain fast.  So fast, in fact, that I was in my hospital room for 15 minutes before I had a baby in my arms because I had heard that babies tend to cut birthing time in half so I (wrongly) assumed my second would take six hours as my first took twelve.  WRONG! 

I'm planning another hospital birth this time and am putting together a small kit just in case this kid comes out faster than 1.5 hours and I can't get someone to my house to get me to the hospital.  If labor starts while my husband is at work (20-40 minutes away, depending on traffic) I can't imagine that I'll make it to my hospital 7 minutes away.
 

[BubbleMa]

Originally Posted by AfricanQueen99 

Check out the link that I was quoting in the post you quoted.  It was discussing precipitous labor and different pieces that might make babies come faster.  I was just noting that I didn't fall into the guidelines mentioned, but my second kid was just plain fast.  So fast, in fact, that I was in my hospital room for 15 minutes before I had a baby in my arms because I had heard that babies tend to cut birthing time in half so I (wrongly) assumed my second would take six hours as my first took twelve.  WRONG! 

I'm planning another hospital birth this time and am putting together a small kit just in case this kid comes out faster than 1.5 hours and I can't get someone to my house to get me to the hospital.  If labor starts while my husband is at work (20-40 minutes away, depending on traffic) I can't imagine that I'll make it to my hospital 7 minutes away. 

Gotcha, thanks! :)

[Beverly]

My labors are sort of all over the place. 

#1 -- 8 hours

#2 -- 17 hours

#3 -- 5 hours

#4 -- 8 hours

#5 -- 18 hours

Also, numbers 1,2, and 4 came "early" and number 3 and 5 were "late."  There's no rhyme or reason that I can see. :)

[mama2eb]

1st labor was about 8 hours

2nd and 3rd were both about 1-2 hours after things got painful and I could tell that contractions were happening..which meant that I knew I was in labor even though technically started earlier....for me they tend to start hurting around 6-7 cm dilated and 2 minutes apart..... 1st was with uber-epidural which sucked because i couldn't feel ANYTHING...my 2nd was without pain meds and 3rd an induction with pitocin which was interesting that the 2nd two were still so similar...

[Celticqueen]

Originally Posted by mama2eb 

1st labor was about 8 hours

2nd and 3rd were both about 1-2 hours after things got painful and I could tell that contractions were happening..which meant that I knew I was in labor even though technically started earlier....for me they tend to start hurting around 6-7 cm dilated and 2 minutes apart..... 1st was with uber-epidural which sucked because i couldn't feel ANYTHING...my 2nd was without pain meds and 3rd an induction with pitocin which was interesting that the 2nd two were still so similar...

Yeah, that's something I've never understood about my own labors. What's up with not feeling any pain until 6-7 cm? Last time around, I got checked at the water birth center and was 6 cm. Didn't feel a thing. They told me I could go home. It wasn't until an hour later I started feeling pain (about 7 cm or more). I suppose that's why I don't understand the transition thing...For me, "transition" IS labor in its entirety

[philomom]

1st labor ....8 hours

2nd labor.... 6 hours

3rd labor .... 1 and a half hours

[lizsky]

Quote:

This is probably going to sound stupid, but what is this "transition" people keep talking about? It's supposed to hurt more? My labor started out with really strong contractions and stayed about the same throughout. At some point, my body started pushing, but the pain was the same as before.

I know that women's experiences of transition can be quite varied, but I knew I had hit transition because I started throwing up (around 7cm) and continued vomiting periodically until my DD was born.  I also started to feel shaky and cold and my contractions became more painful.  

I can't comment on the length of labor question because I've only given birth 1x so far (15 hours).  In some ways faster would be nice, but after hearing stories of precipitous births, I'd really like to have enough time to do basic preparation- getting DD to grandma's and DH home from work!

[philomom]

Transition for me is just a moment of intense self-doubt. My body actually starts to go "exit stage left" this is not my picture with sweat and panic to leave the scene. My darling Bradley trained husband, recognizes it.. scoops me up for a little reassurance and it passes.

Some women do throw up at transition.. some get the shakes... others beg for pain meds that they did fine without up until that very moment.

[scairns]

1st : 45 minutes

2nd 30 minutes

3rd 14 minutes 

4th 20 minutes

5th 6 minutes

[UnassistedMomma]

For me, I know I've hit transition when I say, "That's it. I'm done and I'm not doing this anymore!!" and then I get the chills and shake and sometimes vomit.  When all that starts, my husband reminds me that we're near the end, I get my second wind, get to pushing and we're done. :)

[Jaimee]

Yep, same for me... transition is when I think I simply cannot do it anymore.  That's when I know I'm right there, almost done.  Things may be active and painful prior to that point, but there is still some semblance of control.  In transition that goes out the window and I have to just go primal.  For me that's probably about 9cm, though I wasn't measured to confirm.  Last time I decided to give a little push when I felt like giving up and out flew my baby!

You might find this article of interest in regards to the stages of labor.  Obviously faster labors will not linger through these stages, but it does a good job of explaining the emotional/brain states at the different stages, which you might be able to recognize better than pain levels.  http://houstonbirthdoula.com/blog/2010/05/the-holistic-stages-of-labor/

While I'm at it, you might find this article helpful as well about the "rule of 10 vs. women's primal wisdom" in regards to pushing: http://birthskirt.blogspot.com/2010/03/rule-of-10-versus-womens-primal-wisdom.html

[Sweet.Bee]

Interesting. After the first few contractions, I already felt like I couldn't do it. I was freaked out because I thought I was in the "easy" part, and that there was no way I could take even more pain. I guess my entire labor (minus the first 2 "oh, I think that was a contraction" contractions) is like transition then!

[Mizelenius]

This is what I've heard from others, including one of my midwives.  She said her "transition" was 4 HOURS.  Blah.  Everyone is different.  A fast labor = short or not noticeable transition.  For others . . .well, I can see how tough it would be.  If your toughest part lasted only a short time and you had the baby quickly, I agree-- yes, that was transition! 
 

Originally Posted by Sweet.Bee 

Interesting. After the first few contractions, I already felt like I couldn't do it. I was freaked out because I thought I was in the "easy" part, and that there was no way I could take even more pain. I guess my entire labor (minus the first 2 "oh, I think that was a contraction" contractions) is like transition then!

[Just1More]

Yes, that's what it was like with ds.  I had a bunch of random "everyday" contractions for a few days, and then BAM, labor.  The first real contraction was only 30 minutes before he was born.  It was majorly intense, and there was no doubt it was "transition".  I was shaking, and doing everything I could to get away from it.  I've always called it a freight train.  4 years later, it takes my breath away and makes me shake my head when I think about it. 

With the others, I remember more of a shift, but not terrible.  It was more like, "huh, these are transition thoughts", and "oh, that one had double peaks.  great."  I get so clinical when I am in labor.  Oh, and "I really don't want to do this anymore."  It's so funny.  I am thinking these things, and calmly relaying them to my midwife.  "Just so you know, I feel like I don't want to do this anymore.  Yep.  There was another double peaked one.  I think I might want to push soon.  Mmmhmmm.   I do.  There's the head."   My last birth had my midwives cracking up. 

[Celticqueen]

Originally Posted by scairns 

1st : 45 minutes

2nd 30 minutes

3rd 14 minutes 

4th 20 minutes

5th 6 minutes

6 minutes!? 

[Chanie]

Happened upon this forum while browsing.  I'm not pregnant, but am glad to have space to put in my opinion!  I've three girls.  My water broke only with number three.   Number 1 was 2 weeks of pre-labor (I thought it was normal) with actual active @6 hrs, and 9 min of pushing. Number two was an all day thing, with active labor at 9 hrs and shorter pushing.  Number 3, water broke at 12:30am, and she was born at 4:45.  Too intense, and had I not been home, I would have lost my mind.  All three girls were born at home, and as my DH and I swapped bedrooms with them, they share the room where they were all born.

[flowerchildmama]

My labor with DD was 48 hours, almost to the minute, of back labor, including 3 hours of pushing. The little thing was "sunny side up" and decide to rotate while she was coming out the birth canal, a little at a time :( I'm currently 19 weeks pregnant and the only way I'm making it is by telling myself that this labor will be MUCH better...