Did each labor get faster for you? - Page 3

[sarahlynne]

#1 was 22 hours from water breaking, probably 16 hours "real" labor, 3 hours pushing (pitocin after 2) - lots of back labor, can't remember which way he was facing at birth

#2 was 4.5 hours from counting contractions since i couldn't get to sleep with them - lots of back labor and he turned as he was descending the birth canal

#3 was 4.5 hours of contractions worth counting, but had been noticing ctx all day after having my membranes stripped - lots of back labor and pretty sure she was born sunny side up

Hoping this 4th one is more along the lines of 2 and 3 BUT i need a little more time to get to the hospital this time around -  a full hour.  May have to prepare the van for a possible birth site;)

[wrymother]

My first son was about a day and a half of contractions and two-and-a-half hours of pushing, my second son was six and a half hours start to finish with fifteen minutes of pushing.  I very nearly had my second in the parking lot of the hospital, I just couldn't believe it was going to happen that much faster than the first.  My advice is make sure you give yourself plenty of time to get to the hospital/birth center for the second baby.

[binga]

1st was 6 hours from water breaking, 1.5 hours of pushing - (had been told to wait on pushing by emergency interim midwife I had never met cause I was only 9cm - don't wait, your body knows when it is ready to push)...main midwife arrived at house and told me go ahead and push...phew!

2nd was 3 hours from water breaking, 3 pushes (midwife never checked dilation, just let my body determine when to push....I was like wait, what just happened? look at this beautiful baby and my two yr old slept through it!).- midwife arrived at house 2 hours before baby was born cause we knew it would happen fast.

When you feel like the baby is coming IT IS!  Don't delay calling/getting midwife to your house or going wherever you are going!

[zell0811]

Yes! My first was 6 hours. He was born five days past his due date. I had some bh for weeks. But when the real ctx started, I remember thinking, "Hmmm. That kinda hurt." Within an hour, they kinda really hurt. And by the end of two hours, I was in some serious pain. My water broke when I transitioned around 5 hours, threw up, and pushed on a birth stool for 37 minutes. Then, my little 8.5lb was in my arms. I thought I was pretty lucky that it went so quickly.

My second hit me like a ton of bricks. He was born 8 days late. I had two false labors with him, which was very frustrating. But one night, I was laying in bed with my older son. We had just finished reading stories and turned off the light. He was trying to fall asleep. A painful contraction hit me out of nowhere. I remember gasping. Then thinking to myself, "Just go to sleep, kid. Just go to sleep, so mommy can go into labor with out worrying about you." I hoped the next contraction would wait ten minutes, but no luck. The second one came even stronger. I had to call the midwife asap. Our babysitter was here in 30 minutes. When she arrived, I was throwing up. (Why do I puke in labor so much??) We arrived at the birth center an hour after the first contraction. I was dilated to five. I got in the tub, threw up again at 8 cm. Water broke at 9 cm. I pushed for 45 minutes. My giant 10lb 12 oz baby was on my chest three hours after the first contraction.

My mom's first labor was 6 hours and her second was 47 minutes. Dad was still parking the car by the time my sister was born.

[krpellegrini]

My first labor with my son was only 5 hours. I had heard that the second labor could go quicker, and I joked with my midwife that I wouldn't make it to the hospital in time with my second. When I started having contractions, my husband went to get the car, (and put our son in it.) By the time he got back, I told him to call 911. The EMTs came and delivered my daughter at home. Labor was only about an hour and a half total. So when I became pregnant the third time, I was terrified! I wanted to plan on a homebirth, but since our insurance wouldn't pay for any of it, it was not possible financially. The OB and midwives just told me to come to the hospital AS SOON as I felt anything! My labor started out slow, we went to the hospital, and baby #3 was born after about 3 hours. So, I think you really will never know because each pregnancy is different.

[Haselnuss]

Yes, very predictably! #1 was 21 hours; #2 was 8 hours; #3 was 4 hours,  #4 was 2 hours (didn't manage to get the birth pool ready in time!)

[freerangemomma]

My first labor was 61 hours and 13 minutes. (yes I'm serious and there was nothing warm up or false about it) my second labor was 3 hours and 6 minutes. (water broke on it's on the second time and waters were released by my midwife on the first... So yes..I think 2 nd labors are much quicker :)

[YvonneC-M]

I just found out last week that I'm pregnant with #2. With #1, regular contractions began on a Wednesday at 7pm, and my DD was born three days later, on Saturday at 11pm. God help me if my second labor is longer than that!

[OmAmma]

Hey Mamas, I have a question regarding all this-

At 42+ weeks I had a 36 hour induction which only got me to 5cm, followed by a cesarean. I'm currently about 7 1/2 months pregnant and trying for VBAC. I've heard the second and subsequent pregnancies can go faster. Does anyone know if the progress I made in labor the first time could actually help me this time around? Many thanks, sorry if this is off-topic :)

[KoalaBear]

I'd heard so many stories of second labours going faster that I expected that, and it totally wasn't what happened.  With my first, I had a 10-hour labour from start (big, heavy contractions seven minutes apart) to birth, and it was all back labour.  With my second, I had a 12-hour labour from start (twinging cramps that I wasn't sure at first were labour, that built up to stronger contractions) to birth, and it was all stomach labour, which was MUCH worse than back labour. 

I was sooooo disappointed that my second was longer, because I'd had huge hopes and expectations for a short labour.  So by the time I'd been in labour for over five or six hours, I was pretty downheartened.  Especially since we went to the hospital right away with my first and I was already 6 cm dilated, but with my second I waited several hours, until my contractions were 2 minutes apart, to go the hospital, and I was only 1 cm dilated.

What I learned from the experience was to have no expectations, but to let each baby come the way it's going to come and to trust my body.  I had a lot of fear with my second child, because I'd had to switch doctors partway through my prenatal care and I didn't like the second doctor and didn't want to deliver in a hospital.  I wanted a midwife, like I'd had with my first, but I couldn't get a midwife.  I was so scared of the hospital that I was considering freebirth or unassisted childbirth, but my hubby wouldn't consent to that.  So I think my fear contributed to my longer labour and the reason that I was still so tightly closed when I reached the hospital.  I had to relax, to realize that the nurses were really good and helpful, before I could deliver the baby.

So I'd like to hope that, with everything I've learned from my first two births, my next birth will be faster... one of those one or two hour births I hear about... but no expectations!!!  :)

[lula'smom]

yes! first labor 43 hours from first contraction to baby being pulled out with forceps with me pushing.

second was about 9 hours and she was born in the car--45 minutes after water broke. slid right out into my husband's hands. it was a blessing, and beautiful, but wasn't the original plan!

[PilatesGyroMom]

My first one was 8 1/2 hours and my second was three . . . and honestly my second was more painful so I was glad that it was quicker!

[BubbleMa]

Originally Posted by 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.

That was it for me too.  I was crying, saying "I can't do it!", and begging for an epideral.  They wouldn't let me push yet, so it was an intense few minutes.  But as soon as I started pushing it was sweet relief!  For me, pushing was the least painful part.

[smeep]

I read once that after 3 years your body "resets" itself - like, if you have another baby within those 3 years it's still "in gear" from the last time, but after that it's back to the start. Well, either it's wrong, or just totally not true for me. 

DS was 5 1/2 hours of active labour. DD, 5 years later, was 3 hours active labour. If I have another one I'll be planning for a UC just in case. 

[smeep]

Originally Posted by BubbleMa 

That was it for me too.  I was crying, saying "I can't do it!", and begging for an epideral.  They wouldn't let me push yet, so it was an intense few minutes.  But as soon as I started pushing it was sweet relief!  For me, pushing was the least painful part.

I had the emotional part of transition with DS. I was in the water which had taken care of most/all the pain, but suddenly it wasn't at all anymore, and they were coming right on top of each other. Then I started pushing and it was all good. But I did have a thought of, "Oh, THIS is why women get epidurals." and had a moment of envy for women in hospitals with epidurals. Haha. 

With DD I never had the emotions of transition. When I was pushing, however, was when the emotions came down hard, from the first push. It was like pushing against a brick wall...you know you CAN'T budge the wall and that it's impossible, but you literally have NO choice but to do it. You can't just give up - you HAVE to push, it's going to happen whether or not you want it too...but it'll never go anywhere. That's how I felt. Terrible. Fortunately it only lasted 6 minutes. 

[CrazyCatLady]

Nope.

DD1 - 12 hours (with pitocin, no epidural or pain meds) - 43 weeks

DD2 - 10 hours (induced, epidural, nubian) - 41 weeks

DS1 - 1 hour (induced, no epidural or pain meds) - 42 weeks

DD3 - 30 hours (induced) - 38 weeks

[youngspiritmom]

My first was 27 hours (stuck at 6cm for 13 hours then hell at the end with gargantuan petocin contractions) and I pray to God my second labor is shorter and easier!!!!!

Originally Posted by scairns 

1st : 45 minutes

2nd 30 minutes

3rd 14 minutes 

4th 20 minutes

5th 6 minutes

^^ Wow, scarins!! You remind me of a friend, who has three little ones and each labor was less than an hour. What do you (if anything) do for such a short labor???

Is there a way to "decide" to have a short labor? Some of you mentioned just "deciding" you wanted the baby out?

[BinkieFinder]

All three of my labors were induced with pitocin, so I'm not sure if that maybe made any of my labors progress more rapidly than if I had gone into labor naturally.

My first one (42 weeks) was 4.5 hours with 14 minutes of pushing.  The transition period lasted 2 hours though. 

My 2nd labor (exactly 40 weeks) lasted for 90 minutes with 4 minutes of pushing.

My 3rd (36 weeks) took 3.5 hours and I didn't push at all.  It was kind of funny because I told my husband that I knew I wasn't going to have to push as I spent the last week of my pregnancy feeling like my baby was going to fall out.  That labor left me so bewildered.  The nurse checked me and I was 7 cm.  I sat up to talk to my husband while managing my contractions.  Then all of a sudden I was hit by this immense pain.  It was odd.  It was so painful that it almost felt like I wasn't feeling it.  I don't know how else to describe it.  Then, just like that - my baby girl was out.  It went so fast that I had to ask my husband to let me in on what exactly happened. 

I'm not sure if this is true for other women, but each of my labors felt different and the severity of the pain differed quite a bit.  The first time, I felt like my back was going to break.  The second time, I felt the pain in my stomach and the third time, the pain was located in my cervix. 

Edited by BinkieFinder - 10/19/11 at 9:01pm

[cameragirl]

Originally Posted by Just1More 

Yes, my mom and sister both had quick labors.  My grandma and two aunts, however, did not.  My midwife said that you are more likely to labor like your sister than like your mom.

Eek! My sister labored for about 24 hours and pushed for three of those hours before her first was born. It was mostly due to having a babe that was posterior and asynclitic, though. I guess that makes comparison difficult unless my babe is also in that position. (And boy, I hope not.) This will hopefully be a VBAC for me after a planned c-section.

[smeep]

Originally Posted by cameragirl 


Eek! My sister labored for about 24 hours and pushed for three of those hours before her first was born. It was mostly due to having a babe that was posterior and asynclitic, though. I guess that makes comparison difficult unless my babe is also in that position. (And boy, I hope not.) This will hopefully be a VBAC for me after a planned c-section.

Evangeline Lily said she pushed for 8 hours.  She had a homebirth, though...smart woman.