Anyone planning on a fast labor and delivery? « Back to Group Discussions

[Sharlla]

ds1 and 2 were 4 hours and DD came in at 3 hours 40 mins. im betting this one will be even faster.  anyone else?

[swelldoula]

My first birth was in a hospital with an epidural etc... and it was only about 10 hours. By the time I was pregnant with my second I wised up and had him without meds at a birth center- that was about a 4 hour labor. This one will be born at home.. .so yes! I think it might be either as fast as my last one or maybe faster. Hoping my midwife can make it here on time!

[WMassMama]

Sounds good to me!  Wish we could plan things like this.... My ds was a 20hr labor with 4hrs of pushing, so anything shorter would be welcome!!
 

[tinams8]

yeah, I'm wondering...

My first was a c/section. Second time, my water broke around 11 pm, random contractions for a few hours, was at 0 cm at 3 am. About 4 hours later I was at 10 and pushing.  The hospital staff was confused and thought I was just beginning active labor, turned out I was in transition.

I'm nervous about going into labor at work, which is 45 mins from home, and it's 35 mins to the hospital from there. I need to be able to drive myself home and wait an hour for dh to get home from work. 

Of course, I probably just jinxed myself and I'm in for a 40 hour labor now. :)

[livelovelaugh]

My first was an emergency c-section with no labor, 2nd was a natural VBAC that was 5 hours from start to finish, and 3rd was a natural VBAC that was 4 hours from start to finish...labored at home and by the time I got to the hospital I was 8cm and she was born 45 minutes later...so, I would LOVE to think that #4 will follow the same pattern and come very quickly!  I have heard stories where that is not always the case, but I am going to pretend I never heard them and just believe that my body is just made to pop these babies out!  Now, if only I could make the next 4+ weeks go by faster...
 

[Sharlla]

i spent most of my time shopping and cleaning.  honestly it was that last hour when i got in the birth tub that it was uncomfortable

[sraplayas]

Just talking about this today with another mama:)

My first labor was 30 hours, 2nd was 4.5 hours. Some people say that the 3rd can be totally unpredictable, but if there is a pattern, I've been wondering if I'll get to the birth center on time (we have an hour+commute)!

Looking for a back-up emergency plan (i.e. in the car)

[alicewyf]

I've been kind of wondering about this as well. My labor with DD was only 7.5 hours, which is pretty quick for a first timer (that said, it was also quite intense-contractions started at 5 mins apart for 1 minute!!!). I think it would be even quicker had I allowed my care providers to break my water, which I didn't (it broke seconds before she crowned) because I was GBS+ and had an out-of-hospital birth.

I've been doing chiropractic care this time which I did not do last time, which is supposed to decrease your labor time as well.

I plan to labor at home for as long as I can stand it, since we'll be having a hospital birth this time and I don't want to give them a ton of time to try to do interventions. I've had this fear of giving birth in the shower/tub (where I spent most of my labor) at home, or in the car! We would likely call 911 in that situation (mainly b/c I had a PPH last time and no one who will be home with me will be able to evaluate something like that) and that just sounds stressful.

Now watch me have a 20 hour labor!

[iowaorganic]

I hope I have a fast and furious labor :)  My MW is a few hours at least away- and that doesn't concern me at all.  But last time I had a horrid cervical lip and it slowed things to a complete stop a few times.  If I wouldn't have had that- I think my baby would have been born very quickly.  The lip was horrid to deal with- any suggestions for avoiding that?  I have been taking a supplement to try to avoid it this time...  So if there is no lip I think it will probably just be DH and I- and that would be fine with me.

[BroodyWoodsgal]

Both of my first two my water broke and nothing happened for thirty hours....and then labor started and from beginning to end lasted for almost exactly 90 minutes. My mother had four births all exactly like that.

I don't know how it's going to go this time. Just like the last two times, my baby is so low in my pelvis that I can feel her head BARELY inside my vagina...my cervix is dropping lower and lower....sometimes it drops down in the afternoon so that her head is directly engaging it...

So all signs point to me having another fast delivery...but I've also heard that third births can be super flukey, so who knows!?

I think there are some things I'm curious about, like what it feels like to push (never pushed, more like "braced myself for the cannon ball to fly out of me") and what it feels like to have labor come on and gradually grow more intense, etc....but fast is kind of nice. 90 minutes is intense, it takes a lot out of you...but laboring in a more gradual fashion over a longer period of time leaves you feeling pretty "run over" too, in my guesstimation...so I think another fast one would be fine with me.


I'm trying REALLY hard to keep myself open to a longer labor. How shitty would it be, to expect another 90 minute experience and then, like, four hours into intense labor, realize that it definitely is not going to be the same way! That could definitely throw you off your game a bit!

 

[MamaAcorn]

Yep, planning another fast one here!  My first took 23 hours, but the rest have been super fast.  Ds2 was 90 minutes, start to finish, and would have come sooner if there wasn't a drive to the birth center.  Both of my girls came in 40 minutes at home, one planned UC and the other attended by a great midwife.  We're good if the midwife makes it this time or not.

[LessTraveledBy]

Originally Posted by MamaAcorn 

Ds2 was 90 minutes, start to finish, and would have come sooner if there wasn't a drive to the birth center.  Both of my girls came in 40 minutes at home, one planned UC and the other attended by a great midwife.  

Okay, I've got to ask: What do you consider the beginning of labor? First contraction, first painful contraction or something else? 

I have no idea what to expect. My last (and only) birth was over 7 years ago and took about 7 hours. Without all these years in between, I would expect to have a pretty fast birth. Yet, it has been so long that I just don't know. 

[BroodyWoodsgal]

For me, I consider the beginning of labor to be the first painful contraction...but that's just because my two experiences were such that I didn't experience any "smaller" ones, you know? There was no lead up. With both of my kids my water broke and there was, quite literally, nothing for thirty hours. We tried EVERYTHING with my first to get labor coming...hiking, sex, nipple stimulation, running, stairs, finally some blue and black cohosh...nothing "Worked". At exactly 30 hours after my water broke...got a hard, long ctx out of nowhere and I was like "whoa, cool" and lie three minutes later it happened again and three minutes after that, on and on in that fashion until the last few minutes when it was one ctx after the next, no breaks, for about 20-30 minutes (I think)...and then a small period of rest and then my baby came shooting out of me.

My second labor, I knew labor wouldn't start until it my body felt it was time. So, my water broke and I didn't do anything to try and bring it on. I just waited. Slept. Ate. Cleaned. Went for a slow stroll with my DH and DD....and exactly 28 hours after my water broke, same thing happened all over again. HArd, long contraction that brought me to the floor out of *nowhere* and straight up intensity in the *exact* fashion as in my first delivery for exactly 1 hr and 37 minutes and I was holding a baby.

So, yeah, for me, the beginning of labor is that first painful contraction. But I know for some women they get smaller ctx in the beginning that they have to focus through, but that aren't really intense..and that's how it starts....and I think that calling that the beginning makes sense.

Isn't the general idea that there is "The Beginning"...and then, when ctx are three minutes apart or closer it's "Active Labor" and then there is the "Pushing Phase"...isn't that how it goes "typically"??


 

[alicewyf]

I agree, it's the first painful contraction. I woke up at like 1am on my daughter's birthday and was like WHOA. And I knew it was labor. Hoping something similar happens this time so I don't make any annoying visits to the hospital.

[CA Country Girl]

LTB- the midwives where I will deliver told me that unfortunately those of us who have 5 or more years between births are less likely to get the fast second birth benefit.  They said that babies born closer to the previous birth often do come faster (and sometimes earlier), but we are less likely to see that effect.  They did not say it would not happen though, so I am still hopeful.  I am also hoping I will be able to tell with natural contractions how far along I am.  Pitocin contractions were a b*%$@. from the get go.

[Alexandria]

I am assuming I will have a fast birth, but anything is possible! With my first, my water broke, contractions started 3 hours later after taking castor oil (anyone know the doseage for that us by the way, I can remember?) and then he was out about 5 hours after contractions had started (about 1.5 hour pushing I think). We live 45-60 minutes from the hospital now (depending on traffic) so we may go in earlier this time (this is what our midwives want). I don't want to go in early but I also know I won't enjoy sitting in the car on the way to the hospital if I am close to or already in transition....
 

[tinams8]

Originally Posted by livelovelaugh 

My first was an emergency c-section with no labor, 2nd was a natural VBAC that was 5 hours from start to finish, and 3rd was a natural VBAC that was 4 hours from start to finish...labored at home and by the time I got to the hospital I was 8cm and she was born 45 minutes later...so, I would LOVE to think that #4 will follow the same pattern and come very quickly!  I have heard stories where that is not always the case, but I am going to pretend I never heard them and just believe that my body is just made to pop these babies out!  Now, if only I could make the next 4+ weeks go by faster...
 

Ok, I'm taking this as good evidence that the third birth is not a wildcard like we all are afraid of!   

Originally Posted by BroodyWoodsgal 

Isn't the general idea that there is "The Beginning"...and then, when ctx are three minutes apart or closer it's "Active Labor" and then there is the "Pushing Phase"...isn't that how it goes "typically"??
 

I don't know the answer to this either, I think in some cases it is clear and in some cases it's not!  I had to fill out an application for my doula and there was a question about how many hours of active labor... I asked a few friends and none of us knew the real definition, then I read somewhere it's after 3 cm, but how many people know that? 

In both of my labors, my water broke and contractions started pretty quickly, but not super painful ones. With my VBAC I know they checked me around 3 am and I was less than 1 cm, and I was 10 around 6-7 am.  I wasn't in hard labor when they checked at 3, that's just when I had to lie down for the IV antibiotics, so they checked me.  If I hadn't needed to go in for the antibiotics who knows what would have happened!

Originally Posted by CA Country Girl 

LTB- the midwives where I will deliver told me that unfortunately those of us who have 5 or more years between births are less likely to get the fast second birth benefit.  They said that babies born closer to the previous birth often do come faster (and sometimes earlier), but we are less likely to see that effect.

No one has said anything to me about this!  I sure didn't ask though!  I'm pretending I didn't read this. 

I think I'm due before you, so I'll do my best to debunk this myth for us!

[DiannaK]

First baby - had membranes stripped, showed up at the hospital to be induced at 7am, had water broke, was holding her by 1pm. ;)

2nd baby (11 years later!) -- went to hospital at 6am with regular contractions, 5 min apart for 2 hours -- was not dilated at ALL. Sent home, told to come back 'when you can't take it anymore'. At 0200 next morning, woke up my husband wailing. Showed up at the hospital crowning -- 30 min later, beautiful baby in my arms. 

3rd/4th baby - had prodromal labor for weeks  -- was dilated at 3cm for 2 weeks. Went to hospital with regular contractions, 5 min apart for a few hours (very similar to Baby #2). Went to hospital to be checked out, expecting to go back home if no more dilated. Hell no. Was asked a million times if I wanted to be induced, had U/S to check position of Baby B, ended up staying night for observation. ARGH! Went home next morning(TUES). On Thurs of that week, woke up at 0100 with a contraction that I thought had torn me in half -- went to hospital - once again, Baby A was crowning. Took a little bit to get the OR set up (twins deliver in OR here) and get NICU team down, etc .... but I was holding my guys within a half hour of getting there.

So, yes, I expect a fast labor this time around, too :) My BFF has instructed me to call her when they've been regular for an hour, and she will come and get the children. The dog will go off to Grandma's at that point, and I'll head to the hospital when I get uncomfortable, or when my husband is freaked out enough. ;) 

[thegoodearth]

I had a 9 hour first birth. That being said my water broke 29 hours before he was born. I didn't count it as labor until my contractions started regularly and they were painful. For the first 20 hours or so I had nothing - zip zero contractions. We used acupuncture, walking, breast pump - and then finally castor oil. The castor oil is what really got it going. My mw's tell me that a lot of second time moms go fast - but I'm not going to count on that. I'm just going to approach this like I did the last time which is -- I'm open to anything, i.e., I'm not going to expect it to be a certain way. Whatever happens, happens - and we'll deal with it as it comes. That mode of thinking tends to work out well for me in most areas of my life - otherwise I end up getting anxious. 

[Sharlla]

For me i consider the start of labor when i start having contractions.