Seriously what is a long labor anyways?

[ChristSavesAll]

I was at my mom's church the other day (my old church as well) and some of the ladies were asking about me and my intended home birth and they were like "So you are the one having the home birth? Wow you are sooo brave" Yeah yeah get that and I'm used to it, thanks to one of the threads on here I just tell them that I think women who go to the hospital are brave. Then the ladies start talking about another woman at the church who just had her baby and they were saying that the poor thing went through a 16 hour labor and so she HAD to go to the hospital, I asked how long she was in active labor, you know the time after transition? And she looked at me strangely and said the whole time... Anyways the woman ended up with a c-section, although I do understand that there are certain things that come up during labor that do require medical attention I just though it was funny that they thought 16 hours was a really long time to be in labor (I'm assuming it was not all active labor) seeing as how most women on here have told about 30+ hour labors... So people now-a-days just dont respect the WHOLE labor process, they are starting to have similar expectations as the Doctors, "Get it out already"... Anyways I just thought it was strange and mildly amusing.
So what do you think? What's a long labor anyways?

[Shiloh]

I was in active labour for 31 hours with my first..
(malposition sunny side up )
That was long for me...

you mean active labour time before transition not after?
Early labor, active labor and transition...
I think active labor to me is like anything 4cm dilated to birth counts as really being in labor...if you count the early stuff we are all practically in labor for weeks..I am sure I'd get a section if I had a conventional OB after being so prodromal for so long and I am over 4cm dilated...4rth baby...means sqat ;0

[barefootpoetry]

I always laugh inside when people go, "OMG, she/I was in labor for EIGHTEEN HOURS!!!" I was in labor for 46. A friend of mine just had her baby and labored for 72 hours. I know quite a few women with 40+ hour labors. Give me the 18 hour labor anyday!

[sapphire_chan]

I was a c-section after 30 hours of back labor. Seems pretty long.

Transition isn't the start of active labor. Someone who had a 16 hour transition either is having a very idiosyncratic labor or there's something wrong, because by transition the baby should be just about ready to come out. An hour is pretty long for transition from the birth stories I've read.

[Mamatolea]

I was in labor for 18 hours, from water breaking to being born...It makes me want to puke how freely we throw around c-sections these days.

Women are STRONG and BUILT for birthing, so why not trust your bodies to do what they are supposed to do? I of course understand problems and emergencies, but am rather referring to the people who SCHEDULE c's at the beginning of the pregnancy or give up and let the doctor pressure them because of pain..

Sorry, it is a sore subject for me because I am "overdue" now(according to one due date) and I have heard nothing but, so when are you going to have a c-section to get this baby out??? ARGH! I AM NOT!! HE will come when he is good and ready, and I have full confidence that I can birth him, at home, naturally, just like I did with my daughter....

(so I mean no disrespect to the mamas who actually have had or will have c's-it's just rough for me right now hearing about it so much!) Of course I want to be done, of course I would rather not have pain, of course I want to meet my baby, but all things in good time!!!

[fyoosh]

My labor with my son was 31.5 hours...

Ctx started on a Tue at 10pm. Labored all night and all the next day. SROM (water broke on its own) at 11pm on Wed. Transition was sometime very early Thu. Pushing stage began at around 4:45am Thu, and he was born at 5:25 (40 min pushing stage).

All at home. No one was worried about time. Had I been in the hospital, I am sure they would have pushed for a section.

Oh... placenta was out 12 mins after he was born.

[holothuroidea]

When I think of my "ideal birth" labor usually lasts something like 12 hours (but transition is very short ). 16 hours sounds very tolerable to me. I'm somewhat fearful of a short labor (6 hours or less). I think it would be all too overwhelming for me.

My mom had back labor with me for "two days and one night" with 5 hours of pushing (I was born sunny-side up). She refused the c/s because she had no insurance and couldn't afford it!! Imagine that. I asked her if it was unbearable or scary and she said, "I don't remember. Once the baby is born you get amnesia about the whole thing."

You know what? These things take time, a lot needs to happen in order for babies to come out. Nowadays, its like if you don't dilate at 1cm/hr you're labor is not "progressing" and it's time to talk about "getting that baby out!" It kind of makes me want to :Puke

I'd take 3 days of labor over major abdominal surgery any day. Major abdominal surgery is for people with major abdominal problems.

[geo_girl]

....I pushed for 6 solid hours with DD.

that seemed like a long time to me...but DEFINITELY better than enduring an intervention.

...and it always seems like you hear about the horror stories.

may your labour be (relatively) short, and quickly forgotten!

charlene

[~Megan~]

It was about 25 hours total with ds, 4 of it active. 33 hours total this time, 3 of it active.

If people ask that is how I usually tell them.

People seem equally impressed with the length of the duration or the shortness of the active though!

[ChristSavesAll]

Originally Posted by ~Megan~

It was about 25 hours total with ds, 4 of it active. 33 hours total this time, 3 of it active.

If people ask that is how I usually tell them.

People seem equally impressed with the length of the duration or the shortness of the active though!

I still stand as before that the assumption that 16 hours being a long labor is mildy amusing (though I probably wont feel that way when I've been in pain for 16 hours but then again I do get a period every month that puts me in hell for a few days so ) but I guess I really dont understand the active labor part then... So how do you know what "active" labor is or when it is or how long you are in it? Is it from the time your water breaks? ...

[~Megan~]

Originally Posted by holothuroidea

I asked her if it was unbearable or scary and she said, "I don't remember. Once the baby is born you get amnesia about the whole thing."

so true! I was in so much pain

Originally Posted by ChristSavesAll

So how do you know what "active" labor is or when it is or how long you are in it? Is it from the time your water breaks? ...

its when contractions need managing, like deep breathing, stopping what you are doing to focus only on the labor. Usually when contractions last 1 min or longer and come 3-4 minutes apart.

[robertandenith]

Well, if we have to talk about labor in GENERAL... I asked my MW today and we did our calculations, I been in labor for 4 days prior delivery, this includes active labor and transition... I did VERY well during prelabor, active labor was pretty intense and transition.. OMG I won't even tell...

But yeah... i think I can handle it one more time

[Aliviasmom]

My first labor was 45 hours long and ended with a c-section. I don't remember how long was active, since I had an epidural and it was 8 years ago. I do know I pushed for 2 hours, and the baby never crowned.

My second labor was 16 hours long and also ended in a c-section at 7 centimeters.

[Virginia Mom]

I think this will give me nightmares............after my water broke, I labored for over 48 hours on pitocin .........I think at hour 44 I begged for an epidural and pushed for the next 4 hours..............thank God no C section.......

baby number two .......10 hours (door to door.........) four little pushes and out she came --four hours after my water broke......she was sooooooo ready for food I think ) (and 18 months later is still screaming her head off..must be a girl thing huh)

[BoBoBo]

My first was my only baby that I was not induced with and the labor was from 3 pm one day to just past midnight the next day so 33 hours. The first 6hours were not crazy intense but I knew I was in labor and that it was the real thing.