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How long were your labors?

713 views 45 replies 31 participants last post by  evsparks 
#1 ·
I am curious, since we have many mamas who have labored many times, how long each of your labors were in sequence...and whether you were in the hospital, birth center, or at home (or somewhere else). I know labors can get shorter and shorter, and I am curious what the trends have been among this group. Please feel free to elaborate as little or as much as you like :)

I'll start: I labored 16 hrs total, with 1 1/2 hrs of pushing (at home)
 
#3 ·
1st one: 8 hours but she got stuck at the very end cause her head was so big and she also had her arm in front of her face. So I ended up with an episiotomy due to not tearing.

2nd one: 4 hours with about 5 minutes of pushing and a small tear from the old scar. I delivered in the hospital both times.

For the 3rd one I am considering a home birth or birth center. But have not made up my mind yet. Also depending on how this pregnancy goes.
 
#5 ·
My total labor depends on whether you count early labor or not. My first real contraction was at 10:00am, but active labor didn't start until around 1pm. I gave birth to our daughter after around one hour of pushing at around 2:30am. I was stuck at 2cm dilated for a LONG time (with back labor). My doctor suspects I'll have a much quicker labor this time around. I certainly hope so.
 
#6 ·
My first labor went from midnight to six the next evening, definitely real contractions the whole time but not intense until the last two or three hours. Pushing lasted maybe 20 minutes. 18 hours total.

My second labor started at about midnight and ended at a few minutes to midnight the next day. It was very easy for the majority of the time (we went grocery shopping, pitted cherries, etc.), but at about eight pm it got very intense and stayed that way until the birth. Pushing lasted maybe 5 minutes tops. 24 hours total.

Both were home waterbirths. The labor patterns were very, very different, but I'm having trouble remembering details to explain it. I guess I could just say that they were extremely different experiences, and were tiring and inspiring in totally different ways. I really have no idea what to expect this time around. The things that were the same in both labors were that I made a lot of noise at some point, and the overall atmosphere of labor and birth was calm and peaceful. Also I got bored. :) And the babies were both born quietly looking around.
 
#7 ·
1st, a bit over 48 hours but the length was sort of artificially long. She was terribly positioned (OP and asynclitic) and when my midwife arrived about 18 hours or so in (this includes early labor) I was about 8-9. I know I was complete not terribly long after that. Basically, it was a long, LONG time of enduring terrible back labor hoping an urge to push would show up :/ about 24 hours after my midwife arrived was when we decided to go to the hospital. So, I definitely had a brilliantly patient midwife! It was another 6 or so hours when I had a c-section.

#2 was about 15 hours total, with only about 10 of that being active labor, and 2 hours pushing. home birth!

#3 had no early labor at all. he was born at home in about 6 hours, but 4 of that was pushing. grrr!!! he was huge, (11 lbs) and had a nuchal arm, which gave me the cervical lip from hell. Pity, could have been a brilliantly short labor had he not had to have his arm all wonky (and, you know, i'm sure being a few pounds smaller would have been helpful) I hope this little one cooperates with positioning! I'd really love the experience of having a baby I just sneeze right out in one of those lightning fast pushing phases, and feel like I've sort of earned the right to an easy birth after my monstrous boys cleared the path!
 
#8 ·
Baby#
1.......23 hours
2......-8-hours
3.......4 hours.

I'm worried this one will be born in my car at this rate.
wink1.gif


We do hands-off hospital births.

I'm calculating from the first "I think that is a real contraction" to holding baby.

-Viv-
 
#10 ·
About 4 hours with both of mine. 30 mins pushing with the first, about an hour with the second. He was over 10 pounds and didn't tuck his head, though. Both were laboring at home until about 7cm and then delivering at the birth center in water. Of course with my son I was 5 cm dilated days before I even went into labor.
 
#11 ·
My first was 22 hours with, with more than a day full of pre-labor before! He was born after 31 minutes of pushing though! My second was somewhere around 9 hours of labor, but my water didn't break and it was nothing like the first time. It was not nearly as painful as the first time, and really had no clue I was in labor until I hit transition, which was when it "started to feel like labor" and suddenly the mucous plug was lost on the birthing ball, contractions pushed his head out, (I did not push at all) and in minutes my DH had to deliver him on the kitchen floor, still in the amniotic sac! Our MW expects this one to come quickly too!
;)
 
#12 ·
From the first actual painful contraction to birth was about 9 hours including pushing for 2. They did have me start pushing before I felt the urge so if I knew I could have probably saved some energy.

Looking back, I did have a little bloody show earlier in the day but didn't put two and two together. I was 41&4 at that point and told my husband if I kept bleeding I was going in anyway. Bleeding stopped, lol.

Also I was already dilated to 4cm. From the first pain to the birth center (like 90 mins) I was at an 8.
 
#14 ·
My first was a hospital birth. Since I was induced, it was a longer labor than it probably would have been otherwise. I really shouldn't have been induced, which I found out after the fact. So, it was about 23 hours.

My second was a lovely home birth. The labor time is difficult to pinpoint, but I tend to count from when I was sure I was in active labor. Prior to active labor, I had mild contractions throughout the day (I had had a couple days where I was sure I was going into labor, but was a false alarm, so I didn't pay much attention to these mild contractions the day I actually went into labor). I was in active labor with decent contractions about 5 minutes apart by 6-ish pm. Everything went slowly for a long time until around 3 am when thing picked up a bit and started getting really strong. After just 18 minutes of pushing, we welcomed our lovely daughter to the world from our birthing tub! All told, we were probably 10 hours or so of serious, active labor.

I'm very curious what this one will be like, since we plan another completely natural home birth!
 
#15 ·
Baby number 1.....26 hours

Number 2.....6.5 hours

Number 3.....3 hours

All were born at home. I'm kind of nervous they may not get here in time this go round!!!:)
 
#16 ·
KelliHope- I sure do wish for this baby to put some dang pressure on your cervix!!!!!

Thanks everyone, this is great...keep 'em coming. I have been thoroughly enjoying this!
 
#17 ·
18 hours with #1 12 hours of painless tightening followed by 6 hours of active labor and 6 pushes. Got to the hospital at 7cm. Born at 3:33am 8 lbs

3.5 hours with #2 sudden onset of crampy labor rising steadily over 3 hours and she was born in two involuntary pushes in the doorway of the delivery room. Born at 3:32am 7 lbs

6 hours with #3 painless tightening for 3 hours followed by active labor for 3 hours and 5 really tough pushes. Wouldn't let them check me at the hospital this time, but thinking I was around 7cm. She had her head tilted back and she was a little chunk at 9.4 lbs. Born at 6:33am :)

All born at the hopital without meds. Only a few skid marks.

I am really having to clean out the fearful thoughts this time around. I am confident in my ability to do this, but I also have a strong feeling of how I couldn't possibly be so lucky a fourth time!

Loved reading your experiences!
 
#20 ·
@farmes94 It's important to put labor times in context. Some women have super long hard labors, but for most of us, part of that labor is early labor or at least pretty manageable. I had my first contraction at 10am and didn't go to the hospital until 8pm. That time was generally pretty relaxing, hanging out with my mom and husband. Starting at 1pm contractions got a little more serious and it wasn't until around 7pm that I really needed water and counterpressure. I remember hearing women talk about 24 hour labors and totally freaking out too. But it usually ramps up pretty slowly and the endorphins ramp up along with the contractions, so there's compensation.
 
#21 ·
This question genuinely confuses me. My water broke over 48 hours before our daughter was born. In the time between I had inconsistent contractions every once in awhile, sometimes more regularly than others. Looking back I would say I was in early labor, but at the time it didn't feel like it. My labor didn't actually get going until two days later (after miles of curb walking, hiking up a butte, getting acupuncture, taking castor oil, and trying nipple stimulation). But when it started, it STARTED. I went from barely anything to contractions a minute long and 30 seconds apart immediately. In total, it took me 3 hours from first big contraction to holding our daughter. I actively pushed (rather than trying to fight the urge to push) for about 5 minutes of that. She was born at home.

Our midwife has already cautioned us that we may have one of those mythical 45 minute births this time around. YIKES
 
#22 ·
I agree with lily. The first ten hours of mine was exciting, not really painful. After that there were some complications that slowed things down, and we really wanted it over, but it didn't feel like it took as long as it did.
 
#23 ·
#1- 29 hours total. I labored for 18 hours at the birthing center after almost two weeks of prodromal labor, transferred to the hospital. I had an epidural and they discovered my girl was rotated and was presenting face first. 11 hours later on pictocin she finally made it out.

#2- 11 hours at the birthing center. It might have gone quicker if I hadn't panicked and refused to push for a while.

#3- 40 minutes at the birthing center. I went in because it hurt to pee so I thought I had a UTI. I didn't have a UTI, but I was 7 cm dilated. I walked for a few hours, but nothing happened. She ruptured my water and 40 minutes later I was holding my son. I would have been one of those women having their babies in a car had I not thought I had a UTI!

Is it weird that I am actually terrified of going through labor again, even though I've been through it drug free twice already? I had all my other kids 13 months apart, and this one will be almost 5 years since my last.
 
#25 ·
#1 24 hours, included , them breaking my waters, 4 hours of pushing with no urge to push at all, until the Ambulance arived to transfer me to a bigger Hospital for a section. They would not let me push! Bummer!

#2 1 hour 45 mins included baby dropping past pubic bone, instant transition intense contractions, get into the new car, husband notices before me there is a need for speed! Get stuck waiting for a train to pass at a town we will call "Pen" while push pains start. Get to hospital almost kill a smoker outside of emergency! Refuse the wheelchair (no way I am getting sectioned again!) Husband and security take advantage of contraction to get me in one and get me into L&D, they break my water 10 mins later after 3 pushes we had our girl!

#3 2 hours included instant intense contractions, them breaking my waters, uneventful joyful birth of our girl after a handful of pushes.

#4 2 hours included a planned breaking of waters for induction (though no one told me that would require two men pushing the baby down past my pubic bone!) Pitocine, hate that stuff, I dont even need it! 10 mins pushing and our boy was there, I still think the induction process is why I bled after more than they wanted.

#5 2 hours included not knowing I was having contractions, Just felt off at regular intervals. Get to the hospital, contractions did not even register, but because we were only 2 days off they had to check internaly. 7cm! everyone was freaking out because they could not feel the head, I was like this is great! They break my waters,15 threats of c-sections and telling me I was killing my baby because he was too big and too high later, 3 pushes and our 9 lb 13 oz boy was born.

#6 1 hour 20 mins (we had a midwife this time but had to plan a Hospital birth with her due to being 1 hour away from Hospital) 12:10am, my water breaks! I am in transition but too excited to realise, 12:30 my mom gets to the house, we leave. 1:10 my husband says that it would be funny if we get stuck at the train in "Pen" again, I tell him we wont cause he has to pull over for us to have a baby! We were just outside of "Pen" lol! Call the ambulance and start pushing, in a terrable possition! Ambulance gets there carries me to the ambulance (May I mention it is January in CANADA!) COLD! Next push I crown, hubby missed the birth after all that work because it went so fast the driver had no idea. He was born at 1:30am 9 lbs 11 oz finished at the hospital.

#7 and #8 due July 14th 2014, any guesses as to how long???

Lori
 
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