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Childbirth

How long were you in labour for????

38 replies

nik76 · 24/07/2008 08:28

I woke at 3:40am and had DD at 11:20am same day. I was 9cms when I got to hospital and had told DH I didn't need to go yet - this was due to being told by mw after mw that it takes hours and hours. I really believe that if DH had listened to me I would ahve had her at home!

How long was your labour? and do you feel that MWs give a wrong expectation?

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gem1981 · 24/07/2008 08:37

my labour was 16 hours -it started with my waters going at midnight and the contractions started strong straight away.

went to hospital cos i was scared and when i got there i was 3 cm.

i was in a lot of pain telling them i couldn't cope etc and the MW told me before she examined me that she thought i was in transition due to what i was saying/how i was acting. she gave me false hope really because when i realised i was only 3/4 cm i was gutted and demanded an epidural.

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nik76 · 24/07/2008 09:02

I was abit gutted that I was too late for one.

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StellaWasADiver · 24/07/2008 09:04

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

SoupKitchen · 24/07/2008 09:05

DD - 30 hours from first contraction, 48 hours from waters breaking.
DS- elective cs but was having regular contractions although mild ones for about 5 days prior to that

I'm definately a slow labourer

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theboob · 24/07/2008 09:07

13 hours ds1,1hr 30mins dd,4 hours ds2,
i found labour without epidural quicker i was induced with ds2,mw put gloves on and said your about to deliver this baby,contractions were very close together,but when she examined me i was not even 1cm,i freaked out,but after doc opened cervix and broke waters ds2 was here within 30 mins

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mankymummy · 24/07/2008 09:07

about 3 hours but only 10 mins on the bed pushing. then about 6 hours later finally got retained placenta taken out!

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ChezzaB · 24/07/2008 21:35

My waters broke at 6am, contractions started at 11am while I was still at hosp waiting for blood test results due to high BP doctor examined me and was already 4 cm DS arrived at 3.45 pm. Not bad I'm told for a first! Strangely I enjoyed it all as well!

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DisenchantedPlusBump · 24/07/2008 21:36

6 hours both times.

First was induction.

2nd homebirth

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ChasingSquirrels · 24/07/2008 21:38

ds1 - 2hrs
ds2 - 15mins

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PortAndLemon · 24/07/2008 21:38

First time, 40 hours followed by c-section. Second time, 5 hours 17 minutes from first contraction to baby.

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paolosgirl · 24/07/2008 21:38

12 hours for the first one, ending in a ventouse delivery at my (screamed) request on gas and air only. Lovely - not.
2nd one - 5 hours, start to finish, only felt painful toward the end.
3rd - 2.5 hrs - lovely!

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thisisyesterday · 24/07/2008 21:40

ds1: 18 hrs
ds2: 6 hrs

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Nappyzoneneedsanewname · 24/07/2008 21:40

dd - 19 hours of torture
ds - 4 and a half hrs of semi torture and mild amusement

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TheMuppetMuggle · 24/07/2008 21:41

10hrs from start to finish, i think would of been quicker if DD hadn't been born in her waters!

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nancy75 · 24/07/2008 21:41

labour was 3.5 hours from 1st twinge to holding dd, when i phoned hospital 1 hour in they told me not to bother even phoning back for a good few hours as 1st baby takes forever and i would be wasting their time. fortunately i can be a bit of a madam when needed so i went in anyway, dd was born 1.5 hours later. if i had listened to mw dd would have been born in the car park!

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laura325630 · 24/07/2008 21:41

2 hours for dd! Nice and quick but I was in shock for about an hour afterwards!!

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granarybeck · 24/07/2008 21:42

forever

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Dalrymps · 24/07/2008 21:42

About 6 hrs from the 'real' contractions starting.

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pickie · 24/07/2008 21:44

DS 8.5 hours, easy labour
DD 8.5 hours, painful labour, neighbour 2 houses down could hear me scream at 3pm, she was born 3.04pm!

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sweetkitty · 24/07/2008 21:45

DD1 4h 20 mins (MWs were horrible told me I wasn't in established labour and was making too much noise, only when I started pushing did she come back from her break)

DD2 2h 30m (homebirth)

DD3 1h 35m (homebirth)

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nobodysfool · 24/07/2008 21:53

36 hours from 1st contraction to holding ds.
Waters wouldnt break,they tried and it bent 3 of the instruments!!!Tyre inner tube!
Head got stuck on the way out-ouch-they tried forceps etc no luck.
Emergency c section and massive blood loss on operating table.
HHHMMMMM and i'm 14 weeks pg.So hoping for an easier labour and birth this time.

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Niecie · 24/07/2008 21:58

DS1 - 30 hours from waters breaking, 21 hours from the start of mild pain, 18 hours from the established contractions.

Went in 10 hours before DS born even though the MW said I probably wasn't in established labour but I was 4-5 cm when I got there. They reckoned that because I was having 2 contractions close together and then a space of 5 -7 mins that they were erratic and I wasn't in established labour.

DS2 - 4.75hrs start to finish. Phoned hospital at 2 hours and 3.75hr but both times the MW seemed to think I was in the early stages so not to come in - I said I would second time as it was getting painful but they were more concerned with whether I could feel my bump contracting - which I couldn't. The pain was a lot lower down and but coming with the regularity of contractions. In the end my waters broke before I left the house and DH had to call an ambulance. DS was born at home.

In both cases the MW seemed to think it would take a lot longer than it did.

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shelleylou · 24/07/2008 22:02

5 hours 52 minutes start to finish. I phoned the hospital and they told me i had ages to go as my waters hadn't broken. Went to hospital an hour or so later to find out i was 8cm dialated. MW had to break my waters in the end lol

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pinkspottywellies · 24/07/2008 22:04

First ache 11 pm, dd born 6.04 am.

Labour time was recorded as 2hr 38 mins, I think that's from when dh phoned the hosp to say we were coming in.

When I got to the hospital it was only an hour before dd was born and the midwife looked at me from several feet away and said she could see dd's head

My labour was nothing like they tell you. I didn't feel contractions like they are usually described. It just hurt. I had the TENS machine on and realised I had pressed the boost button several times in half an hour, but certainly wasn't aware of pain rising and peaking and going again!

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FrayedKnot · 24/07/2008 22:09

I had mild contractions for 24 hours, starting off at about 20 mins apart.

After 24 hours they got very intense very quickly, but were still very irregular.

Phoned hospital for advice and was told I could come in if I wanted but there would be a high chance I would be sent home again as they didn;t think I was in established labour.

When I arrived was put into a side room to wait for a MW to come and examine me. After about 15 mins my waters broke, and contractions were coming on top of one another. Finally a MW arrived, had a quick feel and whisked me off into the delivery suite telling me on the way I was fully dilated and it was too late to consider any pain relief otehr than G&A....

I nearly fell over in shock

Then I had the big needing to poo feeling, and that was it, DS was on his way out.

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