My mother has a theory re: fast, easy labour vs slow, difficult labour?

[iamwhaticallpregnant]

I was wondering if anyone can say this was true for them or not. I was having a break down about my upcoming labour and it seems my mother has a little theory....

She said she has always thought I would have a 'too quick' labour - in so much as she thinks there will be more danger of me giving birth in a taxi on the way to the hospital as opposed to a 36 hour marathon. She believes this because I have - in her words "Incredibly strong hormones!" Meaning I have always suffered with the heaviest worst periods possible, murderous PMT, fantastical mood swings - I am a bit of a nightmare to be honest. I am up and down like a yo-yo! Do you think there is any truth at all in this?! strong hormones = fast labour?!

As a secondary query - I have very wide 'childbearing' hips? As she calls them. (She is full of compliments) do these genuinely help? as the name suggests.

The only two people I know who have given birth had apparently nightmare labours and they are both size 6 to 8, very calm and reasoned people - and I am not sure either of them even have hips?! Not that I am jealous, much.
Anyone think dear mother has a point?!

[Pascha]

7 hours from first contraction to birth so fairly timely for a first. No heavy periods or PMT particularly but I do have widish hips. My mum's labours were all quicker than that so I always thought it was just a family thing.

[naturalbaby]

I had very mild pms but was on the pill which toned it down a lot. My periods were average but my mood swings were pretty horrendous. I had 3 quick, natural births. I did a lot to prepare for them though - hypnobirthing practice several times a day every day for at least 3 months before I gave birth.

Interesting theory!

[SeveredEdMcDunnough]

I had a fast, difficult labour.

[iamwhaticallpregnant]

yes - she is FULL of interesting theories!

[busyboysmum]

Not true here I'm afraid, raging hormones and a childbearing body but 24 hour labour with ds1, 18 hours with ds2, 12 hours from waters breaking with ds3. All trouble free but not particularly quick.

[WinklyFriedChicken]

DN1 took a day and a half to come out. DN2 took about 4 hours, very quick. Same mother, same hips, same maternal hormones, so I think your mother might be talking out of her backside a little :)

Congratulations and good luck!

[Purplehonesty]

Size 8 not hormonal at all and periods quite light.
Nightmare labours both ending in sections

[Popumpkin]

Not necessarily, I had a long labour with DS1 and don't have "strong hormones" as your DM would say BUT I had a very speedy birth with DD (15 minutes of pushing stage) which is pretty good considering labour was induced early & an induction usually means a slower labour. So, same person & same hormones but two entirely different labours.

Sorry to be so helpful .

[Popumpkin]

Ah, x-posts with Winkly.

[DreamySleepyNightySnoozySnooze]

I have bad mood swings and pmt, I also have wide 'childbearing hips'.

My first labour was 11 hours with quite a long time pushing. My body had no urge to push naturally so had to have a drip which didn't work. I ended up pushing him out without the help of contractions.

My 2nd labour was fast, but he got his shoulder stuck so it wasn't an easy labour.

So I disagree with your Mother!

[AnyaKnowIt]

Size 10, light periods that last about 48 hours, no pmt

Labour was just under 4 hours

[Longdistance]

I had crappy periods, pmt and hormonal.

Dd1 - 7 hours

Dd2 - 3 hours

Am 5'10" and have always had wide hips. Knew my babies would fly out. No problems at the births.

[Pinner35]

I had very light, very short periods, no PMT and slim hips....both of my labours were under two hours and relatively easy.

[WYorksLass]

I have light periods and not too bad pmt.
DC1 was 7 hours from 1st contraction (13 hours from waters breaking).

I do, however have wide child bearing hips.

My mums 3 labours were 6, 4 and 3 hours so could be hereditary, but then se has the hips too!

[EvaPeron]

'fast, easy' and 'slow, difficult' aren't the only types of labour. I'd describe mine as very slow and easy (didn't miss any meals, got some sleep, walking round ok, but took days - not significantly worse at the end either). I also know people who managed very quick difficult labours too.

Wide hips, but periods ok.

[iamwhaticallpregnant]

I want to preface this with "I know nothing at all about labour" and would like to keep it that way - but isn't a 2nd labour always going to be easier/faster than the first as your area has er.... accommodated it before?

[LeBFG]

THe 'child bearing' hips thing is definately a myth. THey like doing scans of pelvises here in France and saying ''too narrow for natural childbirth''. It's a load of crap because the hip bones themselves move and widen in labour. Plenty of anecdotal evidence of small women having large babies etc.

The hormonal thing makes you think there's some sort of basis. ie body is naturally more receptive to hormones. Painful periods all about the uterus contracting so maybe more 'tonic' somehow. I dunno. The theory is not borne out in my family that's for sure.

[LeBFG]

*"open out" better than "wider" actually!

[IShallCallYouSquishy]

My labour was 3 hours with me fighting every urge my body had to push in the car on the way to hospital! She was born 15 minutes after the car being dumped in the drop off zone and being speedily shown a delivery room! I always had very light, short periods, no period pain etc I am of the more curvy variety however but that's due to eating too much crap!

I think it follows on from family. My mum, her mum, her mum all had very speedy labours and births

[scrimmet]

Hi, I have lightish periods, mad hormones, am a size 14.
DS - 6 hours
DD - 2 hours
My theory is I believed my mother that labour was "like Shelling peas" and so I didn't stress about it. I was lucky with straighforward quick (ish) births. So I think positive thinking is the best way to go.
On the other hand don't get me started on breastfeeding...

Good luck, remember you get a gorgeous baby at the end of labour and then the fun really starts...

[LeBFG]

I'm interested scrimmet, how is labour like shelling peas?

[BuntyCollocks]

I have awful periods, and child bearing hips. My DS was a horrendous 36 hour labour, ending in an emcs. So, the theory doesn't hold for me!

[Faxthatpam]

I think the outside size of your hips is irrelevant, it's the inside size of your pelvis and its angle that determines how "childbearing" your hips are - iyswim.
I have relatively slim hips but 3 out of 4 of my births were awful. 2 inductions both ending in loads of intervention and a long slow natural delivery, the last one was ELCS due to 3rd getting stuck. This was more to do with the size (enormous) and position of my babies than my raging hormones or size of my hips. I always had heavy periods and am also a right cow slightly irrational each month.
In the end you will end up with a gorgeous baby so wont care what kind of labour it took to get there - I had 4 even though none of them were easy or quick! Don't worry and good luck!

[ThePhantomPlopper]

I'm a size 6 with the hips of a 12 year old boy, normal periods but prone to rather wild hormonal mood swings.

1st birth an awful 24 hour nightmare.
2nd birth - 11 hours, no pain relief very straightforward.
3rd birth - 7 hours, no pain relief very straightforward.

All 3 of them were on the big side too.