Anyone here have experience of a fast labour?

[doubleshotlatte]

Did you have 3-4 hours, or less, of active labour?

I didn't realise my last labour was considered "fast" until Midwife at first booking appointment told me. So it took 4 hours or slightly less from being 2cm then feeling the urge to push, pushing actively and DD being born. This after 2 days painful contractions and no sleep. I did feel traumatised by the birth, upset at not having had any pain relief (entonox didn't work). Only when I understand that it was a "relatively fast labour" does it all make sense. Now due in a few weeks knowing its going to be even shorter am trying to plan and prepare better this time...

So, if you knew you'll have a fast labour in advance, what would you do differently? Or did do, in subsequent births?

[enjoyingscience]

I had an average-to-short first labour, arrived at hospital at 10pm and DS was born at 12:59am. Second stage was super quick though, one push for head and body, no waiting in between! Wasn't really expecting that.

Asked for G&A, but all happened so quickly I didn't get the thing anywhere near my mouth.

Had a nasty 2nd degree tear, and was in a bit of a daze for quite a while afterwards. It does really scare me that number two might be as quick, the MW at DS's birth recommended a home birth but our walls are made of tissue paper and I wouldn't really want to put the neighbours through it all.

[ceasar04]

DS was 4 hours established labour but was in hospital as he was born at 36 weeks so was fine. Similiar to OP, I went to 10cm on a normal ward with no pain relief, but had g & a for pushing.

DD was 50 mins established . DH set off to take DS to childcare and contractions were 8 mins apart, this was during the recent really bad snow at 8am on
a Monday morning. So a journey that should have taken 10 mins took 35, he arrived home to find me doubled over at the top of the stairs!!
Rang ambulance but didn't arrive in time, DD born about 3 mins later on our bed after 1 push, ambulance arrived 5 mins after delivery.

Had a third degree tear with many stiches and as had no midwife to coach me through pushing, according to DH she literally flew through the air and landed on the bed.

Bit traumatic for a day or so, particularly DH but a cracking birth story!!!

My advice...ignore the midwife on the phone who tells you to use a tens machine (DD arrived 20 mins after this sage advice) even after you have explained that your previous labour was short and get to hospital asap (or have a planned home birth, really wish I had done that).

Good luck!!

[lou33]

Nope kendodd, i posted my one of 22 mins earlier lol

[cuppateaanyone]

I was induced, went on the drip at 11am and DS born at 16.28, didn't feel any pain till about 1pm. I didn't get on with G&A but had meptid, it's like pethadine but shorter after effects,in retrospect MW could see it was going quickly and the Meptid just about lasted, really glad she read the situation so well.

[molemesseskilledIpom]

DD - 4 hours. Start to finish.

DS - 2 hours. Start to finish

[laylasmummy09]

4.5 hours for me from going to hospital at 5.5cm dilated til birth but had forceps so maybe it doesnt count?

[spiggy]

DD is officially recorded as 2hrs 40 (including 20mins for the placenta) but that was with the benefit of hindsight. I had a few pains, 15 mins apart but didn't think I was in "proper" labour. Finished my dinner and thought I'd pop in the bath to see if that helped speed things up. Waters went and within 20mins I was holding a baby. Ambulance turned up just in time but even they didn't realise how close I was to delivering, by that stage I couldn't talk, just scream obcenities . Pg with DC3 and will be phoning mw at first sign of a twinge and insisting on being seen. Planning a home birth this time- hopefully with a mw, as I think that will give me more of the control I want. I have a script ready for phoning delivery suite to ensure that I get a mw when I request it and am not taking "phone us back when the contractions are closer" for an answer.

If I had a choice I would pick DD's birth over DS's (36hr labour, drip, epidural, ventouse) any time. I actually felt I had more control over her birth than DS's as I was the only one involved (paramedic had his back to me chatting to DP as her head crowned) whereas DS's birth was lots of people doing things to me. I went into shock slightly but once I was over that I felt amazing and recovery was much quicker. No stitches needed either. I'd read an article just a few weeks before DD's birth that talked about what to do if you found yourself in the position of having an unassisted birth and I think that helped me mentally- when I realised I was pushing I did remember what I was supposed to do next.

Bet the little blighter takes forever now I've planned for a quick birth

[RantyMcRantpants]

lou33 Thu 10-Feb-11 15:59:47
Nope kendodd, i posted my one of 22 mins earlier lol

And I am just behind you at half an hour :) darn that b2b

[SpeedyGonzalez]

You'd have thought I'd be first in line for a speedy delivery, huh?

DC1 took 2.5 days from first contraction to birth.

DC2 took just under 11 hours - though that included 5 (yes, FIVE) eye-watering hours of pushing.

[thelizard]

Another perspective...

Ds1was 3 hours from waters breaking and waking me up to delivering him in hospital. Gas and air, all fine. I felt very weak afterwards, ate 8 slices of toast with sugar sprinkled on top and fel better!

Ds2, was told to expect a quicker labour, actually prepared for homeborth, although was too anaemic in the end tpso they told me to aim for the hospital. I still kept everything ready for a hb just in case, which made me feel better. In the event, waters broke while I was asleep as before and we went straight to the hospital on the advice of mw. But took 8 hours as he was facing the wrong I.e back to my back. Was not too bad really, felt a bit 'wrong' but actually was nicer to do it at a more relaxed pace!!

So not guaranteed that second will be quicker... Although am now 26 weeks with third and starting to wonder about what to do...

[thenewMrscullen]

dd2 was 2 hours active,
i arrived at hospital at 8am and was holding dd at 9:55.
my best friend has been even quicker though, she gas 4 DC but has never had a contraction and all 4 births have been unattended, her waters will break the she gets urge to push and viola she has a baby,

her ds1 born in the hospital lift 22 mins after waters breaking.

her next 3 were all born at home with
ds2 18 mins after waters going,
ds3 12 mins after waters going and
dd 9 mins after waters going.

she is currently 39w5days pg with dc5 so is understandably not leaving her house

[youtalkingtome]

1st: 18 hours all pretty excruciating. Epidural didn't work down one side.

2nd: 2 hours. Wasn't expecting it obviously. No time for epidural - gas and air a waste of space. Felt traumatised afterwards.

I'd choose the 1st one any time.

[TwoWeeSausages]

Labour with DS2 was 1.5hrs from 1st contraction to birth.

Ambulance had to be sent as it was during Friday evening rush hour and hospital were concerned I might get stuck in traffic.

Waters broke as i stepped into the ambulance.

Paramedics had to use sirens and lights to get us there.

Gave birth outside the maternity unit in the ambulance with an offduty student midwife (who had never done an unassisted delivery before) delivering DS2 as midwife team didn't arrive in time.

Quite scary in retrospect.

[TwoWeeSausages]

Also no pain relief throughout

[missfairlie]

Epidural?
I had a few smarty contractions about 12.30, was convinced they were warm ups.
Things began to hurt about 1.30.
Baby born 2.20 - I had only been in the hospital 10 minutes (thankfully else it would have been in the car, on a busy London street).
I am hoping it won't be faster as I want to go back to the same hospital but live further away now!
Good luck, watching the thread with interest...

[Rinnyx]

DD was 3 and half hours and DS was just over a hour.
With DS I just made it to the ward, my waters went as they opened the doors to let me in and 11 mins later (pushing) he was born

If I ever get DP to let me have a 3rd and final DC I worry I might end up giving birth at home

[LittleMumSmall]

First labour 5 and a half hours from start to finish and it was a planned homebirth, so no problems - although we didn't realise it was progressing so quickly and only called the midwifes when I began to push! I was 2-3 hours managing contractions after waters broke and then pushed for the rest. There was pain but I don't remember it being severe. Moved around a lot until it was time to push, ate bananas, got DH to distract me with conversation.

DD due in April and we are going for another homebirth. This time round we will be calling the midwives the minute I feel a twinge! They are also going to prep DH on how to deliver a baby just in case. Still not sure about how to work around DS1 (only 15 months and happily oblivious that mummy is pg!) but will think about that in March!

OP, if you think it might be a quick one, I'd really recommend staying at home, it is lovely.

[GetToFalkirk]

minor contractions throughout the day, got to 4cms dilated, waters broke and 5 mins later DS surfed out !

[veggiemama]

1st child - 1hour 40 mins labour from waking up with backache to delivering my DS.... my husband and I were in total shock afterwards as we couldn't quite believe what had happened....lets hope No. 2 isn't quicker.

[Ameliel]

My first delivery was about 7h from first twinge to birth, stayed home until waters broke and I started to think "not sure if I can handle this pain much longer", then barely made it to hospital, was fully dilated on arrival and DS1 was born about 30min later.

Second delivery was a planned homebirth, it took 2h 20min from first twinge to birth. The midwife barely had time to get her gloves on (all her stuff was still in the car and the second MW did not arrive until 10min after birth). We joked that the next time they should perhaps start camping on our front a couple of weeks before the due date!

My third delivery, again a planned homebirth, took just 1h from first twinge to birth, and this time I delivered my DD3 by myself as DH had just popped out from the room for few moments (!) and the MW arrived about 5min afterwards. (She should indeed have stayed in a tent outside our house, lol!) Everything went well and despite the shock of such speed, it was a lovely experience!

I think the reason I've had such fast labors each time is because:
-I did a lot of yoga beforehand
-I massaged the relevant acupressure points on my feet before labor
-I had homebirth and birth pool (helps to relax)
-I stayed upright and active (walking around) during the labour all the way until I needed to push, then got into the pool on hands and knees (so gravity was also on my side). I would definately recommend home birth and the birth pool, and walking around to speed things up! Oh and did not have time for any pain relief on any of the deliveries but as it was so fast it was not too bad :)

[threewithquiffs]

DD - I arrived at hospital 10pm, she was born midnight (g&a) (41 weeks)

DS1 - arrived hospital midnight, he was born 1am, I was on all fours so couldn't hold the g&a mouthpiece (41 weeks)

DS2 - 42 weeks, what is it with my kids and being late? Induction didn't work, 15 hours later after walking around deserted hospital corridors, no sign of twinges, waters popped like a champagne cork. Five minutes later, after a furious race to the delivery room backwards in a wheelchair, up on the bed on my knees, two pushes and he was out.

[felicity10]

Oh my goodness, we are currently considering ttc dc2 and the trauma of my fast first labour has never gone away.

Reading these I am so glad to hear it is not just me being daft. I was 4 hours, but last hour, it was 4-10cm and baby out, so was so intense and I got a big whack of pethadine just 30 mins before dd was born - which was far too big a dose at that stage IMO. Space cadet for quite a while afterwards. Who knew half doses were possible.

Thank you for sharing and making me realise it is ok to be shocked.

OP - I think you're doing the right thing, getting prepared and getting your head around it, I do think that if I'd known it can happen that fast I might have been more prepared as to what to expect. Good luck with it all, and lucky you, you'll have a newborn to cuddle soon!

[ManateeEquineOhara]

3 hours from first contractions with DD. I had been okay, still chatting and stuff, when I had a contraction which ended with needing to push, 9 minutes later DD was born. We were at home and only had 1 midwife so she told ExH to get gloves on and help, only he faffed about ripping gloves and worrying about how to out them on while I got on with giving birth!

I have very flexible joints, apparently this makes it a lot more likely to have a very fast birth.

[PinguFanatic]

1st baby: 4 hours from 3cm dilated (24 hours from first twinge)
2nd baby: 45 minutes from 4cm... (6 hours from first twinge)