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Childbirth

Share experiences and get support around labour, birth and recovery.

Original poster

Quick labours - how long was yours?

47 replies

nancydrewfoundaclue · 08/03/2011 17:56

DC4 arrived on Thursday after a 50 minute labour. Grin I think we'd have been a bit quicker but had to slow right down at the end as she had her cord round her neck.

Previous labours have been decidedly average so this was very much a suprise...despite hearing stories I never really believed it possible to do it so quickly.

So anyone else been quick or even quicker?

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RuthChan · 08/03/2011 18:46

DD took about 5 hours from start to finish. I thought that wasn't bad for a first time.

DS literally fell out and took just under an hour.

I thank my lucky stars for quick labours! :o

SarahScot · 08/03/2011 18:50

My first took 3.5 hrs, am scared I won't make it to the hospital this time, it's 45 minutes away.

SIL had her 4th recently and labour was 45 mins from first contraction, although she was cheating slightly as she was on the sytocin drip.

MickyLee · 08/03/2011 18:53

sarah don't worry too much. Dc1 was 1.5 hours, so the hospital told me to come as soon as possible when i was expecting DC2... That was a 12 hour labour!

juuule · 08/03/2011 18:56

Not as quick as that, Nancy.

Just under 1.5hours start to finish for no.6.

boosmummie · 08/03/2011 18:58

you lucky girls.. one 36hr and then a breezy 12hr!! Other two were c-sections so don't count!

RuthChan · 08/03/2011 19:01

Careful Sarah, I too was worried about making it to hospital.
I didn't.
DS arrived on the living room floor!

TotorosOcarina · 08/03/2011 19:02

My first was induction - 6 hours from pains starting.

2nd was natural birth - 6 hours

3rd 4 hours.

Am expecting number 4 - 2 hours would be nice Grin

ChocolateBrownieGuilt · 08/03/2011 19:10

Are fast labours more painful as it all happens faster? or is that your body is better at it?

Ooopsadaisy · 08/03/2011 19:12

Fast labours are less painful.

You are just focussed on making it through rush hour traffic to the hospital, only to find the bastards have put speed bumps in Grin.

ChocolateBrownieGuilt · 08/03/2011 19:20

oh wow, I want a fast labour 2nd time round.
Not that I am pregnant or trying to be.
Just ultra broody.

RuthChan · 08/03/2011 19:25

I too think that fast labours are probably less painful. Everything moves quicker and you have less time to get tired. You just focus on each stage as it comes.
It still hurts though! :o

Rosmarin · 08/03/2011 19:27

Is there a reason some women have very fast labours? Like fitness level, mindset...or lack of muscle control Grin?

I'm quite intrigued!

Rosmarin · 08/03/2011 19:28

Or, is it the father away from the hospital you live, the quicker the labour? :P

Ooopsadaisy · 08/03/2011 19:28

I think my pelvic floor is more of a trap door, Rosmarin.

Rosmarin · 08/03/2011 19:29

Oh, and congratulations Nancydrew!

2littlegreenmonkeys · 08/03/2011 19:30

DD1 I was in labour for 59 hours was very slow and kinda comfortable. I got extremely tired, I had an epidural and once it had kicked in I feel asleep lol.

DD2 was 2 hours and 18 minutes lol. Much faster and more painful than DD1 but if I were to choose a labour to have again I would deffo choose one like DD2's lol.

ChocolateBrownieGuilt · 08/03/2011 19:30
Wink

Seriously though- 12hrs with no pain relief and 11lb baby- I was knackered and fainted afterwards.

Im looking for a 2hr (enough time for DH to fill pool) and a 7lb-er next time!!

Kendodd · 08/03/2011 19:31

I thought I would win with 46 minutes, gutted somebody did it in 45!

Luckily I was already at the hospital and on the baby heart monitor thing waiting to be induced and had been there all day. They were just about to send me home because they were too busy to do it when I said hold on I think something is happening. 46 minutes later from the very first contraction (as proved by monitoring) baby arrived. God it was painful.

RuthChan · 08/03/2011 19:32

I've heard that it runs in families.
Women have similar labours to their mothers.

Nature has the biggest effect, but apparently being fit can help a bit as well. Being over weight can slow things down.

thisisyesterday · 08/03/2011 19:33

i can beat your 50 minutes with my 48 minute labour with ds3! lol

congratulations on your new bundle Grin bet you felt a bit shell-shocked

soccerwidow · 08/03/2011 19:40

40 mins although 2nd stage was only 9mins! DS2 was out in two pushes - all 10 pound of him!

(would of prefered a longer labour & less stitches)

Ds1 was induced with syntocin drip & 12 hrs from drip to delivery.

soccerwidow · 08/03/2011 19:44

I am not fit nor skinny - but always do my pelvic floor exercises

and I was induced - well I had a pessary then my waters broken. I think my labour was recorded from when my waters were broken.

thisisyesterday · 08/03/2011 19:47

oh and it was far more painful than my labour with ds2, which was 6 hours

lily333 · 08/03/2011 19:47

snap, 50 mins all in. Really really hurt, can still recreate the pain 5 years later - it felt like being hung, drawn and quartered!

haven't had another yet Wink

Oblomov · 08/03/2011 19:50

Both of my ds's were quite quick. I went from nothing to fully dilated and pushing within 25 minutes. I ended up with emcs with both, but thats becasue my diabetes went mad.
Was always worried I wouldn't make it to hospital, because it was 1.5 hrs away, but fortuntaly each time i'd been in for a couple of days before it all started.

Think quick births are best and less painful. Mine wasn't that bad at all. I found the pain 'just' about manageable.