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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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Original poster
nancydrewfoundaclue · 08/03/2011 22:11

Thanks on the congratulations Grin

I'm not sure about shorter being less painful. My least painful labour was with my DC2 which was my longest - think my body had plenty of time to get used to things and build up to the main event.

I certainly couldn't have managed the intensity of pain of this recent labour over a prolonged period but the fact that it was over quickly was a definite advantage!

OP posts:
ChasingSquirrels · 08/03/2011 22:14

my 1st was 2 hours.
my 2nd was 15 mins.

Congrats on your new baby.

boosmummie · 08/03/2011 23:27

Bloody hell ChasingSquirrels Grin

katster37 · 10/03/2011 20:27

I don't think I agree about short labours being less painful. DC1 was 2hrs 50 and it was excruciating agony and I went into shock afterwards, had flashbacks for months to come. I am now 40+1 with DC2, totally crapping self that I won't be able to deal with the pain! (or make it to the hospital Hmm)

LittleMumSmall · 10/03/2011 21:47

I was 5 hrs with DS, natural home birth. Hoping for same/less time with DD, who is due in April - midwife has been briefing DH in case it's super quick! I'm with RuthChan on the 'similar to mum's labour' theory - my mum was 5 hrs with me and 3hrs with younger sister.

Don't really remember any pain with DS (and there was no time for pain relief) but transition was scary as hell - glad it was over quickly.

mannicmummyhavinaiccy · 10/03/2011 22:00

DD3 on monday, 40 min and midwife almost didnt catch her :/ living room floor, 3 min 2nd stage and two pushes, was like she was on thouse water flumes at centre rks, lol!(planed homebirth luckly!) but only place prepared was bed, but didnt even make it up. midwife was telling me to stop pushing, tried telling her it wasnt me! my body took over and nothing was stoping it!
Only bad thing as that my body went nto shock :( and ddnt get time to to warm the place to right temp for baby, so she wouldnt warm up :( fine now though :)

LLKH · 11/03/2011 10:04

DD was born in 11 hours and forty minutes.

mannicmummy We were at home, too.In our case, the midwife didn't even get a chance to catch her, she shot out so fast. Her grandad now calls her his "little champagne cork" which makes DH and I laugh.

Original poster
nancydrewfoundaclue · 11/03/2011 19:18

Chasingsquirels wow.

Were you at home?

OP posts:
Danthe4th · 11/03/2011 19:25

1st - 6 hours
2nd - 1 hr 50 mins
3rd - 2 hours on the side of the road
4th - 50 minutes at home

All timed from the first twinge, and the 4th got a bit stuck and ended up a bit purple and congested.
I feel very lucky that ive only had 11 hours of labour for 4 babies but I suffer from hyperemisis and end up on a drip so I think i deserve it!!

controlpantsandgladrags · 11/03/2011 19:28

DD1 6 hours, DD2 3 hours. And I'm not at all fit and a good 5 stone overweight! DD1 hurt like buggery, DD2 far less painful but major PPH afterwards (aparently due to big baby and fast labour)

ChasingSquirrels · 11/03/2011 20:31

lol - yes, planned homebirth mostly because dc1 was so quick and (relatively) easy for a first.

Waters went, contractions started about 10 mins later, got off the bed for H to put plastic sheeting on, thought I better just check all ok, reached down and felt - and delivered baby's head into my hand.
Said to H "this baby is coming", he said "I know" looked over and realised it was coming there and then and started panicking.
I delivered the rest of dc2.
H called 999 (which I didn't understand at the time - we were both ok, midwife had been called out, what did we need 999 for).
Paramedics turned up, looked at us (not examined in any way), decided we were both ok and went downstairs for a cup of tea to wait until the midwife arrived.

1st contraction to 999 call (after baby was delivered) was about 14 mins.

reallytired · 11/03/2011 20:40

1st 33 hours

2nd 3 hours 10 minutes

I think that having the baby in a good position helps speed up labour. Also being relaxed. I think that having a homebirth and using hynotherphy really helped.

ChasingSquirrels that was fast. I suppose your husband was shocked.

blueberryboybaitonSafari · 11/03/2011 20:44

DD1 was 7 hours start to finish - induction.
DD2 was 50minutes from first contraction to delivery with 3minute second stage. We live 40mins from the hospital and DD2 nearly born in the carpark!

Eglu · 11/03/2011 20:49

DS1 was 4 hrs
DS2 was 1 hr 45 mins

DC3 is due in July and I'm concerned about how quick she is going to come. I had a hb with DS2 and am planning another, but would like the mw to get there in time.

BellaBearisWideAwake · 11/03/2011 20:50

DS 4 hours

Am now 36+4 and worried as hospital is 45 mins away in good traffic. And I have to go in to get ABs for GBS.

mypandasgotcrabs · 11/03/2011 20:52

ds1 - 8hrs from 1st twinge, no pain, loved it.
ds2 - 1hr 45 from waking with 1st pain. Intense, but not painful, again loved it.
dd - nearly 19hrs from waking with 1st pain (mw timed it at 2 1/2 hrs). Bloody painful, hated every second!

whoamamma · 11/03/2011 21:24

DC1: I'd say 10 hours from start to finish. Hospital would say 2 hours 15 mins from when I was admitted! One of those 'you can't be in labour, your contractions need to be more frequent' to 'oh, you're fully dilated' ones...

Apparently if there's a DC2, I can go in at the first twinge!

Narketta · 11/03/2011 21:45

Congrats on the speedy birth of your DD NancyDrewGrin
Both of mine were quick labours

1st labour with DS 1hr 15 mins

2nd labour with DD 44 mins from 1st contraction she arrived before the paramedics and was delivered by DH.

strandedpolarbear · 12/03/2011 12:12

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

naturalbaby · 13/03/2011 22:05

ds1 7hrs
ds2 7hrs - active labour 2hrs, no pushing, he just appeared as i got in the pool!
ds3 dragged on a bit but once he got going it was 4hrs ish, no pushing, appeared within 1/2hr of things really hotting up. despite several conversations with midwife about previous quick labours, she came out at the start and said ''i know it's your 3rd and it will be a quick labour so i'll just go do a couple of visits then see how you're getting on'' missed the whole thing.

all planned homebirths

nobodyimportant · 13/03/2011 22:16

Congratulations!

DC1 20hrs+ ending in CS, DC2 2.5hrs first twinge to delivery! 2nd was definitely less painful but perhaps more to do with baby position rather than length of labour. No time for pain relief bar a couple of paracetamol Hmm. Currently pg with DC3 and slightly concerned about getting to hospital given DC2 nearly arrived in the car. I don't want a home VBAC though so going to have to get in somehow!

MadamePompom · 14/03/2011 08:08

My DTS entered the world after a couple of hours once contractions started (on way to hospital after waters had broken earlier). When got there doctors were very laid back that had a couple of hours so could transfer me to another hospital with room in SCBU, but 30mins later when midwife had another look was taken in to theatre where they were born naturally. No time for pain relief but didn't need it anyway.

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