How long were your first births?

[Marabou]

That's that really...

I'm 37+2 with my first and was wondering what I could expect. Everyone's different of course, but was just curious..

mine was 1 hours 15 mins from first contraction!x

Roughly 8.5 hrs from first contraction to ds being born. The first 3 hrs weren't that painful.

I had two failed attempts at inducing after being a finger width dilated for a week (no contractions, just my BHs got me to(and kept me at) this stage), so MW manually broke my waters to get me started. 5 hours later and there was DS :)

Totally agree with whoever described their labour in emotions. It is a little scary, it is painful but it was the best experience of my life! I love remembering it :) I wrote down the day after a detailed description of what happened. I love to have a wee read of it now and again - you forget so much of the experience! :)

Waters broke at about 6am on the Friday and I gave birth through a section at 2pm on the Sunday. In between I had a gel induction and later a drip induction. Bearly spent any time pushing because it was obvious baby wasn't coming so I went to theatre. It wasn't quite as bad as it sounds...

I was induced. Second pessary at 8pm, waters broke at midnight, largeish baby born at 5.57 am. So 6 hours in total.

Not too bad at all.

I was 8 days over with my first, and had no warning signs really before the first contractions. Then, from feeling the first contractions to birth, I'd say was about 14 hours. It was pretty strightforward, in some respects. Had to have my waters broken- but i have had 3 babies and not experienced my waters breaking spontaneously (i feel a bit cheated by this ).
I managed to deal with the early pain for a while before i felt I had to be in hospital. Pushing stage took exactly 52 minutes (I know this as it started at 2 pm- and they were going to let me go til 3pm, as i was struggling a bit- Ds born in the nick of time!!)

1st contraction was at 6.20 am on the thursday morning, DS was yanked out by forceps at 11.20pm on Saturday evening. In between time, I had a large bleed (DS was absolutely fine, nobody explained what the bleed was from, but it stopped after a few hours and I was sent back home, so it can't have been particularly serious. soaked a few pads and made me feel weak though!!), pethidine which made me hallucinate, and 2 epidurals, as well as an IV induction and artificial rupture of membranes. It could have been an awful lot worse!

We're planning child number 2 sometime next year :) and I'm making sure all my notes say 'EPIDURAL' on them. A lot. so that the midwife realises I'd like one :o

first contraction 7am on thursday and DD born 2.15am on sunday..!

Induced at 10.30am, he arrived at 12.45pm :D

6 hours from first contraction. My waters broke 16 hours before the cx started though.

With my 1st it was 14 hours from waters breaking until emcs. Number two was 8 weeks of contractions every 10-20 mins. They did nothing except hurt so I was left to see how much I could cope with. 8 weeks later they decided I'd had enough!

Ist natural labour (back to back, 8lbs) 36 hours active labour followed by retained placenta and big haemorrhage. 2nd natural labour (twins 6lbs each) 4hrs from waters breaking. I let the midwives intimidate me the first time around. With hindsight i wish I'd had more confidence and home comforts with me at the hospital, plus I wished i changed positions more.

Second time around I stood facing the door and put my long t-shirt on so I felt in control! I imagined I was going to have an elective section any minute and just leaned over the bed. I put my head in my favourite pillow and hummed/breathed. I convinced myself it would be over soon and I would have my babies (and my freedom ). Next thing you know they said you can push now!! I found a position felt right and it worked a treat (hands and knees).

A good midwife will help you to be at your best. If it isn't working then explain to your midwife or change midwives if you have to. Each midwife is so different, just as each birth and hospital is.

Hi I was 31 with my first - an 8lb 2oz boy and 33 with my second an 8lb 12oz girl. First labour was 4 hours but I was not aware of first stage - was out shopping and at an auction with my Mum and Dad and felt nothing until my waters broke as I stood up in the bath before dinner - very convenient! Powerful but painless (yes some of us do not experience childbirth as painful but we usually keep quiet about it!) labour slowed by his big skull being squashed down (babies heads are designed to do this apparently!).

First MW couldn't believe that a primagravida could be that far advanced and it took a younger midwife coming on duty to see that indeed I was fully dilated and it was second stage! Apparently dim people find it difficult to keep an open mind and even discard evidence that does not fit their mind set. You said it - we are all different - so MWs really should not fall into this trap! (The other MWs raised their eyes to heaven later as they all knew this lady was out of her depth).

Second baby only 2 hours and still no indication of first stage! Doddle.

So keep an open mind and trust your instincts - oh and just cooperate with your brain as it gets on with the job in hand. My suspicion is that if the 'conscious brain' interferes the 'sub-conscious brain' when it is totally occupied doing this VERY IMPORTANT JOB then it simply clobbers you with its most effective weapon - pain. I actually have no memory of most of the time as, no drugs, my conscious mind was sort of put on the back burner!

A tip - I had my husband (a sheep farmer!) and Mum (retired Health Visitor) with me for both as Mumtobe is really too preoccupied to fight her corner and she needs reliable, competent 'henchmen' to look after her interests. Obviously this would not work if your people are not au fait with the process or nervous of medical authority...

All the very best - boy are they worth it!

I was induced at 37 weeks(already 3cm dilated) by being put on an drip. That was at 5.45pm. Mw said she would come back at 8pm to check up on us. At 6.45pm I told dh to push the buzzer as knew something was happening.Mw examined me and was 9cm! cue much panic getting everything ready! Ds born at 5 minutes past 7pm. Mw remembered me when I went in for next pregnancy as was so quick!.
With my next pregnancies I had to have cs which was dissapointing as I found the vaginal birth experience very positive. Good luck!.

Hospital notes has labour down as 10 hours - waters broke at 4am, hospital said I had to come in, (although no contractions and no health probs) in hospital for 5am, they said I had to stay, was v upset at the thought of being there for hours unecessarily and managed to persuade them to let me go if docs signed me out but had to wait for doc to come at 9am to let me go back home.

By that time contractions started, rather painful taxi ride back home - by 13:00 on my hands and knees on the bedroom floor- took taxi back to hospital (rather scared taxi driver lol!), 5 cms dilated on check, not sure when 2nd stage started as rather overwhelmed by contractions and gas and air (don't know what I'd have done without that! although did shout 'epidural' everytime I came off it lol! - not a chance! a)too late b)I'd never keep still enough, but I suppose it was better than swearing lol!) DS arrived 15:55 after being threatened with a ventuse! I do remember pushing bit quite hard esp as midwives wouldn't let me get up - push against gravity not much fun!

I agree with all4u, I could have done with some competent 'henchmen' to look after my interests, DH as inexperienced in matters as I was, so not equipped to tackle stroppy MW and student nurse - MW was v upset with my birth plan request to wait for the umblical cord to be cut and continually harassed me about it throughout my contractions muttering under her breath about 'these NCT mums' and also wouldn't let me get up to push!

3 days.

If you have SPD, have you been advised it's best NOT to deliver on your back? If not definitely speak to your midwife about this at your next appt and get her to put a note on your notes if poss. When you get to the room, don't immediately get on the bed. Lean on it if you want, one position I found good was all fours but leaning over the head of the bed as it was raised up in a sitting position. Get your DP investigating with the bed controls and get it in a position you want! :)

Waterbirth is very very good for SPD sufferers too as it puts less strain on the joints. You can get out for the actual birth if you want to.

I didn't have SPD btw - this is just stuff an online friend was told and I was interested and looked at all the links she posted!

My labour was: around 2 days with ctx too painful to sleep through, every 5-10 minutes. Eventually went crazy from lack of sleep and went in to hospital demanding drugs despite being only 2cm dilated! However the journey must have got things going as by the time I got there I was 4cm. Took around 8 hours from that point until DS was born. Pushing stage was 2 hours but I think that's because I was on my back at that point and they refused to move me. (Looking back I should have asked to be rolled onto my side but too out of it)

Good luck :)

Mine was 42 hours from waters breaking and first contractions which seemed like a long labour. 1st day of contractions spent at home and didn't sleep a wink due to pain. I went into hospital at 8.30 in the morning and she was born at 7.45pm same day. My daughter was eventually delivered by forceps due to angle of her head but was perfectly well and healthy at birth (Eva is now 4 months..)

50 hours of which approx 40 were very very painful despite gas and air, pethidine and 2 failed epidurals, had 3rd episural 5 hrs before she was born which was a little better but still had to go theatre as distressed and had forceps but threatened to have c section
hence lily is nearly 3 and i'm still debating whether to have another!

2 hours 5 minutes. MW thought I was making a fuss and tried to send me home. She agreed I could stay as I was the only woman in but told me it would get a lot worse and I had at least 12 hours to go - within 10 minutes of her saying this the registrar had come in (at dh's request) and discovered I was 10cm. Reg yelled at mw (which was very funny and nice to have someone on my side) and I was wheeled to delivery. I pushed for 20mins. Was in a bit of shock after but soon settled. Due to the speed I had no pain relief until reg gave me gas and air for 10 mins ish. They had to really persuade me to let go of it once pushing - I ended up throwing it at mw (not intentionally but it was very funny)

My advice: listen to your body and go with it.

a couple of hours start to finish. Spoke to my mum on phone at 8pm, had a nigglely backache, I got upset as i was due to be induced in the morning. so she said she would come round and see me. by 8.30 I had chronic backache, mum walked in and told me I was in labour, got to hospital at 8.45, was put in a room and told I would see a mw soon as they were changing shifts. 9.30 on the dot my waters broke and it was all action go. My DD1 was born at 9.58

Waters broke at 6:30am
Proper contractions started about 6:45pm (did as much walking as I could manage during the day )
Established labour by about 9pm
I remember the midwives wondering if DS would be born by midnight
Was born at 2:50am including about 2 hours of pushing (am useless at pushing)

So somewhere between 6 hours and about 20 hours. Established labour down as 6 hours 5 min I think.

2.5 hours.

Do I win?