How long did your latent phase last?

[afrikat]

I know this probably varies widely but interested in hearing some labour stories - when did you first get your contractions, did you know immediately what they were and how long before you needed to head to hospital? Are we talking a few hours or 12+? I have it in my head it is likely to take a long time for my first (12+ hours) but could it be much quicker than this?

I had first cramps at 5am and had DS at 5pm. Felt like light period cramps at first but clearly coming and going every. 20 mins. Just progressed from there! That's my first one too.

Cramps properly started 5.30am (waters went and mild cramps the night before). Headed to hospital 5pm, went from 4cm to 10cm in 2 hours and had DD just before midnight. Very fortunate as she was my first. You get this weird time dilation in labour though so although mine certainly wasn't long, it actually felt like it passed very quickly especially when I got hold of the gas & air!

Wasn't that long for me either - woke up feeling a bit off colour at 9am, went back to bed to about midday, twinges started around that time, wasn't too sure if actual contractions. By 1pm pretty certain they were! Got to hospital shortly after, baby arrived at 10pm.

First definite contraction on Sunday night. Contracted irregularly, sometimes a few hours apart, sometimes closer together until Wed morning when I had a sweep to hopefully speed things up, which it did. Contractions were then never more than 20 minutes apart (usually 8-10 mins) until Friday afternoon when I was induced into established labour by breaking my waters. If they didn't break my waters I think I would still be at it now!

So, latent phase was nearly 5 full completely miserable, sleepless, crying, increasingly agonising days for me, an experience I am not keen to repeat if we decide to go for DC2.

I don't seem to have/feel my latent phase.

DD1: waters broke at 8pm. Instant regular full contractions. Hospital by 10. DD arrived before 2am.

DD2: turned up at regular appointment at 39 weeks to be told I was 5cms. Broke my waters 4 hours later when I was at 9cm, having barely felt a contraction. Instant v strong contractions, DD arrived 45 minutes later

I had a fairly average 'total length' labour with both DC1 and 2. Here is rough breakdown for DC1:

6am to 1pm - latent phase 7hrs - I knew because I found contractions very painful and threw up. They were every 5-7mins lasting about 50secs.

1pm to 7pm in hospital - almost 3cm to 5cm

7pm to 10.30pm - 5cm to 10cm half asleep on lovely pethidine

10.30pm to 10.50pm - very fast second stage. Waters about 2mins before birth.

DC2 was almost identical but the latent/first stagers didn't hurt as much. I only started to vomit around 3pm; when I reckoned I was starting to get somewhere more significant with my dilation. I was far more zen and only got that 'feeling' I must go in around 8.30pm; we have a bit of a drive and arrived 9pm 8cm dilated. It felt as though there were hardly any hospital contractions before pushing but there must have been 4-5 or so; DD born about 10pm.

I panicked a bit about DC1; it was SO painful I kept thinking 'but what if I'm working so hard I'm really far gone already?'. Some people will be like this, but it's quite unlikely. I should have waited much longer before going in. I didn't have any pain relief before 7pm because of the vomiting, so there was no need. Try to stay home if you can; 'sneeze births' are not that common, although they do happen. My mate has mental labours; her DS2 was about 1-2hrs in total and she only went in because they'd warned her after DS1 to get in as soon as she felt ANYTHING. She wasn't even sure if she was having contractions... sort of feel lucky cow but actually she nearly gave birth in the lift. I'd book a home delivery if you're worried as it covers all bases; you're supposed to get early initial assessment so can placate yourself as to the efficacy of your contractions but can easily say you want to go in if it's your first and you are at all worried about the delivery (sensible, IMO, as they vary widely - I'd have had DC2 at home (knowing my labours are very boring and she was in an OK position) if we hadn't just moved, but 5 out of 8 of my antenatal group had to have ECs).

3 days for me. But I knew if was really ramping up at 6pm on the Thursday night, in labour all day on Friday, gave birth at 6.30 on Saturday morning. (Latent labour started on Monday)

Um I woke up at 4am, thinking I had back pain, went to the loo
Woke up again at 4.30am, same thing, and 5am only this time I got up

Contractions where regular every 15mins to start with,

Woke DH up at 7am.

Got the hospital for 12noon ish to be told I was 5cm Dialated and could go and have a wonder / something to eat

Went back to the hospital at 4pm by now the contractions where every 5mins and strong enough to make me stop and breath

Water broken at 6pm, DC was born 7:07PM

DC1: Had mild cramps every half hour or so during the night. By 7am they were probably every 15 minutes or so, but they were quite ingnorable. When I got up, they slowed down again to every half hour. Pottered around, met friends for lunch, shopped for last minute baby things. Went home and had a nap. Contractions got strongeruntil by around 6pm they were every 5 minutes. By 7pm I was in full-blown labour frenzy. Baby born after almost 2 hours if pushing at around ten pm.

DC2 felt first pains while in the shower, so around 7am. By 9am they were every 10-15 minutes or so, but not very strong, so I went to the greengrocers and bought a load if veg and started a stew in the slow cooker. 11am called DP and told him to come home from work and started filling the birth pool. By one o'clock I was having contractions strong enough to make me stop what I was doing every 5 minutes or so. A friend arrived to pick up a car seat for DD, my midwife arrived and my contractions stopped for half an hour or so. I was really sleepy so went to lie down and have a nap. After a few minutes my waters broke and I was in transition. DS was born 45 minutes later.

I woke up at 5.19am not feeling right but not being able to say why! Then I started feeling like I had a period ache, then period pains and by 6.00am I was in no doubt that labour had started and woke DH up to time my contractions and ring the hospital for advice.

The hospital advised to have a couple of paracetamol, something to eat and a soak in the bath. I had the paracetamol, couldn't eat a thing, I chewed on a mouthful of toast and had to spit it out. I had a bath which helped, but by 9.00am I felt like I needed to push down and I wanted to be at the hospital.

We phoned the hospital again and they didn't sound convinced, but said to pop in so they could take a look, but emphasised we might be sent home again.

Arrived at the hospital at 9.30am and had an internal examination and I was 9cms dilated! Got straight into the birth pool and had some gas and air and DS was born just after 11.00am :)

They said when they discharged me when I have another baby to come in early as I had a relatively fast first labour!

Eek some fast labours on here (and some slow ones - sorry cavort!). I have been having severe cramps for last few days but no contractions yet - keep feeling like it is imminent but then nothing happens!

I had a 20 hour latent phase. I woke up at 6 in the morning with a contraction, then they came every 3-4 minutes lasting around a minute, I was a bit as they were coming fast enough that advice meant I should contact labour ward yet weren't painful enough to seem real.

I got sent away from hospital at 10pm because I was only 2cm, but by then I was in a lot of pain. Ended up back there at 1am still at 2cm, but kept in due to dehydration. Then suddenly went from 2cm to 10cm within 2 hours and DD was born after 1 and a half hours of pushing with a bit of help from ventouesse. So I had a slow and quick labour simultaneously.

Woke at 2am by my waters breaking. Went back to sleep after about an hour, no contractions.

Woke again at 6.30am, cramps had started. Not consistent or regular in length or time apart.

Rang MLU at 9am, they said to wait a little longer.

Contractions suddenly ramped up. Left for MLU at 10.30, arrived at 11am ish. I was less than 2cm dilated :( I was in an immense amount of pain though, got into pool with gas and air. Felt like I needed a massive poo the whole time!

Pool became useless about 3pm I think. Got out, just wanted to lie down and rest. Was begging the midwives to check how dilated I was again, but they wouldn't!

Baby born at 4.03pm! Only ten minutes or so pushing, with a little help from some pethidine.

So I guess my latent phase lasted about 10 hours, active labour about 4. Quite normal I think?

My waters went midnight Friday and I had contractions straight away - they were close together and regular but not very painful. By Saturday evening they were very painful. Baby arrived Sunday 5.30am. Not sure how much of it was latent phase. The first examination I had I was 6cm (10pm Saturday)

Pushing phase was the quickest bit, 40 mins.

Still quite jealous of people who have had quick labours, though I'm sure it can rather traumatic or shocking. I was falling asleep with exhaustion by the end.

Started Monday morning 9am, little bit unsure at the time if it was really labour, by early afternoon it definitely was. Didn't get to 4cm until Tuesday 10pm though!

First contraction 12pm Monday. DS arrived 1.49am Wednesday. Wasn't 4cm dilated until 10.30ish on the Tuesday evening. Back to back labour and baby just wasn't dilating properly!

I had my first, very mild, contraction at noon and remember thinking, 'Ooh, I wonder if that could have been the the start of something'. Went into hospital about 9.30pm when they were 2-3 minutes apart and raaaather painful. Baby born at 11.15pm.

3 days each time. Contractions every 5 minutes right from the start. By the 3rd day I'd got to 3cm Both identical.

Induced with the drip on the 3rd day with DC1.

Induced by having waters broken on the 3rd day with DC2.

I don't think I know how to have babies.

2nd birth
Show around 6ish which was first sign, went to hospital at 8is and baby born at 10.42 so about 4 hours start to finish.

first birth was long drawn out induction so cant compare really.

3 days of false labour - very painful short Braxton hicks at the top of bump, constant feeling the your periods going to start, loss of appetite and regular clearouts (frid-sun). Then 2 proper contractions woke me on Monday am (low at the front), followed by a show. Nothing else apart from a shocking headache & high BP due to lack of sleep & food. Tues am proper latent labour began (first noticed around 7am), became regular about 10pm, midwife arrived 3.30am, transition 4/4.15ish (no internals so difficult to be sure) baby arrived 5.45, placenta followed naturally at 6am