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Childbirth

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

Original poster

Did your labours get quicker?

53 replies

Outnumb3red · 10/04/2016 23:14

I'm pregnant with no.3 due in 6 weeks. My first labour was induced, epidural, forceps and was long. 2nd was over in 90mins from start to finish. (And I didn't make it to the hospital in time)
Bit paranoid this time will be quicker than last time. I'm about 30mins from the hospital and that's with no traffic issues. Should I have to travel at rush hour, easily add another 30mins to that.

I know no two labours are the same, but I'm under the impression that generally speaking, they do get quicker with each one. How true is this?

Thanks

OP posts:
AWhistlingWoman · 15/04/2016 21:18

Oh outnumb3red so near and yet so far! I really hope you make it to hospital with number three. I think that if I have any more I will be camping out in reception from 38 weeks or so!

The timing thing is really tricky. The midwives told me that after the older kids have left for school (or are otherwise sorted) is a very popular time for labour to progress extremely rapidly. As though your body is holding on somehow until the other children are taken care of? Don't know if there is any truth in that and I don't know how I would have coped if I were alone with the other children in the house. Like you, I would feel a bit unsure about having an induction.

Fresh I didn't get as far as speaking to the delivery ward and my second was induced so I was already there. Maybe tell them that you have usually have quite fast labours and see what they say?

Afreshstartplease · 15/04/2016 21:19

My third was five hours

It's not really fast but some of you lot are scaring me lol

Afreshstartplease · 15/04/2016 21:23

I'm half hour from the hospital with no traffic. Rush hour would be awful

Original poster
Outnumb3red · 15/04/2016 21:42

I had spoken to the hospital before going over. My contractions started from 3 mins apart pretty much from the get go. They told me to head straight over.

It's just the timing that is freaking me out a bit.

OP posts:
sleeplessinmybedroom · 15/04/2016 21:43

I'm so glad I managed to get on the bed before Dd came out. Luckily Dp parked round the back of the hospital where the maternity ward is 3 floors up from the doors. He left me in the car while he went to get help. Her head was out at that point with my leggings still on. I'm just glad I wasn't at home alone.

Afreshstartplease · 15/04/2016 21:55

That sounds so bloody scary!

Hawkmoth · 15/04/2016 22:09

1 - six hours. Induction but hypersensitive to pessary. Midwives didn't believe me so it was fairly unpleasant.
2 - a nice four hours from being uncomfortable to delivery.
3 - about two hours, but recorded at 54 minutes because nobody was there to time properly. I'd been worried about a fast labour and was having a home birth so the midwives had been sat with me in the afternoon while I paced through some irregular contractions. They checked me and I was 2cm so went home. Of course it all kicked off then and they had taken the gas bottle mouthpiece with them. It was horrible.
4 - woke at 0510 with a pulling pain, baby born at 0623. DH delivered him. I did a lot of swearing on the call to the hospital asking for midwives to come out... Not sure why they feel the need to check a woman on her fourth baby is really in labour!

Have you considered a home birth? Even though there was nobody there, when they did arrive they had all the gear and it was straightforward from then.

At one point they were insisting I had a hospital birth due to BMI (less than for the last two, I was v cross) and said I should come in at first twinge. Well it's not that bloody easy when you have to arrange childcare. I rang my mum first this time, she lives fifteen minutes away... Even she arrived after the baby, though only just. I think it took ten years off her coming in to see me naked, DH holding baby covered in vernix still attached and blood all over our couch!

Hawkmoth · 15/04/2016 22:11

Also calling an ambulance is no guarantee. The hospital advised me to call if I thought I was close, they turned up forty minutes later and we had to endure pisspoor advice from the call handler on speakerphone, who I also did swears at.

AlexandraEiffel · 15/04/2016 22:32

1st 49 hours
2nd 4 hours (at home) but with a long latent phase

Original poster
Outnumb3red · 15/04/2016 23:00

I'm not allowed a home birth. There is a CMU unit closer to me, but I can't deliver there either as I lost lot of blood in first delivery and I've also now had a lletz procedure done since my last pregnancy. So I have to go to the hospital which is 30mins from me, with no traffic issues. My delivery last time was middle of night so we were lucky in that respect as no traffic on roads.
If I was home alone, or had kids with me, and I went into labour, I'm just going to phone an ambulance. My husbands work is about 50 mins on train, door to door, so he's not making it home in time, even calling a taxi he'll still be about 30mins

OP posts:
Hawkmoth · 16/04/2016 00:53

Could you ask for a planned induction? I did when I thought I would have to be in hospital., despite knowing how shite it was last time I thought it preferable to giving birth in the car.

MozzchopsThirty · 16/04/2016 01:20

First - 25 hours vaginal
Second - induced 6 hours vaginal
Third - 4 days failed induction, 12 hours of none progressive labour, c section Sad

foreverandalways · 16/04/2016 02:06

Third labour was 6 1/2 hours!! Baby was back to back.....absolute nightmare....good luck..X

Original poster
Outnumb3red · 16/04/2016 11:04

Consultant has now said I can be induced. I'm just not really keen on being induced. I was induced with my first and it wasn't good. Despite the shocking delivery I had with my second, it was still a preferable labour to my first.
I don't think there is going to be a solution that I'm totally happy with, so I'll go along with the induction as at least I'll be in the hospital

OP posts:
Tarahbab84 · 16/04/2016 17:12

First 8 hours from first ever pain to delivery
Second 1 hour 30 mins

sparkle789 · 16/04/2016 17:22

No mine was longer
Dd1 5hours
Dd2 17 hours

PopcornFiend · 17/04/2016 12:49

First baby 52 hrs from waters breaking.
Second baby 3 hrs from waters breaking.

Raines100 · 17/04/2016 22:03

1st: 16hrs
2nd: 6hrs
3rd: 6hrs
2nd and 3rd time, I had a show 16hrs before I started contracting

Peyia · 18/04/2016 10:58

For those that had quicker labours. Did you do anything different?

My first was a quick labour, fully dilated by the time I got to the hospital. My mum said it was because I was active, worked to and from work the entire pregnant (30 minutes each way)

2nd time around I'm commuting in a car and feeling less agile so nervous this will affect my labour.

I just want to blink and baby be in my arms Grin

Peyia · 18/04/2016 10:59

walked to and from that should read

Raines100 · 18/04/2016 16:29

Peyia the walking might have helped to ensure baby was in a good position for labour and so avoid complications that might delay things, but exercising during pregnancy doesn't directly affect the length of labour. If your baby is cephalic despite the driving (which he or she may well be) then you will go in with the same good chance of a smooth, expedient labour. Subsequent babies are usually faster than the first, though, as your body has done it before.

SerenityReynolds · 18/04/2016 17:30

I walked more during labour with DC2, and I'm sure that helped things along. My activity levels in pregnancy were about the same but DC2 was definitely the easier labour!

Peyia · 18/04/2016 17:54

Thanks Raines and Serenity.

Now that the weather is improving I'm going to start walking in my lunch break. I'm 27 weeks now so starting to mentally prepare. Baby at the moment is in the correct position so fingers crossed stays that way.

Original poster
Outnumb3red · 18/04/2016 19:21

I was probably more active with my second pregnancy than with my first. Given that with my first I could rest and put my feet up whenever I wanted without a little person to look after. With my second pregnancy I had to still run about after my DS. Following on to my third, I am more active again. I walk whenever I can to school etc and still have a dog to walk. My DD is just 3 and still wants lifted on occasion.
I don't want a quicker labour!
Out of interest, I was induced with my first (10 days after due date), second was spontaneous 7 days after due date. Wonder if this one will be early or late? Keep thinking I'll be before my date with this one, no idea why? Confused

OP posts:
Peyia · 18/04/2016 19:53

Outnumbered have you changed your mind about the indication?

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