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Childbirth

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

Original poster

What is a fast birth?

92 replies

ladybug92 · 14/12/2017 11:47

I am wondering what is normal for firsttime mums and whether my birth was fast/slow/normal?
I was induced after PROM, 2hr45min first stage, 38min second stage and 10min third stage.
What are your experiences? Am I likely to go quicker with bub 2?

OP posts:
Terrylene · 15/12/2017 13:47

Better delivered by DHL than Yodel or Hermes - they would probably leave your baby behind next door's wheely bin wink

Or throw it over the hedge Shock

MiaowTheCat · 15/12/2017 13:52

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Drinaballerina · 15/12/2017 13:53

DD1 was about 3 1/2 hours - should have been quicker but my contractions stopped and both doctors were doing emergency C-sections so I had to wait. Luckily I was in hospital being monitored.

DD2 90 mins from first contraction to baby. Live 40 mins from hospital now so called as soon as I felt anything and was told not to come yet. Luckily I totally disregarded them and DD2 was born 15 mins after I got into the room.

Advised if I am having a third (I'm not) I shouldn't even consider trying to get to hospital.

With DD1 I felt totally shocked it was all so fast (and early), but with DD2 I found it very helpful being so fast - meant I wasn't tired at all!

turquoise88 · 15/12/2017 13:55

1st - not sure on the particulars of each stage, but in total about 6 hours

2nd - 1st stage 1hr 20 mins, second stage (pushing) 2 mins Shock.

sinceyouask · 15/12/2017 14:01

I couldnt get to grips with what was happening at all, and ended up going into shock. I genuinely thought that me trying not to push / 10cm level pain was early stages, no one believed I was in labour and I had no time for pain relief of any kind

That rings bells for me. No one thought I was in the advanced stages of labour, told me I had hours to go, and I thought I would literally die because if this was early labour and was going to not only continue for hours but get worse, I couldn't survive it. If I'd known I was actually at the stage I was at it would have been far less scary.

PinkAvocado · 15/12/2017 19:19

Miaow yours sounds similar to mine. Early and quick. How have you managed to get to hospital?!

MiaowTheCat · 15/12/2017 20:05

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Mayhemmumma · 15/12/2017 20:12

1st - 9 hours from first twinge to baby(but 2 bloody hours of this was pushing)
2nd 1hour 45 mins (zero pushes he fell out caught by DH!)

mustbemad17 · 15/12/2017 20:16

1st was 4 hours start to finish.
2nd was 2 hours start to finish.

MW has told me i would be nuts to attempt to get to hospital with this one but i'm desperate for a water birth 😩 Knowing how intense my second was tho i will probably plan a home birth. MW was telling me about 'third baby syndrome' apparently some third babies replicate the first...might give me time!

PinkAvocado · 15/12/2017 20:33

Thanks Miaow-good to know! I have been told I’ll be taken seriously this time but still nervous!

butterybean · 15/12/2017 23:24

At 14 days overdue I went into the hospital for an induction. Started at 7pm on Tuesday, DS was born at 10:30am on the following Saturday. So effectively a whopping 87.5hrs!!

I had 3 pessaries and managed to get to 2cm...then 30 hrs of drip which got me to 4/5cm. At that point I was starving, had a horrendous backache and my waters had been broken 40hrs. DS was back to back, 9lb and stuck. I had an ECS in the end at 18 days overdue.

I had a total of 18 sweeps during the process Shock

To say it was boring was an understatement. I had dreamed of and prepared for a hypnowater birth but that went out of the window after the third pessary.

lollipop7 · 16/12/2017 00:06

5cms with baby number three at 3.05am. I started bleeding and told them I needed to push about four minutes later. (I was told this afterwards and it was on my notes ) Examined again and I was 10cms.
3.10am baby was born.
3.14am placenta delivered.

Never ever again!

mogulfield · 16/12/2017 09:15

44 hours here, anything less with this one would be nice. It was the lack of sleep more than anything that destroyed me! I was almost relieved when they knocked me out (EMCS under general).
I’m loving reading this thread, I’m hoping by reading it the fast labour vibes will come my way!!

DontDrinkDontSmoke · 16/12/2017 09:18

The whole thing start to finish was just under 3 hours for both of mine. They were both very ready at 42 weeks.

CheesecakeAddict · 16/12/2017 11:19

Around 3 days from first contraction to emergency c-section. From my waters breaking to delivery, it took around 27 hours

DecemberCat · 17/12/2017 13:59

Mine was 25 hours from contractions starting. I live 2 hours from the hospital though, so probably a good thing she didnt pop out too quickly!

YoungYolandaYorgensen39 · 17/12/2017 20:59

1st labour (twins) - induced by AROM. First stage 5 hours, second stage 1 hour. Very managed labour and delivery. Had a big audience.

2nd labour (also twins) - spontaneous ROM at home. First stage 2 hours, second stage 30 minutes. All felt a bit fast and furious and a bit overwhelming.

Caenea · 17/12/2017 21:51

21 hours - water broke 3am on Monday, first contraction about five minutes later. Meconium in waters so on the drip to "speed things up". I was 4cm dilated from around 6am through until 9pm, when I suddenly went up to 9cm in half an hour.

DD eventually born at 00.15hrs on Tuesday.

I dread to think how long it would have lasted without the drip.

Babababababybel23 · 17/12/2017 21:58

My one and only birth was 48 hours Sad
Sent home for the first 24 hours as I refused to stay in ward without dh. I was in agony and terrified but apparently was only 2cm so they wouldnt give me anything. Lay in bed crying like a baby. Pain got increasingly worse. Back to hospital. I was still only 3cm but I refused to leave this time. They broke my waters for me when I got to 5cm and bubba came 4 hours later.
My daughter is amazing and I would love another but I literally clench at the thought of going through the pain again

sweatylemon · 17/12/2017 22:07

From waters breaking to giving birth it was 78 hours for me. Hell o earth my Sister was 4 hours.

MoreSleepPlease6 · 18/12/2017 20:56

DS was 1hr45 of active labour then 2.5 hour second stage as he got stuck and all the midwives kept telling me it was normal for it to be a long pushing stage for a first birth Hmm Begged for intervention and they finally listened when they realised he was distressed.

I didn't enjoy it (not that most people do enjoy labour) It was too fast and I got myself into a right panic.

MoreSleepPlease6 · 18/12/2017 21:00

This

I couldnt get to grips with what was happening at all, and ended up going into shock. I genuinely thought that me trying not to push / 10cm level pain was early stages, no one believed I was in labour and I had no time for pain relief of any kind

and

That rings bells for me. No one thought I was in the advanced stages of labour, told me I had hours to go, and I thought I would literally die because if this was early labour and was going to not only continue for hours but get worse, I couldn't survive it. If I'd known I was actually at the stage I was at it would have been far less scary.

They wouldn't give me any pain relief because they thought I was in the 'early stages'. I actually thought I was going to die.

Spartaca · 27/12/2017 11:52

#2 first contraction to placenta out 1hr 35mins.

#3 from first contraction to 3 CMS in about 45 mins...then another half hour rush to 10cms. 10mins pushing and baby appeared followed rapidly by placenta.

Gizzymum · 15/01/2018 12:03

From first contraction to birth was just under 2hrs (I arrived at the hospital within 30mins fully dilated). Both my mum (2DC) and sister (4DC) has labours lasting under 1hr so I knew to set off asap to Hospital (and it's only a 5 min drive). Pregnant with DC2 so god only knows how fast this one will be - can't have Home birth due to very anxious dog.

Littlemissdaredevil · 16/01/2018 16:13

I was induced with the passary my notes stated -
1st stage 1h 10m
2nd stage 3h (baby got stuck then ended up in theatre with forceps)
3rd stage - 10m

I think they made my 1st stage up as up until the last time I rang the bell the Midwife was telling me I wasn’t in labour at all!