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Childbirth

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

Original poster

How long were you in latent labour?

42 replies

allthesharks · 05/07/2020 22:58

I know it varies massively and some people don't even experience it. I just wondered how long it's lasted for all of you.

OP posts:
JKRisagryff · 05/07/2020 23:01

0 hours Grin

AlphaDalpha · 05/07/2020 23:11

What's latent labour?

With my second I was 2cm dilated on Monday morning and gave birth on Thursday morning, I didn't feel any uncomfortable labour pains until about 4am, arrived at hospital at 7.45am and baby by 8.30am.

AlphaDalpha · 05/07/2020 23:11

What's latent labour?

With my second I was 2cm dilated on Monday morning and gave birth on Thursday morning, I didn't feel any uncomfortable labour pains until about 4am, arrived at hospital at 7.45am and baby by 8.30am.

IfOnlyOurEyesSawSouls · 05/07/2020 23:15

Iv had 2 DC & I don't even know what that is

PlanDeRaccordement · 05/07/2020 23:19

No idea. I had periodic contractions now and then for weeks before each birth. I refused all internal exams. I just carried on normally. Worked full time until my due date, then just relaxing and taking walks until active labour started and the babies came.

CraazyCatLady · 05/07/2020 23:22

3 days. Kept going in, as contractions were really regular, but I wasn't dilating beyond 2cm for ages, so kept being sent home.

Original poster
allthesharks · 05/07/2020 23:26

This is from the NHS website:

The start of labour is called the latent phase. This is when your cervix becomes soft and thin, and starts opening for your baby to be born. This can take hours or, for some women, days.

You'll probably be advised to stay at home during this time. If you go to the hospital or maternity unit, they may suggest you go back home.

OP posts:
Original poster
allthesharks · 05/07/2020 23:27

Sorry, I'm using the app and it seems to ignore my paragraphs.

OP posts:
PlanDeRaccordement · 05/07/2020 23:44

This is when your cervix becomes soft and thin, and starts opening for your baby to be born.

That explains why I have no idea. They have to do an internal exam to be able to feel your cervix. I had zero internals.

Zoey92 · 05/07/2020 23:48

I was 2cm & my cervix was favourable at 38weeks when i had my first sweep.
I had my little one at 40+3 12hours after my 2nd sweep.

LethargicLumpOfLockdownLard · 05/07/2020 23:49

Days. Well, 36 hours at least, more like 40.

beansontoast20 · 06/07/2020 13:29

I woke up with contractions at 05.13am and went into hospital just before 2pm where they were debating over me being 5 or 8cm - is it anything over 4cm is 'active' labour? Baby was born at 4.13pm

Cattenberg · 06/07/2020 14:10

14 1/2 hours from my first contraction to reaching 4cm and being admitted.

The first four hours of the latent phase were easy, but the last few hours were horrible - painful and so demoralising. I wish I’d known that the latent phase would be the hardest part for me. Once I was finally admitted and had access to pain relief, I coped so much better.

Panda368 · 06/07/2020 14:25

Was 1cm /50% effaced at midwife appt on the thursday morning
Had a sweep
Mild contractions for most of the thursday
Mild contractions all friday morning abd woken at 3am with more
Saturday morning contractions on and off from 3am and picking up properly from 8/9am
Contractions very uncomfortable from lunchtime saturday - went to hospital about 9pm and sent home again (still 1cm and 80% effaced)
Strong awful contractions all saturday night
Sunday morning sick and got bloody show
Back to hospital 9am
Still 1cm and 100% effaced. Allowed to stay for 2 hours as they were quiet.
Final got to 4cm and admitted midday sunday.
My active labour after this was about 9 hours.
So latent was maybe about 24-30 hours for me. Fucking awful.

Ginmonkey84 · 06/07/2020 20:56

Latent labour for 3 days was more annoying than anything slight period pains every 20 mins off and on over those days usually fizzled out at night. First proper contraction was around 10pm. Checked and 3cm at 11:40pm fully dilated 1am baby born 2:27. She probably would have been born much sooner but she had her arm fully up in front of her face she came out like superwoman so I had to work really hard to push her out.

RockCrushesLizard · 06/07/2020 21:04

I had contractions at 10-15 min intervals from the Thursday morning, stopping for a couple of hours each afternoon. Ramped up to regular 3 in 10 minutes around 11pm on the Monday night. Went in at 1am on Tuesday, was at 4cm.

Latent Phase was definitely a thing for me! (I was shattered from lack of sleep before I even went to hospital!)

stressedhousebuyer · 06/07/2020 21:12

I went into labour at 11pm and went to the hospital for 6am the next day, I would say at about 4am it'll the contractions starting getting closer together, DS was born at 11am.

So 12 hours total labour probably about 5-7 hours then maybe

Tfoot75 · 06/07/2020 21:13

I don't really know. First Labour contractions started around 8pm, went to hospital perhaps 2am, examined maybe around 5am at 3cm, got into water and almost immediately started to feel the urge to push, baby born at 8am. So potentially quite long but then moved very quickly.

Second labour waters broke 5am, went to hospital and sent back home no examination, contractions started around 7am, back to hospital 9am baby born 12pm, no need for any internal examination but I guess my labours both progressed extremely quickly once I got into the birthing pool.

mrsed1987 · 06/07/2020 21:23

No idea. I started having mild contractions 8pm on Sunday night. Slept fine but then they continued all day Monday until my waters broke at 11pm. Went to hospital at 12am and was 8cm. Had him at 4.41am. Think it said 3hr 51 mins active Labour?

brightbluegentian · 06/07/2020 21:40

Contractions started Wed 6 am. painful and regular 5 mins apart. Continued until Saturday 4pm when my waters broke. Still wasn’t in ‘proper’ labour apparently. Started induction at 10pm. Baby born as EMCS at 6 on Sunday - so 80 hours ish!

Mcmole · 06/07/2020 21:44

Almost identical experience to @brightbluegentian, same timeframe and result. Your baby wasn't back to back by any chance?

brightbluegentian · 06/07/2020 23:29

@Mcmole Yes he was! and a massive head... If he’d been my first he’d be an only!

Buttybach · 06/07/2020 23:32

7 days

Cattenberg · 06/07/2020 23:35

I also had a back to back baby and an EMCS. I suppose I’m lucky my latent phase was “only” 14 1/2 hours.

How did some of you cope with days of regular painful contractions? Did they give you an epidural so you could sleep? I lost nearly two whole nights of sleep during my latent phase and labour and that was bad enough. Before, I had my Caesarean, I struggled to follow what the doctor was saying and I saw her as having three eyes and two mouths.

Bodgedboxdye · 06/07/2020 23:39

Started with contractions at about 5.30am on the Friday and I had her at 9.03am Monday morning.

My contractions were all over the place, sometimes painful, sometimes not. I stayed home till 6am Monday morning as by then I was getting the urge to push and didn’t really want to have her on the toilet. /:

Got to hospital, I was 9cm, they popped my waters and I had her a couple of hours later. (: