Quick births - did you have any signs that the labour would be quick?

[LolaBumble]

Expecting my second baby, and I just feel like it’s going to be a quick birth!

For those of you who have had quick labours, did you have an inkling that that would be the case?

Im 38+3 and feel a lot of pressure. I get very severe pain in my upper inner thighs in the evening - not constantly, sharp pain that ease off quickly. Also lots of ‘lightening crotch’. Just sort of feel like she’ll just shoot out of me… Baby has been engaged since my 34 week midwife appointment.

Can’t really remember how I felt with my daughter to compare. The labour with her was probably average/on the quicker side. Was in labour for 12 hours, but the first 8 hours were very manageable at home, then my waters went and she arrived 4 hours later.

Guess I’m just a bit worried about things kicking off quickly and being alone with my toddler, waiting for childcare and my husband being 1 hour away at work!

Yep, DS1 was pretty quick.
DS2 was 2 hours from first twinge to baby in arms (on the bathroom floor with the paramedics in attendance)

My waters broke with my 2nd one but I had no contractions. I called the labour ward and because my first labour was quick they asked me to come in anyway.

Dp couldn’t find anywhere to park so we spent ages finding somewhere and then I walked into the hospital and they asked me to wait in a room and suddenly, I knew ds was going to be born so I went on my hands and knees, quickly ripped off my pants and out he came. One contraction and that was it and he was born into my hands 😂.

I had no inkling whatsoever that it was going to be that fast but my first labour was quick

DS1 was 24 hours from first twinge to birth but DD2 was just under 2.5 hours. My waters broke in bed but I managed to get to the hospital in time , but arrived already 10cms dilated. It was a busy night and they wouldn’t give me any pain relief until they examined me - the midwife was pretty shocked when she realised I was already fully dilated! That being said, she turned the lights down low and it was just me, my husband and the midwife so I had an almost pleasant experience!

There were no real signs it would be so quick. Strangely it was the same for my sister and she ended up having my niece at home with no assistance.

No signs really but then I haven't ever had slow labour's so I don't have a comparison. Always very achey low down/lightening crotch. Had a mucus plug come out with my first so that did give me a heads up all seemed to be heading in the right direction. Rest of my family have all had slow labour c sections.

1st 5 hours water birth midwife led unit
2nd 2 hours pool home birth
3rd 30 mins delivered at home no assistance didn't even make it to the pool.

If I had a 4th I'd be scared to sneeze.

Omg 30 mins!!!! Lol at “scared to sneeze”.

Family history of quick births.
I wasn't believed.
Told by hospital to get some rest, it would be ages, only 7cm... DD was born 10 mins later with no one else on the room (DH trying to get help!)

I was listened to second time round!

I did have contractions for a few hours but they wrent painful, I could talk through them,walk etc which was why they didn't think birth was imminent.

Not as quick as some of these but the big clue for me was WEEKS of strong Braxton hicks.

I was born very quickly apparently so I knew there was a family history. and DC1 was very quick, in that contractions once started went almost straight to every 2 minutes.

DC2 we only made it to the hospital because it was early in the pandemic, DH was wfh and there was no one on the roads! A lovely healthcare assistant ended up keeping an eye on toddler DC1 at the hospital for the 15 minutes it took DC2 to be born.

Have you been offered a home birth this time round and is that something you're interested in? If not, just tell them on the phone you had a quick labour first time round (sounds like it was on the quicker side so not a lie) and go to hospital asap. If your husband isn't there and you are scared,dial 999.

Absolutely no inkling. No cramps, no mucous plug, nada. Just started having regular contractions, got checked by a midwife, 2cm. Was told it was early and should be manageable but the contractions were INTENSE. then when they checked again 2 hours later 4. Then again an hour later 9. 18 minutes later baby. So I guess the intensity of the contractions early on was the tell. 5 hours start to finish first baby.

First baby was 3 days of stop and start contractions. Second was 1 hour 37 mins from 4.5cm to cradling baby. No warning but contractions were one rolling agony and didn't stop until dc was out and omg the relief. No time for drugs or anything.

It's amazing how different each birth can be.

With my second my waters had broken about 10hrs prior and was told to phone the hospital when contractions started. I started to have strong contractions in the middle of the night and was told to go in.
In total my labour was 34 minutes!
On arrival I was put on a bed, the midwife checked and said I can see the head you can push if you want to.
I’ve never been so grateful that we lived so close to the hospital

I have fast labours (longest 2 hours 34 minutes and the shortest 34 minutes)

I dont know any different really-its the way Im built

I did suffer at pregnancy (I really struggled) but labours where fine

I had a quick birth with DC2. The main sign that it would be quick was that labour began with my waters breaking and the immediate onset of strong contractions. He was born 2.5 hours later. I don't think I had any signs before that though.

Just as a few people say their waters have broken, then painful contractions...

My waters only went a few minutes prior the birth both times.

I had very fast labours, I think the last one was about an hour and a half (luckily we live very close to the hospital!), but I had no special signs beforehand.

Dc2 was born in 90 minutes of established labour. Apart from dc1, my waters breaking was always the first sign and then no contractions for ages. Dc2 and dc3 were both a slow build up and then really quick when they got going. Dc4 was an elective c-section and dc5 was an induction that didn't work.

Nope! First was 24½ hours from waters breaking (no twinges or anything before that). Second was 2½ hours from first twinges, was convinced at first that it was just stomach cramps not labour and ended up giving birth before paramedics even arrived. Third I was worried would be even quicker so planned home birth but ended up being a bit longer, about 4 hours all in and thankfully enough time for midwives to arrive

Strong Braxton Hicks I think is a sign. My last labour was 50 minutes from first twinge, but in hindsight I think the painless Braxton Hicks Id been getting earlier in the day were actually proper contractions. And possibly id been in slow labour for a couple of days.

My son is 10 weeks old now and was a really quick labour, I sort of had a feeling he would be shortly before and once labour started. With my daughter I was in slow labour for a week and then actual labour for 36 hours, I could feel a difference with my son absolutely. I had more pressure, my contractions were intense from the second my waters broke and I could just really FEEL him moving down in a way I didn’t really with my daughter.

With DD1, waters broke around 6am, contractions started at midnight and then she was born around midday. So not particularly quick.

But with DD2, I woke up had two contractions and then my waters broke and the contractions really intensified quickly. I was supposed to be having an ELCS due to breech position, so I went straight to triage and when I got there, I was scanned and she was head down. Which was lucky because she was born less than an hour later and only needed one push 😅.

The two differences were lots of BH with DD2 from very early on and also the contractions didn't do a slow ramp - they were just there very quickly. I also had preeclampsia with DD2 and various people have told me that preeclampsia or high BP can correlate to fast labours.

Having only had quick births, so only knowing about slower ones from reading about them. My contractions were strong from the very start, none of the period cramping type feelings. They were also about 4 minutes apart from the very start.

Thank you for your replies 🫶 love hearing about people’s labours, sounds like there is no real indication that labour is going to be quick! Can’t believe how quick some of your labours were though 😳 will just have trust the process and whatever will be will be…

I had that feeling too with my second, I could feel him moving down. It didn't feel awful or anything, but different to my first.
Both quick births, but it's true second is quicker.

Second labour was 45 minutes. I had lost my plug earlier in the day, but otherwise absolutely nothing to indicate a fast labour was approaching. My waters broke, babes arrived 45 minutes later. I was already in hospital which was lucky as we lived more than 45 minutes away and had I been at home I wouldn't have made it and DT1 needed ICU (they were quite prem). When they realised I was in labour they took some bloods to run some tests before giving me any pain meds, then left me with a student midwife thinking it would be hours yet, but she ended up going full panic when she realised I was birthing RIGHT NOW and both babies were born before the test results came back and practically before they could get anyone else in the room. Everyone was fine. A friend of mine had her baby in about five minutes -- she had guests in the house and popped upstairs to use the loo and had a baby instead of a poo.

My first was super quick. I was in hospital because i` was high risk I went from 3 cm dilated to him being born in 35 mins.

I was told to contact hospital as soon as i had an inkling with no 2 and went in even though contractions were not regular. Again she came very quickly within an hour of turning up. My waters didn't even break before she came!