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!

No because I was induced 10 days over 🤣 2cm-born in 42 mins.

2 c sections after that haha.

Had a couple of weeks of braxton hicks getting quite regular and strong but then fizzling out when i went to bed. Then one night woke up at 2.30am with the real deal, baby born at 4.30. My first had been a full weekend of labour so I was stunned!

Dc2 was quick, i had contractions and shooting pains down my legs. Told I was only 1cm but i insisted on staying, they gave me pethidine and 5 minutes later Ds arrived!

My first was 45 mins beginning to end. 12 days overdue and not a single twinge - no Braxton hicks, nothing. My first contraction was incredibly painful and there were no breaks in the contractions at all, so we went straight to hospital (fortunately 10 mins away!) and son was born about 30 mins later.

1st birth was an emergency cs after a failed induction.
Births 2, 3 and 4 were fast. No signs with baby no 2 but we were prepared with 3 and 4 and were proved right 😂

Less than three hours with DC2 and DC3. No indication it was going to be quick. DC1 was a failed induction, leading to EMCS so don't know how long that would have taken "naturally".

I had 2 quick births.

Dc1 - 2 hours. No signs it would be quicker.

Dc2 - 15 mins. I'd been contracting from 21 weeks, I thought BHs but I got sent in for monitoring around 32 weeks as they thought it might be UTI related. Having had the machine on me for a couple of hours, and having what I thought were very few contractions, I was admitted to have steroid injections - so they were clearly more concerned about them than me.

I had a feeling from very early on that I'd go early. First and only baby and no family history so had no reason to think that, especially before I had a big bump/low pressure.
Waters broke at 35+4 but no contractions at all...because I was pre 37 weeks they kept me in for antibiotics and I spent my time sending very flaky handover emails to colleagues since I was supposed to still have 2 weeks left at work. They were going to discharge me the following day but I started having very intense contractions at about 3:30am...no pain relief, waiting for someone to examine me but it was very busy. Told I'd be hours yet...4am I wanted to push and when they examined I was 10cm. Midwife phoned my OH and told him to come in quickly 😂. Because my waters had gone 36hrs before it was a 'dry birth' so actual pushing part was slow(ish) and he arrived at 6:41.
We had actually collected our pram and car seat earlier on the same day my waters broke so I think my body just went, well that's everything you need, lets do this.

My first was 1 hour 20 minutes from 3cm to him being born! I had no idea it would be so quick and didn’t even realise until he was born and I asked the time… currently pregnant with second and scared how quickly he will come!

I actually made a MN thread under my old name, the contractions were very weak/short but coming very quick. I was wondering if it was BH, I ended up going in to check if my waters had broken and I gave birth to DD as soon as I got therr

Mine was 'officially' around 3/4 hours. I'd had a sweep that morning and started having some achey feelings in my lower belly from dinnertime that evening, which I'd been told to expect. I can only think they must have actually been contractions, though, because I went to bed early and then woke up at 2:30am as my waters broke. Husband called the hospital to let them know, but within 15 minutes of him getting off the phone, I needed to push already. Cue another phone call and they sent over the home birth team (we were already planning on a home birth, so were prepared) and DH stayed on the phone with the hospital being prepped to 'catch' the baby in case the midwives didn't arrive in time 😅. They arrived with plenty of time, thankfully, and I think I ended up pushing with them for around 2 hours until baby arrived at almost 6am.

Just to update, my hunch was correct, was only in labour for a couple of hours! Luckily my husband was home and my toddler in nursery 😅

All 3 of my children were born within 2 hours…no. 3 was born at home before midwife had time to arrive! I didnt have any signs in pregnancy it would be quick. I did have terrible sickness with all 3 and i always think the quick, easy births were my reward for the months of suffering beforehand!

Congratulations @LolaBumble, glad it all went well, it is a worry when you have quick labours.

Congrats!

Ahh congrats! Hope all went well. Its funny that I know lots of second babies who were born whilst big siblings were in nursery - there's probably something about the reassurance of knowing they are safely looked after that gets all the oxytocin flowing!

I had the same symptoms and concerns that DC2 would arrive early and fast - had all the pressure etc from 36 weeks but baby actually arrived a few days late. Labour was much faster than first and very straightforward- around 4-5hrs from first contraction to birth. Home 4hrs later! Good luck! (Edited to say Congrats - just saw latest post, that's amazing!)

Thank you all!! 🥰