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Childbirth

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

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Original poster

Rapid 1st timers- your stories please!

49 replies

ellideb · 25/07/2008 16:53

I was wondering if any of you had a 'quicker then expected' 1st labour. I'm interested to hear your stories, particularly if it happened at home, planned or otherwise. It would be reassuring to know that not all 1st labours are long and drawn out!

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

PeachyBAHons · 25/07/2008 16:55

IME the long drawn out ones hurt less

Am comparing ds2 (44 hours) to ds4 (about an hour)- ds2 much less painful!

jocesar · 25/07/2008 17:03

Had my first baby 2 wks ago. Waters broke 3am, contractions started 4am, strong contractions 6am, 10cms 7.30am, baby out 8am. Brilliant experience, no pain meds, no tears. Was in a pool though which I'd really recommend. also went into it with a positive frame of mind and no fear- had done a hypnbirthing course in pregnancy.

Original poster

ellideb · 25/07/2008 17:03

Really Peachy? btw 44 hours is a looooong time, then 1 hr! Weren't you exhausted?

OP posts:

PeachyBAHons · 25/07/2008 17:06

not really- fab nhs unit had massage, aromatherapy, really fought to keep me there rather than main unit; I also bookee myself out and went to garden centre LOL

really quick ones can mean you don't build up enough natural painkillers (endorphins)

StealthPolarBear · 25/07/2008 17:15

Mine was quicker than expected, only because I expected it to be days
Not sure what counts as labour either - was about 45 hours from 1st contraction to baby - is that it?

kazbeth · 25/07/2008 17:16

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

ScarletPimpernel1976 · 25/07/2008 17:29

Mine was a planned home birth (was meant to be in water but didn't have time to fill) and was 5 hours from first contraction to delivery of baby. I went from 0 to 10 cm in about 3 hours and then managed to slow things down long enough for midwives to arrive and catch my breath!

Renaissancewoman · 25/07/2008 18:02

My first was 2 and a half hours. Made it to hospital with 20 minutes to spare. I couldn't get onto the bed for an examination and was screaming for an epidural,the pain was unbelievable and I was thinking I can not do hours and hours of this. Eventually I got onto bed and first examination was "here is baby's head" I didn't even conciously push, 2 involuntary shudders later my daughter was born, 7lb 15oz.
The whole thing was amazingly short,intense and dramatic but the recovery was immediate and I could walk to loo straight after delivering placenta.
I wouldn't have had it any other way. My only worry was when I was pregnant with no. 2. I thought he'd be born outside King's Cross on the way to hospital and so went for a home birth. As soon as it started I got down on all fours with bum in the air to slow everything down. He took 6 hours but was bigger at 9lb 1 oz and I had to actually work to deliver him. I am 6months pregnant and have no expectation of what this one will be like...

MeMySonAndI · 25/07/2008 18:05

I have a friend who just made it to hospital, he woke up in the middle of the night when her waters broke, went to the hospital immediatly afterwards, husband drop her at the ward, went to park the car, when he returned the baby was crowning.

Mine was 27 hrs though..

mad4mybaby · 25/07/2008 18:27

4 hours and the contractions were one on top of the other and there was no timing nothing and mw at hosp kept saying not to come in and being first timer i listened to them thinking i had days of it but was v sick so dh rang up and i couldnt talk to them on phone so they said come in. I was 8-9cms when i got there and ds was born an hour later. Afterwards was rotten so jealous of RWoman being able to get up to the loo. Stitches were worse than birth by far and was in a wheelchair, helped into birth and was shuffling about for about 8 weeks!

MrsSylar · 25/07/2008 18:34

First labour was 2 hrs from first contraction to delivery.

Second labour - basically didn't have contractions. Went for a stretch and sweep (was overdue) and was told I was 7 cm dilated. Didn't feel a thing - except maybe a bit of back ache? Anyway, sat around not doing very much, (well, reading Hello! actually) they kept examining me, and when they said I was fully dilated they broke my waters, and ds pooped out 25 minutes later.

Easy peasy labours tbh, but having the third degree tears aferwards was a total BITCH!!!

Dc3 was an elective section - no way was I going to shred my downstairs a third time

Original poster

ellideb · 25/07/2008 19:11

Wouldn't mind your 2nd labour MrsSyler, I thought those were only myths. Did you really not feel any pain?

OP posts:

mad4mybaby · 25/07/2008 19:17

mrssylar do you think you had 3rd degree tear because baby came too quick?

laura325630 · 25/07/2008 19:17

My dd is 6 weeks old and my first. My waters started leaking on the Tuesday and on the Wednesday I woke with very mild period pains that got closer together. Went to hospital at 5pm and had her at 7.11pm. The midwives timed it from when I got there - 2 hours as the contractions had been so mild. They actually stopped for 20 mins when I got the hospital then came back all at once!! Only had time for gas and air - Great stuff!! I passed out on it and came round with someone telling me I was fully dilated - I thought they were joking!! I was in shock for about an hour afterwards as it had happened so quickly!

I took rasberry tea tablets and walked every evening for an hour from 2 before due date. She was 1 day early!

The midwives have recommended a home birth for my next one!!!!!

StealthPolarBear · 25/07/2008 19:21

So what does 'labour' mean then? if it's waters breaking mine was about 3 hours. But then some babies are born in the sac...

dooneygirl · 25/07/2008 19:50

Woke up at 2 am and kept turning the a/c on because I was so hot. At 4:30, I decided to go have a look on the computer to see why I was so hot. It said that could be a sign of imminent labor. So I took a shower and told DH it was because I was going into labor soon. At 5 am, I had a huge pain. DH threw me in the car and took me down to the hospital, which was 3 minutes away.

The people on the birthing unit weren't too impressed that I didn't know how far apart my contractions were, and we had just come down on the 1st one, so they took their time examining me, even though they were very painful and close together. Their entire attituce changed when they examined me and found I was at almost 10 cm. They called the Dr. and she had to break my waters. At a few minutes after 8, DS was born, and the Dr. even said it probably would have been sooner if he didn't have such a big head, and wasn't 9 lbs.

dooneygirl · 25/07/2008 19:51

Attitude, even.

whatironing · 25/07/2008 19:59

I had a little bit of bleeding and was kept in overnight after being told there was no sign of anything and I would go home in the morning.

Waters broke at 4am, DS born 2.5 hours later. At 4:30 Midwife gave me two paracetomol and told me I'd be hours (she didn't check anything).

Bit worried that DC2 will be born on the M11

RuthT · 25/07/2008 20:04

DD1 was 5.5 hours labour and had a hospital birth - won't go into details as did not have a great hospital birth - midwife made me go on my back

DD2 was 5.5 and used tens up to 5cms then hopped in a birthing pool and had a fab birth. It was all at home and I was much more relaced throughout whole thing. It was painful - always is but would vote home if no complications and short as you get it all over with and can then have your tea and toast

madmouse · 25/07/2008 20:20

StrealthPolarbear labour means the process of actually softening and dilating, including the first few cms (according to the great consultant Mr Impey who gets cross with mws who say a woman is not in labour when tings first start. according to him contractions are contractions are labour )

Midwives tend to count it either from 3cms dilated or from when you come in .

Heated · 25/07/2008 20:25

A family friend was told it would be hours, go and have a bath and that's where she had him.

giddykipper · 25/07/2008 20:27

Contractions started (very weakly) about 10am. About 5 mins apart at 3pm although still not uncomfortable, went to labour ward and was sent home as dilation hadn't started. Went home, got in the bath, fell asleep. Woke up about 6pm, contractions getting uncomfortable. Got DP to drive me back to hospital - got the urge to push in the car. Got into labour room, examined me and the head was crowning. DS born 20 minutes later, no time for any pain relief. He could so easily have been born at home in the bath!

ChasingSquirrels · 25/07/2008 20:31

my 1st was 2 hrs from 1st contraction, which was about 30 mins after my waters went. Went to hospital, arrived about 11pm, ds1 born 0.36am.

my 2nd on the other hand was about 15 mins after 1st labour contraction, which was 10 mins after my waters went. Had him at home (as planned), no m/w.

popsycal · 25/07/2008 20:32

I had a v quick first labour but I was induced so not sure that I count......
Had a lightning fast second labour though
Hold the front page for number 3 in sept

giddykipper · 25/07/2008 20:32

Blimey I thought mine was quick!

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