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Pregnancy

Talk about every stage of pregnancy, from early symptoms to preparing for birth.

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Original poster

What's the actual definition of 'active labour'?

60 replies

Shootthemoon · 03/12/2014 13:14

I'm always really interested in threads where people take about how long they were in labour, but I can't help but wonder if people are including different stages in their estimates.

How long was your labour, and at what point did you class yourself as 'in labour'? And is there an actual medical definition?

My waters didn't go until I was pushing, so that can't be it. And I went into rapid contractions from the word go - though the MW told me on the phone that I couldn't possibly be in active labour as I wasn't making enough noise. (I was at 8cm) . Do some people count it from when they are assessed and a MW confirms that it is indeed active labour?

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Snatchoo · 04/12/2014 11:38

I don't actually know when I was in active labour, thinking about it. I know I started contracting about 6am, was in proper pain every 4-5 minutes by 9am and DS3 was born just before 1pm (or might be just before 2pm ).

The MW kept having to push my cervix back (or that's how I remember it!) so I don't know if maybe I was contracting a lot but my cervix wasn't open?

Original poster

ShootTheMoon · 04/12/2014 11:41

rosieprobert wow! How is that everyone else seems to have their notes? I honestly never saw mine after they were handed over to the MW on arrival. I think that's right iirc...

elliejj that sounds like not much fun at all! Isn't it amazing how different it is for all of us? Weirdly the only truly painful bit of my labour was when I was 10cm and the waters were bulging - it was very uncomfortable indeed. The MW laughed at me when I asked if it would feel better when my waters went, but it was loads better when I could actually push!

CDWales interesting you should say that - I have always described my contractions exactly the same way - powerful, rather than painful. Compulsive, overwhelming, but not exactly painful. I have a high pain threshold generally due to hypermobility syndrome and it was obvious to me that all the hormones in my body were working effectively. It's not something I talk about much as people don't like to hear it or think that my experience is somehow a judgment on them, which is not it at all. I wish more people could have it easy!

OP posts:

RabidZombie · 04/12/2014 12:22

My notes state that I was in labour for 9hrs 59mins which I always think is a bit odd; why not round up to 10? The pushing stage took 2 hours as DD was back to back.

Boobz · 04/12/2014 12:38

From my first contraction on a Wednesday at 18:45 to the birth on Sunday morning at 06:45, was 84 hours.

It took me forever to dilate, so latent labour just went on and on. I would say I was in quite a bit of pain from about Friday evening onwards so to me, active labour felt like 36 hours, but was only at the required 4cm dilated by Saturday evening, so my notes say my active labour was 12 hours.

Certainly felt a lot more active before that though! Latent labour is horrible - I didn't sleep for 3 days just about.

RosieProbert · 04/12/2014 12:47

There's a sheet with all that stuff on in the part of the notes that I got given to bring home. The midwife just writes on lined paper inside when she does her visits.
Doesn't everyone get this? I'm in wales

Original poster

ShootTheMoon · 04/12/2014 13:21

I was never given any notes at all, but then I did have unexpected complications and a longer hospital stay than anyone thought. Maybe it just got overlooked?

OP posts:

nottheOP · 04/12/2014 15:10

I never got any notes either.

larryphilanddave · 04/12/2014 16:16

Here you get your antenatal notes during pregnancy (the A4 book that everyone writes in,at appointments) which they take when you give birth. When you are discharged you are given a print out summary of your birth - time in labour, type of birth, weight of baby etc. It's just a single sheet of A4, I was also given 2 copies, 1 for the HV and 1 for the community MW.

atticusfinchatemybaby · 18/12/2014 08:50

I started having regular, painful contractions at 6am on Sunday morning. Baby was born at 1.15pm Wednesday afternoon. That's about 82 hours. But my notes have labour as5 hours - starting at 8am on Wednesday morning when the midwife came round and confirmed I was 5cm. She'd been round the night before but said my cervix was "only" effacing, not dilating so "technically" it wasn't labour. I was keen to point out that if I punched her in the face right there and then, "technically" I wasn't responsible....

About to have DC2 and wondering, when people say second labours are shorter, are we talking shorter than 82 hours or shorter than 5?

Number3cometome · 18/12/2014 16:38

My labour (in hospital) was 30 hours. I had already been at home for 12 hours with regular contractions although not majorly painful.

When I got to the hospital I was 2cm dilated, but this moved to 5cm then stayed then for HOURS.

I kind of got used to the pain I guess? the gas and air helped.

They broke my waters after maybe 20 hours, that brought on some seriously strong contractions.

Everyone is different - dilation is only an estimate by feeling about really.

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