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Pregnancy

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

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Original poster

For those of you with fast subsequent labours...

24 replies

ShootTheMoon · 01/06/2015 20:26

How long did it take before you knew that the labour would be fast? And how did the labour start, and develop?

I had a reasonably speedy first birth and have hypermobility syndrome and gestational hypertension, both of which tend to result in fast labours. I live 40 minutes away from the hospital (but they want me to go in because of the hypertension) and I'm starting to get a bit worried that if things happen quickly I may be in the wrong place!

With DC1 I went into regular contractions from the outset and was at 8.5cm within a few hours of the first contraction. So how do fast labours generally go?

OP posts:

nutelladipper · 01/06/2015 20:32

I labour very quickly and had 2hrs from start to finish with my DD going from 5cm to 10cm in 25 mins. my son (my first) was induced but active labour was 3hrs.
I'm pregnant with my 3rd and told to be very prepared
:(

Original poster

ShootTheMoon · 01/06/2015 20:37

Nutella - that's what I'm afraid of! I hope all goes well with #3

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cakedcrusader · 02/06/2015 05:58

Second time around I went from nothing to strong ctx every 2 minutes so I called and asked for a mw to come straightaway (homebirth). From the first ctx to holding the baby was 2 1/2 hours but I was expecting it to be fast as dc1 was under 4 hours.

In hindsight there were a few warning signs that labour was imminent - I had loads of twinges and braxton hicks in the weeks leading up to the birth but that day they were happening a lot more so I had a feeling it would be that night. If I knew that I had a long journey to hospital ahead I would have insisted on going in that afternoon rather than face a layby delivery. Ime mws tend to take second or more time mothers a lot more seriously than first timers and are unlikely to try to fob you off.

Original poster

ShootTheMoon · 02/06/2015 07:23

Caked, wow, straight to two minutes? I have had BHs since about week 12 and am having them more strongly now - same as last time. I will watch for the signs!

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Roseybee10 · 02/06/2015 08:52

I tend to have long latent labour and very fast active labours so it makes it so hard to gauge when it's going to happen.
I usual go from 3cm - 10 within the hour and then it's usually only an hour til birth. It's trying to figure out when that's going to happen that's hard.
With dd2 the mw came out to examine me at 4pm when I was 3cm. She left at 4.30 as she thought it would still be a while and by 5pm hubby was phoning her to come back as my waters had gone and we knew that was a good sign it was ramping up. Reckon I was 10cm by 5.30 and she was born just before 7.

findingherfeet · 02/06/2015 08:58

I was warned my second might appear quickly as I dilated fast first time round (whole labour was 8 hours in total so not that fast IMO!)

My son arrived in 1 1/2 hours start to finish, had him while I was standing up he just shot out at home!

If i was ever to have a third, I'd be camping outside the hospital from 38 weeks.

birkiekid · 02/06/2015 09:05

My first was around 4 hours first twinge to birth. Second time round was around 2.5 hours all told.

Our hospital was around 45 mins away and I had been warned that things could move quickly. It still took me about an hour to make up my mind that I was definitely in labour as although my pains were close and regular they didn't feel too bad. At that stage we decided to call MIL and go in.

Luckily MIL lives nearby so she came to babysit dc1 and we had a high speed drive to the hospital. I just made it to the delivery room and on to the bed, 3 pushes and dc2 arrived!

TheEmpressofBlandings · 02/06/2015 09:12

My first (induced) was just over 2 hours. Second time had first niggle around 10pm and called midwives immediately just to get on the home birth list. Regular contractions didn't start until 1:30am and didn't feel like proper 'labour' until 4:30am and he was born at 6am. Fortunately when we called the midwives at 4:30, they were ready and prepped and got to us within 15mins.
Third time, first niggle was about 2am, again called immediately and they sent a midwife straight away but they didn't arrive until 3:45 by which time I was already pushing!
If you (and the midwives) are prepared and ready to move at the first sign, you should be ok.
I admit I did research the best thing to do if you happened to give birth alone though, just in case.

Original poster

ShootTheMoon · 02/06/2015 09:50

Wow, these stories are amazing! I did know I was in very active labour the first time around from the first hour or two after contractions started, but I was using hypno techniques so was very quiet, and the MW didn't believe me on the phone. She didn't believe me in fact until she examined me and found me to be 8.5cm, and I was only there because I had insisted on going on because I was worried about how much I was bleeding. I will be a lot more assertive this time.

My local MW unit is lovely and is only about 15 mins away, but I'm not sure if I dare use it after the problems with my BP made me transfer last time. I'm still thinking about this because it's better to be with MWs than on the side of the road somewhere (also, my 40 minute drive is up to 2 or 2.5 hours in rush hour, it's horrendous!)

My other worry is that DH is in a job which may make him unreachable. Hopefully we can ask his work not to put him on that tasking after 38 weeks or so! But PILs are nearby and could come to look after DC1 on short notice, I hope.

empress I will definitely be reading up and briefing DH about what to do if things kick off very quickly. Last time our journey was much shorter, but I had 10 mins of one minute on, one minute off contractions in the car and I definitely don't wish to repeat that on a longer journey.

OP posts:

bakingtins · 02/06/2015 10:00

Dc1 7 hours
Dc2 2 hours, only just made it to hospital
Dc3 80 mins, was in the car by 2nd contraction, at the hospital with 40min to spare. MW initially refused to believe I was in established labour, wanted to send me home. When she examined me I was 9cm and DD arrived a few minutes later!
Luckily I had a day of feeling twinges and lost my mucus plug so I knew it was imminent, had DM with me to look after the older ones and DH in the car with the engine running

Original poster

ShootTheMoon · 02/06/2015 10:48

bakingtins bloody hell, that's cutting it fine! What is it about MWs and not believing experienced mothers? Mine are lovely here and I'm confident that if I go to the birth centre they will listen. Less confident about the hospital!

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howabout · 02/06/2015 10:54

All 3 times less than 2 hours from knowing I was in labour to the baby being here. I have never lived more than 15 minutes from hospital and always 9cm by the time I get there. Always ignore MW saying wait and see. No idea how fancy birthing suites work as I never got the chance to experience them.

rara67 · 02/06/2015 11:05

If you possibly can, I recommend that you ask to see the notes from when you had DC1. With DC1 I got to the hospital at 2am and he was born at 4.20am, for some reason I had got it into my head that you had to be at the hospital for 12 hours before the baby came (bloody NCT classes!).
It all happened too quickly and DH and I didn't have time to play cards or eat the sandwiches we made! At 37 weeks with DC2 we went to the hospital and the midwife manager went through my notes and I explained that I dilated about 1cm per 45 minutes (cant remember the exact times) On leaving the meeting I felt so reassured and positive which was lucky as DS2 was born 2 days later....I got to the hospital at 5pm and he arrived at 6.15pm. Good Luck!

Original poster

ShootTheMoon · 02/06/2015 12:04

rara very speedy . I have seen my notes briefly as I've been seen by a consultant due to gestational hypertension. I know I had my first contraction before 5pm, was having three contractions within 10 minutes by 7pm, went in between 8 and 9pm and was at 8.5cm. Things slowed down a bit because I had to be moved from the MW centre to delivery suite at the hospital (while in transition!) and was examined and given medication. And told not to push for an hour. I hardly pushed really and the only thing I don't know is how long I was pushing for. DC was born after midnight.

I'm happy enough to arrive in the late stages, but the contractions in the car were awful (I spent the rest of my labour on hands and knees) and I don't wish to repeat that.

I had no noticeable latent labour at all - I woke up from an unusual 4pm nap contracting hard and was in a regular rhythm from then on. So I suspect I wasn't at 0cm at 5pm, but much more dilated - who knows! I had lost my plug earlier that day but my waters didn't go until I was pushing. I imagine if DC2 is in a good position then it could all go pretty quickly, especially if I avoid transfer this time around.

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Mopmay · 02/06/2015 12:06

2 hours all done. MWS didn't really believe me and almost sent me home too!

rara67 · 07/06/2015 11:11

Shoot - have just read your OP. Check with your GP and or MW but surely you should be able to call an ambulance if you need to? Even if you are at the MW unit you can always be blue-lighted to hospital (this was what my MW said when she was trying to persuade me to have a home birth. Apparently the MW would have put the ambulance crew on stand by, but this may be different depending on where you live). Clearly this is not ideal but if you have all these contingency plans in place you hopefully wont need them.

Original poster

ShootTheMoon · 07/06/2015 14:54

Thanks rara, yes, ambulance is an option but I would find the transfer quite stressful and it's not necessarily a quick journey even in an ambulance - I regularly see them struggling to get through because people drive like asshats.

Definitely an option though! My BP is behaving reasonably well so my current plan is to aim for the MW unit

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Mangobubbles · 07/06/2015 18:46

1st labour 4 hours from first twinge to baby (10cm when arrived at hospital) 2nd labour 1 hour from first twinge, called MW straightaway and she arrived within 15 mins for a lovely home birth. Now due 3rd next week, am very nervous but have already had a few false alarms, which never happened before, so maybe this will be a very different labour. Good luck with your birth.

DaddysGoneAHunting · 07/06/2015 19:48

I'm
Expecting my 6th this week. I labour very quickly and go from 0-10 in under an hour. I'm scared of going for a poo currently in case she falls out! I'm having a home birth though as I don't fancy giving birth in the car.,

Original poster

ShootTheMoon · 07/06/2015 19:58

GoneAHunting that's terrifying to me on many levels

Good luck!

OP posts:

DaddysGoneAHunting · 07/06/2015 22:15

Yes that was probably really unhelpful. However if they are determined to be fast, there's not much you can do. Just go with it, stay as calm as you can and don't be scared.

SocksRock · 07/06/2015 22:38

My first was 12 hours or so. But no 2 was 1hr45min from nothing to birth and no 3 was induced. 45 minutes from first cx to delivery. I'm not having a 4th, but goodness knows what that would be.

Redhead11 · 07/06/2015 22:44

First labour was 3 hours 10 minutes, including placenta. I do have hyperextensive joints, but that was never mentioned to me at the time. Second time it was 1 1/2 hours, including placenta. I didn't ever contemplate a 3rd DC, but was told by my consultant that i would be looking at over 9lbs in weight and possibly under an hour and that I wouldn't be able to deliver naturally. But then, you hear so many stories, and one friend of mine had a quick labour first time, but was almost 24 hours the next time. who can really tell? Good luck.

DancingDinosaur · 07/06/2015 22:48

3 hours from the first twinge to delivery. I think they were about 3 mins apart straight away. It caught me out as I was at the nursery dropping dc1 off.

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