Fast labours (5 hrs from first twinge, or less!) Can you tell me about yours?

[Gerdticker]

My first DC’s labour was about 5 hrs start to finish. I had her in the pool at a birth centre, it was a great birth.

I had syntonetrine 20 mins after birth, then the cord snapped and I had to have my placenta manually removed in theatre, plus a blood transfusion.

I’m really interested to hear about other people fast labours?

Did everything go to plan, did you choose to have syntonetrine/syntocinon for the third stage?

Is there anything you’d have done differently, or regretted? Or any thoughts or advice?

Thanks

With my daughter (my first) I was 3.5 hours from first twinge to delivery. It was intense. The pain didn't fully go away between contractions. I was at home in the middle of the night and feeling pressure so phoned the hospital, though the actual contractions were still every 10 mins, but they said to go in to be checked. I came off the phone and with the next one I needed to push. I panicked thinking I couldn't possibly be fully dilated yet so I tried to hold her in until the ambulance came. They managed to get me to the hospital and two contractions later she was out.

I got the injection and the placenta came out easily.

My daughter had a large bump on her head though from coming out so fast, which left her jaundiced and under the lamp for a few days in hospital. I was also torn quite badly internally because it was so fast and she came out hand first. They thought I might have to go to theatre to stop the bleeding but a doctor managed to stitch me in the room thankfully.

It wasn't too bad though. Apart from the panic that she would be born at home on the bathroom floor... I had no pain relief except some gas and air from the ambulance which helped take the edge off the panic. The gas was great for the stitches! They were awful.

I'm slightly worried about my second labour if it's likely to be faster, but I'm confident I know what to do now and I'm hoping the hospital will let me go in quite sharp. I'm only 5+3 though so plenty time to worry about that.

Wow @singleandttc you make my labour look positively slow Yes I too felt like there was no rest in between contractions.

I’m in the same boat for this pregnancy, hoping that the hospital just let me go straight in with DH this time - I’m planning to refuse internal exams, and and just want to get straight in the pool! I really hope there’s one free

Do you have a slick childcare plan for this time? It’s a bit trickier planning the second one isn’t it!

I’m doing all the hypnobirthing stuff to try and stay chill and positive though

(And having seen my lovely sis go through a 30 hr labour, I’d definitely choose the short intense one over her experience, poor thing)

Dc number 6 I was fast asleep.. At 10. 30 pm huge waves of pain woke me up. Panicked slightly as I was an hour at best from the hospital..
Gave birth still wearing dress and shoes at 12.20 am!!
Dc 2 I was asleep. At midnight waters broke and he was born at 2.55am in hospital.

Mine was 2 hours. The midwife thought I was acting and had watched too much TV. Ended up with ptsd, pnd and anxiety. Used an independent midwife for the second one.

Fwiw my second one was much longer (due to positioning) and far more pleasant. But only 20 minutes once she was in the right place.

Would like to add having a fast labour isn't always great.. I had needed a wee and couldn't have one (in the ambulance). The urge had gone by the time I got there.. My bladder suffered trauma and I needed to self catheterise for a year. No problems with further pregnancy /labours though. If you suspect a speedy labour make sure you have a wee!!

Second DD , waters broken by midwife ( because of reduced movements) at 1705 , contractions started at 1725 and she was out at 1830! The pain was very very intense . I went from nothing to a million in minutes. No time for pain relief . Luckily she popped out ( all 9lbs of her) no problem with only a small tear .
DD1 was similar but slightly longer at 3 hours!

@Sunnydaysstillhere thank you that’s a good tip! I had to be catheterised straight after birth last time, to assist in getting the placenta out. Will definitely make sure I visit the loo lots on early labour this time!

DC1 two hours from the start of pain. Retained membranes, pph and a tear. DC2 two hours, but I got to 5cm with no pain. Probably about half an hour real pain, no tears. DC3 two days in labour, back to back, five hours of agony with a midwife who didn't believe in painkillers. No tears.

I wasn't quite as speedy as some of you but quick than I wasn't anticipating.

My waters broke around midnight. I went into labour in the early hours. Contractions were 3 in 10 minutes and 30 seconds long from start. We went in around 9 to be checked I was 2 cm. Begged to go back at 11.30 first midwife tried to fobb me off "if you really are struggling I suppose you could come in." she spoke to the midwife I had seen earlier and she said there was room for me in the mlu regardless of how far along I was. I was fully dilated. Thankfully the midwife set the pool running when I phoned so I was able to poo then get in the pool baby was born shortly after.

Tip - I started obsessing about just needing to poo in order to get more comfortable. Luckily my partner remembered from the antenatal class that this can be an indicator that you are about the start pushing. In hindsight, my body was starting to want to push from the time I put the phone down but I was fighting it - thankfully it was only a 10 minute drive!

She was 8 days early and as my labour started over night and was quick I have had a bit of a hard time believing it happened. It feels like a dream. I went to bed pregnant and the next day I had a baby. The bit in the middle feels like it happened to someone else. I didn't get to put my playlist on or eat any of my labour snacks. Its all feels surreal.... Anyone else feel like this afterwards?

My first one 4 1/2 hours, I had a temperature and it ended up being strep b. Both treated in hospital with anti biotics. In for 3 nights (was going to be a week but I argued for anti biotics at home). Also had what they thought was a bad tear, needed to go to theatre but was ok in the end.

Second birth maybe 5 1/2 hours. I nearly had a retained placenta. Turned out as I hadn’t had a wee before my bladder was full and so blocking it from coming out. Had to have a catheter put in and then it came out without me having to have to go to theatre luckily. So I second the other poster who says to make sure you have a wee!

4.5 hours from first contraction to birth for first one
6 minutes and 3 contractions for second.

Was booked in for a growth scan for second in so was actually at the hospital when it happened with DS1 who was 18 months. Was on the way to Christmas sales when it all happened. DS came out feet first in 3 contractions from start to finish with the emergency alarm going off and a rush of midwives and doctors once they realised what was going on. Luckily the head man was on site doing paperwork along the corridor so delivered him with no problems.

3rd was 22 hrs following and induction so you can never tell

Second baby, waters broke at 3am, waking me up.
I was at hospital by 3.45 (luckily super close)
When I arrived I was having mild pain, midwives sat me down and went to get a monitor.
3 huge contractions later I had a daughter, 7 pounds 2 ounces. At 3.58am.
No tearing, no nothing, I was still wearing my coat.
Other than sneezing constantly for the first few hours, she was perfectly fine.
I remember a couple of lovely nurses laughing as they discharged us about how fast she arrived!

Just under 2 hours. First contraction came at about 10.15 and there was no gap whatsoever. Went straight to the hospital, arrived at hospital about 11. Midwife had a look and he was crowning. He arrived all 8lb 6oz of him at 11.54. I had the injection but he had passed his meconium and they needed to get the placenta out quickly so the midwife literally knelt on my stomach. Hurt far more that the actual birth. I did lose a lot of blood but no tearing.

I woke up having had the weirdest dream I've ever had in my life. It was about the apocalypse . It was nearly 10am, I went to the loo and when I wiped there was blood, so I panicked, went and woke up DH and he checked and said my waters were breaking. He drove me to the hospital and ran over his own toe when he was pushing me in a wheelchair (apparently I can never understand how painful that was 😂). It was my first pregnancy and was twins, I was expecting a c-section at 38 weeks so I was worried there was something wrong. However, DS was born at 11:40 and DD at 11:52. The most painful part for me was the man trying and failing multiple times to give me an epidural. I wasn't allowed to push until he did, in case o needed an emergency c-section. But in the end a woman pushed him out of the way and did it for him. I loved her

@Superscientist

Yes on my notes from last time it says ‘mum says she feels like she needs to poo’ ... apparently I then did, in the water then she was born about 20 min later, with me trying to slow things down as much as I could!

I also didn’t have time for the snacks and affirmations and nice things that I’d planned - it was all v v intense.

I wish I had a crystal ball to know what this next baby has in store for me

2 hours and 4 minutes from 'feeling a bit odd' to husband delivering the baby. We were due for a home birth anyway, but the midwife didn't get there on time so the ambulance phone responder talked us through it. I was hypnobirthing so very chilled and relaxed. Paramedic arrived 3 minutes after the birth, the midwife 10 minutes later. Needed injection for the placenta but otherwise all fine. Older DS (3 at the time) got a tour of the ambulance and they put the lights on for him. He still remembers it!

@Gerdticker I'm single so I'm hoping my mum will manage to come pick up my daughter in time. I'm not convinced my sister will make it to be my birth partner because she lives about an hour away and won't be able to leave work if it's during the day. I'll be fine delivering on my own if need be though.

I'd LOVE a water birth this time if I can. There just wasn't time last time. I didn't even get a chance to turn over. I was determined not to give birth on my back but did. The midwife read my birthing plan after it was all over and laughed that at least I got the drug free labour I wanted, even if nothing else worked. Or was even looked at.

@singleandttc it’s so hard not knowing how it might go isn’t it! Have you considered a home birth? I was really keen to have one - would have made the childcare question much simpler and less stressful, as my mum could just come round and occupy DC1 with CBeebies upstairs! but sadly I had a Haemorrhage last time so they advised hospital is best.

Reading all these stories of super fast labours does make me wonder if I’ll make it in time!

My first was 5 hours from first twinge, lovely water birth, few stitches and really positive. My second was born in a hospital corridor one hour after I woke up and felt a bit off, only just made it as had to wait for my mum to get DC1. I hated it, everyone says how lucky to be so quick but I felt out of control and didnt really realise what was happening even when the midwives were rushing around saying they could see her head. I re ran it in my head for ages. Third, I was lucky as my waters broke first and I went to hospital despite no contractions. When they started DC3 born in under an hour, in the pool and a really good experience. DC3's birth really helped me deal with the second. Good luck.

@Bythepath wow, three incredible birth experiences; I’m so glad the third experience helped heal the second

Your experience makes me think I should possibly dismiss my notions of going for a walk in early labour like last time... maybe I should just get to the hospital and ask them to hurry up getting the taps on!

@ILoveAnOwl

What an amazing story! Bless your lovely DH. I think mine would secretly be happy to do it all himself too...! Did you guys cut the cord or wait for the paramedic?

And My DD would love to see inside a real ambulance

Dc1: waters went at 10pm, contractions started 30 mins later, departed for hospital at this point (20 mins drive). Pushing started an hour after contractions started and lasted an hour. So 2 hour labour. Gas & air. No tearing.

Dc2: waters went at 11.30pm, planned home birth. Rang hospital to request midwife. Contractions started about 10 mins later, had about 4 or 5 contractions then gave birth approx 15 mins after 1st contraction. Unsurprisingly, no midwife. Placenta took somewhat longer but we were all tuckedup in bed asleep within a couple of hours of my waters going.

5 hours doesn't sound overly quick to me!

We waited. In fact the paramedic waited until the midwife got there and just hovered in the corner as he said it was better to leave it to the experts. I'm still not convinced he wasn't just scared of my rampent bush!

DS1 was longer than yours (about 12 hrs from waters breaking, and 6 from contractions starting, 2 hrs in the hospital- and I had to refuse to go home when we were first assessed).
DS2 was 2.5 hours start to finish. Mum (childcare) got up the M1 and arrived the same time as the ambulance. DS2 arrived 30 seconds after the paramedics.....

Paramedics cut the cord, natural third stage, then the midwife appeared....

I know you have been advised for a hospital birth, but I would have a pile of stuff easily available incase it all goes too fast, and you end up at home. Then you wont be telling DH that no, the first towels won't do, as they are white, and the second set he produces wont do because they are the cat's towels......

First baby was 3 hours from first twinge to baby,
Second baby .. 45 minutes!
I’m currently pregnant with my 3rd and slightly concerned about how quick this one will be!!