What is the longest labor you've had?

[Renee in NC]

My SIL is *still* laboring with her first baby. She called me yesterday at 7am to ask me if she were in labor. I told her she was in early labor (mild contractions 10 minutes apart) and that she would probably have the baby the next morning (which would have been this morning.)

 

So, she's at 36+ hours with about 28 of that contractions that she had to breathe through.

 

Anyone else have crazy long labors?

[abbeyej]

My first was roughly 8am till 11pm the following evening. In retrospect, I think stress and dehydration were major, major factors in that. Is she getting enough to drink -- and maybe some food too? I know hospitals often discourage eating during labor, but for me it's absolutely essential.

[Renee in NC]

My first was roughly 8am till 11pm the following evening. In retrospect, I think stress and dehydration were major, major factors in that. Is she getting enough to drink -- and maybe some food too? I know hospitals often discourage eating during labor, but for me it's absolutely essential.

 

I imagine she has an IV and no food - that's standard in a hospital isn't it?

[kokotg]

I imagine she has an IV and no food - that's standard in a hospital isn't it?

 

Depends on the hospital...I've had babies at 3 different ones; I don't think any of them required IV (heplock, yes). One of them was fine with eating and drinking.

 

My first was 24 hours--almost all of that with contractions no more than 3 minutes apart. I always say I recommend skipping your first labor and starting out with your second. 6 hours and 100x easier than my first.

[iwka]

3 C-sections, all with complications

 

1st - after 24 h

2nd - after 4h

3rd - scheduled

[Renee in NC]

Depends on the hospital...I've had babies at 3 different ones; I don't think any of them required IV (heplock, yes). One of them was fine with eating and drinking.

 

My first was 24 hours--almost all of that with contractions no more than 3 minutes apart. I always say I recommend skipping your first labor and starting out with your second. 6 hours and 100x easier than my first.

 

Ahhh...I have had an IV with all of mine, including the birth center births as I am always Beta Strep positive.

 

I was induced the last time and I asked them if I could eat first. It was fine as long as they hadn't actually started the pitocin. Once they did I couldn't eat, but I could drink.

 

She's always good at drinking her water so she probably is!

[Audrey]

My SIL is *still* laboring with her first baby. She called me yesterday at 7am to ask me if she were in labor. I told her she was in early labor (mild contractions 10 minutes apart) and that she would probably have the baby the next morning (which would have been this morning.)

 

So, she's at 36+ hours with about 28 of that contractions that she had to breathe through.

 

Anyone else have crazy long labors?

 

 

I was over 60 hours with my son, then they did a c-section.

[Veritaserum]

Well, it depends on how you want to count it. :tongue_smilie: I have prodromal labor (on again, off again, sometimes regular and intense) for weeks beforehand. My longest "active" labor was my last one at nearly 22 hours. I use hypnosis, though, and I eat and drink as I please (home birth) so it was still easy. :)

 

I hope things pick up!

[Renee in NC]

She got pitocin a little over an hour ago and it's a GIRL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[cathmom]

They let me have a drink with the twins when I had been in labor for about 18 hours - it was a total 21 hour labor.

[elegantlion]

Went in hospital Friday evening, labored and laid in hospital until Monday afternoon when they decided to do a c-section. :glare: So about 2 1/2 days. They discovered scar tissue from a previous surgery had thrown me into early labor. I stayed in the hospital for almost another week while ds got to go home with dad and grandma. The doctor told me I should NOT be pregnant again, I agreed. We are very happy with our one precious child.

[Karen FL]

I had a maddening 36 hours with my first child. I tried to deliver at a birthing center once my contractions were close enough. They sent me to the ER in my mom's car after two hours of pushing. My child's head was right there. I had to lie down in her big Lincoln Continental on my side. When I got to the ER my midwife kept telling me not to push. I was screaming in pain.

The ER doctor started yelling at the midwife and telling her he didn't want to touch me due to the liability. They argued for a good five minutes while I yelled out in pain. Once they got me up on the table the ER doctor yelled, "OMG! She's crowning!" They said I had hardly any amniotic fluid left. He told me he was going to give me three chances to push. He had me sign for a c section and called in a neonatoligist for the baby. Apparently, I'd been leaking amniotic fluid for three days. The midwife kept telling me it wasn't amniotic fluid. She said it was urine because her brand new litmus paper didn't change to a certain color. I'd also had green discharge which I thought was meconimum. She told me that it wasn't meconium and that it was probably my mucus plug.

After that I had a high fever and was treated for chorioamnionitis with double antibiotics for three days.

The doctor was livid and said I was lucky that I didn't end up with a special baby.

I'm not anti-midwife or anything but I had a young inexperienced one. I hope she's better. The birthing center sent us a $600 bill for our insurance part. My dh is an attorney and he wrote them a letter telling us there was no way we were going to pay that bill. They released us from the bill.

I did end up with having our baby naturally but my dh says there was nothing natural about it. :)

I very rarely tell anyone that story. I especially won't tell anyone who is pregnant.

[Lisa in the UP of MI]

This makes me feel blessed for my first labor. I woke up to light contractions about 4 minutes apart at 4 am. Labor was easy until my water broke around 5 pm. Then it was rough, but my dd was born just before midnight. So about 20 hours, with only the last 6 1/2 being rough. My last labor was only 4 1/2 hours, start to finish.

[Retired]

first labor water broke @1:00am and delivered around 10:30 am

second labor water broke @1:00 pm delivered around 11:30 pm

 

pretty cool timing both were on Sunday

[newlifemom]

Hmmm, 1st and only labor lasted rougly from 7pm-midnight. From 7-9 it was barely noticable(induced with cervidil), after that they broke my water and 20 mins later I had an epidural and by 11 I was in the operating room. So actual intense pain, 20 mins. All Cs after that. Of course, there is a little thing called post-op recovery that is a tad painful.:D

[Jean in Newcastle]

72 hours. Back labor. Threw up the last 14 hours (yes- that long - they were giving me drugs they give cancer patients for nausea to try and get me to stop). All the ORs were full and my Dr. was busy with a whole slew of maternity emergencies all at once so they didn't do the C- section they would have done otherwise. Both my Dr. (a 25 year veteran) and my labor nurse came in after the baby was born to tell me how scared they were.

 

But - don't let my experience scare you!

 

I hope the baby girl is born soon!

Edited May 13, 2009 by Jean in Newcastle

[Brooketopia]

My longest labor was five hours--both with 2nd and 3rd. My first was two hours, which sounds great, but is completely and horrifically frightening when it's your first experience with having babies!

 

I always laugh a bit when this topic comes up in converastion...when I'm asked, I sometimes say "Twelve hours" and then inevitably am asked with which one and then I say, "Total for all three." Hee hee. :D

 

But my mom was in labor with me for 36 hours and my aunt was 32 with her first...so glad I'm not carrying on the family tendency for long labors! (And yes, they are rather peeved with me about it.) ;)

[HeatherLynn]

36 hours with the first one, 8 with the second, and over 48 with the 3rd.

[tricia]

Ouch. I feel bad for her. My longest was 7 hours and my shortest was 20 minutes. Seriously, 20 minutes from the first pain to birth. Not bad for baby number 11. Baby number 12 was pretty much the same. Perhaps though she might want to move around a bit. Maybe the baby isn't quite in the birth canal yet. I had one do that and getting myself up and moving around did the trick.

[Guest janainaz]

9 hrs with the first, miserable back labor. I did not know I was in labor, I thought I just had a really awful back-ache. I got to the hospital and an hour later my son was born.

 

7 hours with the second - normal contractions.

[CactusPair]

Congratulations! A girl, what wonderful news! I'm so glad the pitocin worked for her.

 

It didn't work for me, but my ds was found to be posterior. Wished they could have figured that one out before he was trying to crown. He was eventually born with the help of forceps and some drs. who, thank goodness, knew how to use them. That baby was stuck!

 

I labored in the hospital 32 hrs., plus 10 or so hours of active labor at home before hand. About 8 hours of light labor before that.

 

I'm expecting right now. I'm so hoping for a nice, boring labor.:D

[Peela]

My first labour started with waters breaking on the Saturday afternoon, very mild contractions till the Sunday evening when the hospital called me in and induced me. Dd was born at 1am on the Tuesday morning.

I think the issue is more whether the baby is in stress. Dd never was, the whole labour. She was 3.5 weeks early, too.

 

Ds was born in 90 minutes, and had muconium which meant he was stressed.

[Melissa in Australia]

48 hours of pretty intense labour. I was in hospital for most of it. my waters never broke. I birthed most of his head with the membrane intact. I always thought if they had broken it he might have been born a little faster. my doctor really believed in natural births without any interference as long as the baby isn't stressed. but maybe it is just my son's personality. he always takes his time with everything.

I ended up with maternal fatigue. it took me 4 months to recover.

Edited May 13, 2009 by melissaL

[Frelle]

My labors were:

18 hrs

3 1/2 hrs

1 hr 15 minutes

5 hrs 45 minutes

[Pamela H in Texas]

Anyone else have crazy long labors?

 

Yep...but the reason was obvious (doesn't sound the same for your SIL). I started medication to STOP labor at 19 weeks. I had it changed many times over the weeks. At 34 weeks, my body just couldn't hold out any more. We stopped medication, but the contractions were just medium, nothing really strong. Finally, they gave me some pitocin which worked until the OK City bombing and then labor stopped progessing (though definitely PAINFUL) again (I'm in my 4th day at this point and it's really getting tiring and stressful and worrisome). About 7 hours later, my doctor tells me that if I had an epidural, I'd probably have my kid very quickly. I HATED the idea, but after 4 days, I'm exhausted and just had to do SOMETHING. I had my son within the hour of getting that epidural. I should have done that 3 days prior!

[lynn]

All 4 of mine have been 4-5 hours from the first ouch that hurts to holding baby.

[MamaT]

I labored 22 hours with my first, then had a c-Section. I had a different doctor with my second, who was against v-bac, so he was a scheduled c-section. I tried a v-bac with my third, and after 21 hours, had my third c-section. My fourth was a scheduled c-section.

 

My girls were the easiest. We went to the hospital when they were ready to come home and picked them up! Adoption is wonderful!:001_smile:

 

Congratulations on the baby girl!

[momtolgd]

My labors were:

 

DS: 23 1/2 hours (induced because of pre-eclempsia)

 

DD: 8 hours

 

DS: 3 hours

 

I think it is fascinating how we moms remember so many details of each birth and can recall them years later! :001_smile:

[SquirrellyMama]

Wow, I can't believe how long some labors were. I've been very fortunate with all of mine.

 

DD#1 8 hours

DS 6 hours

DD #2 4 hours

[amy g.]

I think I was in real labor between 3 and 5 hours.

 

I was given Pitocin with the first 3. I thought that was why my labor was so hard and fast.

 

I did not have Pitocin with Miss Bossy, and if I had been just staying at home, I could have had her 1 hour after my water broke, and I started transition. I spent most of my labor with her trying not to push.

[Blue Hen]

40 hrs, in the hospital labor. They started to induce me at 38hrs and my DS was born after 40hrs labor.

 

For the second they induced me again and after 9-1/2 hrs he was born.

 

Carole

[Annabel Lee]

Labor began with my dd when my water broke on a Friday evening at 6:30 PM. Labor was slow, and stalled for 4 hours during the day on Saturday. They put in a pitocin line, and she was born Sunday night at 11:42 PM. This was w/o any type of painkillers. Yikes. She was a preemie and I had eclampsya (toxemia) - complications.

 

My next 2 (boys) were 9 lbs, and 9 lbs 3 oz. Somehow I was able to get those watermelons out in an hour. :001_huh:

[calandalsmom]

I start measurable contractions around 20 weeks and after all the exercise my uterus is in super good shape or something.

 

My longest unmedicated labor was probably around 2 or 3 hours or something and all my labors were painless (until they added pit. to combat the mag in the hospital). My hospital labor was long even tho I didnt go to hospital until 6 cm- they messed it up with mag sulfate. I was at the hospital around 3 am and the baby came at 11 the next day. Obviously that isnt normal for me.

 

Pushing really sucked it and I pushed for 45 mins each and every time.

 

which worked out well with baby 2 because if Id been a good efficient pusher he'd have been born in the car.

Edited May 13, 2009 by calandalsmom

[Jenny in Atl]

Three days.. ended in a c-section at 4am. I was never so happy to be cut open in all my life. I was going for a v-bac, but it wasn't in the cards for me. :tongue_smilie:

[PiCO]

I was over 60 hours with my son, then they did a c-section.

 

That's how it went with my first also. By the time I got the C-section, I was so relieved to have them cut me open and get that baby outa-there.

[jonesloonybin]

With my first one I was in measurable labor for 5 hours at home (waiting for my parents to get there...they had to drive a ways) Then when I got to the hospital the first thing they did was break my water. 27 1/2 hours later...I had to have a c-section. I had pushed for 2 1/2 hours and nothing was happening. I was not allowed anything to eat (and being my first, I had not eaten anything at home first.) My oldest came out with bruises all over her head!

 

With my youngest, I was in labor for 5-6 hours at home, then we decided to go to the hospital. When they checked me, my youngest had moved up (she had been in position for the last week). She was so far up there! So, they gave me a shot to slow the labor (which did not do much, still had contractions). A couple days of that and they decided to do a c-section. During the c-section the doctor had a bit of a time getting dd out. She was wedged up under my ribs (now that was a WEIRD feeling) Then about 10 minutes after being in the recovery room, my BP shot up so high that I was throwing up and people are running around and rushing my oldest out (she had stepped in to see me) I ended up laying straight on my back for 48 hours. I had that magnesium stuff and things hooked on my legs and such. I was not allowed to hold the baby. (dh would lay dd next to me and hold her up to my while I nursed.) I was not allowed alone with her so dh had to stay there all the time. Boy, was that a PAIN!

 

After the 48 hours, I was moved to a regular recovery room.

[purplemama]

My mom was in labor for 36 hours with me. I was her only natural child--my two siblings were adopted!

 

My labors were 8 hours, 4 hours and 2 hours, thank God!

 

Jennifer

[Quiver0f10]

29 hours with my first. My induction with # 9 was four days before they did my C-section, but out of those 4 days not much was actual contractions.

Edited May 13, 2009 by Quiver0f10

[KS_]

I had really long labors with both dc - they were both supposed to be homebirths. With the first (ds) my midwife ended up transferring me to the hospital because of my blood pressure and I was in labor 40 hours before I ended up with a c-section.

 

With my second (dd), I was in labor for 37 hours, but was able to have her at home. Both babies were posterior and not pushing down on my cervix quite right, which we figured out with my dd. She finally shifted enough and my pushing phase was only an hour.

[Colleen in NS]

I was over 60 hours with my son, then they did a c-section.

 

:svengo: and :grouphug:

 

Wow. I thought I had it hard with 30 something hours then c-sections.:grouphug:

[mazakaal]

24 hours - my water broke at 6am one day and the contractions kept starting and stopping. Every time they started up, dh rushed my into hospital (he didn't want to have to deliver the baby in the car), and then I'd be sent home because they would slow after a short time. Finally, I went into full blown labor around 1am the next day and delivered at around 6am. When the contractions got intense the last time I was by that time completely unreasonable and asked dh if we could just call the midwife to deliver at the house because I was sure that if I went back into hospital, the contractions would stop again. Fortunately they didn't and dd was born healthy.

[swellmomma]

My second was the longest. I was in early labour for 3 days before active labour kicked in. Once I hit active labour though it is a race to the finish line, so at that point it was only 6 hours(and still my longest in that regard), but in those 3 days I was too sick feeling to eat much and the dr didn't want me too anyway since it was my first vbac they were worried I would need an emergency section.

[coralloyd]

1st- 21 hours then a c-section

2nd & 3rd- c-sections, didn't want to go through 21 hours again.

 

My mom- 36 hours with me, and was passing out

[Tree House Academy]

Eek...my longest was 6 hours. My mom labored with me for over 36 hours, and, by the time they finally did a c-section and took me, we both almost died.

[HSMom2One]

I gave birth three times and the longest was the first at 4 hours. Second was 1.5 hours and the third was a mere 45 minutes. My doctor told me that if I had another baby I would need to camp out on the hospital porch in advance!

 

It sounds unbelievable and easy, but believe me -- the pain was excruciating and intense as I dilated so fast. I'm glad I'm too old to have another baby now!!

 

Blessings,

Lucinda

[Jami]

 

Another way to look at it would be that I have very long labors - about two weeks, but with lots of breaks...

 

 

That's exactly the kind of labors I have. Off and on for weeks. Then we get to 5 cm or so, break water, speed through transition, and voila! baby. :)

[Karen sn]

Labor with my first baby was DAYS.

From Wednesday at midnight to Friday afternoon. I couldn't sleep Wednesday or Thursday night due to the contractions. Friday, LATE afternoon, the baby was FINALLY born.

 

I was exhausted.

 

This baby - was less than 4 hours start to finish.

Let me tell you how to speed it up - n!pple st!mulation.

[Karen sn]

Not all midwives are alike...

My first midwife was wise beyond her years and was catching the babies of the babies she had caught years ago when I met her. I love Alice!

 

My second was young and definitely did not live up to my "Alice standards."

But she was good. And I would recommend her. She's safe.

 

The midwife you had - irresponsible.

You're not gonna sit there and tell me it's urine because your litmus paper says so. Or meconium is my plug? She sounds more than just young..... Not very well educated or hip at all to the scene.

[muffinmom]

My longest was my first...4 hours. I don't know how people can bear long labors. God bless them for ever agreeing to get pregnant again!

[newbie]

Mine was 12 hrs. But they induced and than did epidural at 3 cm. What a rollercoaster.

 

Never do that again.

 

Second was two hrs. au naturalle. Two hrs was better.