Poll: how long was your shortest labor?

[PrincessMommy]

most of my labors were between 7-11hrs.  My last was 5.5 hrs long.   I was never induced.   I had one that would have been born in the caul but the midwife tore away the sac after her head was out but before the rest of her was born.   She wasn't my fastest birth though. 

 

 

 

 

[SparklyUnicorn]

12 hours (second kid)

 

I was induced though. 

[The Girls' Mom]

Oh! Cord babies! Maybe I need a poll about cords around the neck? Maybe my babies have unusually long cords or something because every single one of them has had the cord wrapped at least once around the neck. Mostly hasn't caused problems but does seem like a statistical oddity. Maybe this one will buck the trend.

My oldest didn't have the cord around her neck, but she DID have a true knot in hers.  We are thankful that she never pulled it tight until delivery.  She was a big baby, and had to have done it a month or so before she was born, at least..because the last month her head was wedged into my bladder and pelvis. (I could actually feel her turn her head the last few weeks and she broke my tailbone!)

[mom@shiloh]

My shortest was 2.5 hours, but that was with my twins, so theoretically, it was only one hour and fifteen minutes per kid.   :ohmy:

[Closeacademy]

1st--16 hours ended in c-section

2nd--scheduled c-section

 

 

[mom@shiloh]

First was almost 24 hours and ended in a C-section.  That was my shortest.  2nd was a planned C-section.  Third was 0.....he was adopted! 

 

So I voted 18-24 as that was my only actual labor.

I think of my adopted kids as being my longest "labors"!  Over a year each!  

[macmacmoo]

First: contractions started around 9 in the morning. Didn't go to the hospital till after dinner 6 or 7. Baby born right before 6 am on his due date.

 

Second was stillborn at 38 weeks. contractions started in the morning. Called the labor and delivery in the evening but they said contractions were to random and erratic to come. Hour later went in because I was just so uncomfortable. Delivered in triage. Cord was wrapped around his neck seven times.

 

Third was induced at 38 weeks due to prior history. Went in around 7. They did an amnio to check his lungs. Started pict and foley tube around 9. Sometime in the night when I was 7 cm they realized he had gone from head down to frank breech. After much debate they opted to do an inversion which worked and broke my water and had me sitting up for the rest of labor. Born before 6 am.

 

Fourth was also induced at 38 weeks. Arrived at 9. Started pict and foley tube. Born sunny side up right before 6.

[Butter]

My shortest was my second labor at 1 1/2 hours.  He was an aberration, though.  He had a small head (compared to his siblings), was the smallest of all the kids, and was the earliest (5 days late).

 

My other three were 87 hours for #1 (7 days late, 2nd smallest), 10 1/2 hours for #3 (10 days late, 3rd smallest), and 21 1/2 hours for #4 (12 days late, biggest).

[barnwife]

I never know how to answer this question.

Kid3 was between 3 and 4 hours. But...as I said in the zoo post, contractions were super short and far apart for most of that. They were, however, consistent. Yet, I was dead asleep between them. I was so glad when I had the worst contraction ever because it meant things were picking up. Who knew I'd deliver the head with the next contraction?

Kid4 was also odd. I had 8 days of cramping. Not contractions. Just cramping. Every single day of that I had cramping either morning and afternoon or afternoon and evening. It would start and just be this constant feeling until stopping hours later. It was never painful though. I just kept going about life making sure to stay close to home.

When kid4 finally decided to come out, it was 1 1/2 hours from first contraction to birth. 

[Angie in VA]

We only have 2, but when the 2nd came, the doc told Dh to keep a catcher's mitt around for future babies. :lol:

[heartlikealion]

I don't even know. Like I never sat down and counted. I just know my water broke with dd and I went to the hospital shortly after that. I think I went to the hospital in the afternoon and gave birth that night. I probably mentally block out the hour countdown :laugh: We stared at the hospital booklet with ds and didn't know when to count me in active labor since I didn't fit the textbook definition. Came to find out later I was in fact in active labor (felt like it but just didn't match with intervals in book). 

[mamakelly]

With my first baby, I was on bedrest in the hospital. My water broke while I was chatting with a friend. DS was born 3 hours later.

 

2nd baby was induced by breaking my water. From 1st contraction to baby was 1.5 hours.

 

3rd baby was induced by breaking my water. From 1st contraction to baby was 25 minutes.

 

4th baby was induced by breaking my water. From 1st contraction to baby was 30 minutes.

 

I generally have insane deliveries. They break my water, and then nothing happens for hours. No pain, no contractions, no nothing. For the last 3 babies we went and got lunch, walked around the neighborhood, shopped etc. Then out of nowhere these contractions start, and it's me yelling for my midwife to get in here because I'm in labor, lol.

 

With my last baby, I had 1 contraction, that very first one that tells me I'm actually in labor. I screamed and my midwife came running. I was dilated to 8cm with that 1 contraction. I was ready to push within a few minutes, but held off until the bathtub was filled up.

 

It's generally horrible. People think it must be nice to have such short labors, but it's really awful. The body doesn't have a chance to adjust, and you are thrust into labor at the absolute hardest, most painful point. With my last one, I went into shock after delivery. It was my hardest delivery, I had nerve pain for several months after, due to the quick delivery. My mom had labors like this too, so I knew it was a possibility.

[caedmyn]

I didn't vote, because my shortest was 4 hours...so would that go under 3-4 or 4-6?  Anyway, 4 hours with loads of contractions the day before.

 

I suspect that unless you have an under 2 hour labor you would know when to go...I always manage to get the midwife there in time, even though I try to wait as long as possible to call because I just want to be left alone during labor.  (I did cut it a bit close with #1 though...believed all those stories of super long first labors and didn't expect mine to be relatively short at 7.5 hours, and was ready to push when she got there, and only pushed for 20 minutes.)  Only once has a midwife been there for more than an hour before the birth.  3 of my 5 have been around 7.5 hours, one 5.5, one 4.

Edited April 27, 2017 by caedmyn

[SeaConquest]

31 hours.

 

Yeah, that sucked.

[mamaofgirls]

2 hours and 45 minutes from start to finish!

[melbotoast]

I voted 6-8 hrs. All mine have started in the wee hours of the morning.

 

#1 - water broke at 2 am and started contractions. When we got to the hospital we discovered he had flipped to a breech position, so I had a csection around 8 am.

 

#2 - 20 hr VBAC

 

#3 - 8 hr VBAC

[Sarah CB]

Mine have been fairly short. My first was only 6 hours and that was from the first tiny twinge of a contraction to the end. The next three were induced and the labours ranged from 3 hours to 15 hours.

 

My last baby was delivered in one push. The resident told the doctor I was fully dilated, he wanted to double check so he put his hand in and asked me to give a little push and out came the baby.

[Farrar]

I only had the one. I think it was like four days total. I lost track. I wasn't in active labor the whole time... just off and on. Baby B really wanted to be born and Baby A really wanted to stay put. Obviously that wasn't doing.

 

PS - they are STILL like that.

Edited April 27, 2017 by Farrar

[solascriptura]

3 out of 4 labors were just around 1 hour each. My midwife was on high alert when my due dates were coming up! There was no telling me to time the contractions. I called immediately after the first contraction and then got in the car.

[Okra]

It surprised me to see the results of this poll!  

[ktgrok]

 

It's generally horrible. People think it must be nice to have such short labors, but it's really awful. The body doesn't have a chance to adjust, and you are thrust into labor at the absolute hardest, most painful point. With my last one, I went into shock after delivery. It was my hardest delivery, I had nerve pain for several months after, due to the quick delivery. My mom had labors like this too, so I knew it was a possibility.

 

Agreed. Mine varied from 40 hours to 2 hours and the 2 hour one was the worst, pain wise. You never adjust to it, it's just insane. You get thrown into transition. All the pain, but in less time. I likened it to when you get tossed by the ocean, knocked down by the waves and you go under and don't know which was is up. That's how it felt, like I couldn't get my bearings. They kept telling me to relax and I was like, I CAN'T!!!! I can't even catch my breath, let alone relax. 

 

That said, i think recovery was easier because I was less exhausted maybe? But I was in total shock for a few hours...i couldn't believe she was born! Heck, a few hours prior we'd been afraid we'd have to induce!

[scholarly]

#1 was 13 hours

 

#2 was 6 hours

 

#3 was 3 hours

 

I was not prepared for #3 to come that quickly, as that time is from water breaking (first sign of labor) to baby being born. I felt ridiculous calling my midwife after I had only had 4 contractions, but my husband made me. That birth was so intense. The baby was 9 lbs 10 oz and had an arm up, so was more difficult for me to get out. I told my mom that I had pushed a really long time and that it was just awful. Then I looked at my birthing sheet and saw that I had actually only pushed for 8 minutes. Longest 8 minutes of my life!

[dirty ethel rackham]

My last was under 2 hours ... from the time I woke up thinking things were feeling a tad different to holding dd in my arms.  It was a planned home birth.  I called the midwife when I first woke up and she said that she was leaving right away.  I thought it was overkill.  It wasn't.  The second I hung up the phone, I felt like I was on a roller coaster going 90 miles an hour.  I don't remember much beyond that.  The midwife got there with minutes to spare.  Her assistant arrived after the birth.  

 

ETA:  2nd was 4 hours - hospital birth.  Showed up pushing.

 

1st was 16 hours. 

 

 

Edited April 27, 2017 by dirty ethel rackham

[Meriwether]

12 hrs
1.5 hrs (1 hour of contractions but my water leaked a little earlier)
4 hrs

1.5 hrs
not sure - My water broke at 8:00 in the morning but she didn't arrive until almost 5:00 in the afternoon. Active labor with contractions was probably less than 2 hrs. It is hard for me to tell because it was back labor and it took me awhile to figure out that they were contractions and not just pain.

I highly preferred my short labors. Yeah, it was really painful for about half an hour, but it was over quickly.

[LindaOz]

About 40 mins. Very, very intense. It was #5 of 8.

Edited April 27, 2017 by LindaOz

[solascriptura]

People tell me all the time that I was lucky to have such short labors, but I don't know. I went from sleeping to being thrust into heavy intense labor. Kinda traumatic.

[maize]

People tell me all the time that I was lucky to have such short labors, but I don't know. I went from sleeping to being thrust into heavy intense labor. Kinda traumatic.

I promise the heavy, hard labor is not less traumatic when following on a good 24 hours of contractions that, while not the most intense variety, are frequent and painful enough to prevent you from sleeping at all!

 

I was having enough contractions yesterday evening that I thought I might go into labor overnight and I was truly dreading the experience--i would have been up all night, no rest, and still have to face the worst of labor the next day with baby likely not arriving until late evening.

 

The sheer exhaustion is my worst memory of labor, worse even than the rather horrific pain that accompanies parts.

 

I'm not saying your experience wasn't traumatic though! I think labor almost always is.

Edited April 28, 2017 by maize

[historically accurate]

I can't vote. I'm the obligatory other.

 

You'll all hate me - I have 3 children and have never had any labor. I had a surgery prior to my first pregnancy that means it was very dangerous for me and the baby if I had contractions. So all 3 kids were planned c-sections. 

 

1st: never had a contraction

2nd: had some contractions and we decided to take the baby early

3rd: felt a couple of Braxton-Hicks the final week

 

I never actually went into labor with any of them.

[HTRMom]

I think the exceptionally long and short labors are both usually more difficult and potentially traumatic, compared to a typical 4-10 hour labor. I was in extremely intense, horribly painful back labor, contractions every two minutes, for thirty-six hours with my first baby! It was very traumatic, especially because the midwife refused to intervene after I begged and sobbed and sent me home that way.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[cjzimmer1]

I can't vote. I'm the obligatory other.

 

You'll all hate me - I have 3 children and have never had any labor. I had a surgery prior to my first pregnancy that means it was very dangerous for me and the baby if I had contractions. So all 3 kids were planned c-sections. 

 

1st: never had a contraction

2nd: had some contractions and we decided to take the baby early

3rd: felt a couple of Braxton-Hicks the final week

 

I never actually went into labor with any of them.

I promise I don't hate you.  I found my c-sections to be far more difficult that my completely drug free births.  But while labor hurt, it wasn't anything traumatic for me like some of these other women experienced.  In fact I've always said I'd rather be in labor any day than being pregnant.  Labor was a finite amount of time and as long as I stayed focused it was pretty easy to deal with.  Pregnancy on the other hand lasts for ever and nothing I did changed the months and months and months of awful sickness (the earliest I ever stopped puking was 26 weeks, for one of them it didn't stop till 2 days after delivery).

Edited April 28, 2017 by cjzimmer1

[abba12]

I take forever to hit 4cm, but once I do I seem to hit instant transition.

 

My first was induced prematurely at 37 weeks, using the gel and NOT pitocin, and still only went 6 hours from waters broken (naturally, 16 hours after gel insertion) to birth. That should have been a sign. Who has a first baby in 6 hours naturally, let alone prematurely with a no pitocin induction. I had her without pain meds by choice

 

Second was 3 hours between when I said 'ok that one really hurt, we need to go to the hospital' to birth. Half an hour of excrusiating car labour, then when I got to hospital, labour stopped completely for a half hour, and I was only barely 4cm. They tried to send me home, I said no. Labour started again and in two hours I had a baby. I never hit what would be called established labour until I was in transition, my contractions were anywhere from one minute to 8 minutes apart right up until I got pushy. Even if I wanted pain meds this one was too quick to have done it, we went from 'go home' to 'too late' within an hour.

 

Third... oh my god, that third baby... I had two false starts. They were not braxton hicks, they were false starts. Then the person taking care of the kids from the second false start (which had stopped contracting 6 hours earlier) went home. Within an hour of them leaving, we called them back, because I got a bit crampy at 4pm. Not what I'd call labour, but enough that I knew this wasn't over. At 4:30 we hit what I'd call labour, again. At 5pm I realised I was in transition and very pushy(!!!). In fact I was actively breathing through and trying to prevent pushing, as that just felt like what I needed to do (maybe there was a lip and my body knew it?). At 5:15 we got to the hospital and.... labour stopped. Yes, really. Pushy, transition labour stopped. I've learned my labouring body is really THAT sensitive to stress. 5:30 it decided it was safe again and threw me right back into double-peaking contractions (yep, so much fun, from nothing to full on... Ladies, you take that gradual progression in intensity for granted!). Baby arrived at 6pm. Obviously without pain meds. 

 

We're trying again, and while I am not a good candidate for homebirth (history of complications in both late pregnancy and post-birth) we will be preparing for a quite lilely oopsie homebirth with immediate hospital transfer. 

Edited April 28, 2017 by abba12

[maize]

There are so many factors that go into how traumatic or not labor is. The one time I did not have back labor was quite manageable--only really awful for the last hour after my water broke! Then there was one where I was able to use a jaccuzi tub and found it amazingly helpful; but next time I tried a tub it seemed to do no good. And there were the ones where pushing was pretty straightforward and quick and then the ones where pushing was complete and utter agony and progress very slow.

 

I've been grateful to have had access to good medical resources, pain relief if I wanted it, and to have had complication free births so far.

[kbutton]

My gma had 7 babies and the longest labor, from first contraction to delivery was 3 hours.  There was only a doctor present at one birth because they progressed so fast.  The doctor made it as the baby was crowing and wasn't even gowned up when he caught him.

 

My grandmother too! By the last one, she went to the doctor if she had a twinge in her belly. One of her babies was born outside of the delivery room because the doctor didn't think she could possibly be ready. Two of her babies were 10 pounds and change (including the first one), and none of them were smaller than 8 pounds (most were pretty close to 9, I think). 

 

My longer labor was nearly six hours, but my kiddo was trying to come out at an angle. Very little pushing, and it felt really good to push. Second one was almost 3 hours, very little pushing, but it felt like he was being ripped out of me during that stage. Most of labor for me was light cramps with an awful and fast transition, but then I have weird stuff happen afterward (vag tearing, postpartum hemorrhage, etc.). My mom's early labors were so mild that no one knew she was in labor at all if she didn't say so. But then they got fast and furious at the end. 

[abba12]

It's generally horrible. People think it must be nice to have such short labors, but it's really awful. The body doesn't have a chance to adjust, and you are thrust into labor at the absolute hardest, most painful point. With my last one, I went into shock after delivery. It was my hardest delivery, I had nerve pain for several months after, due to the quick delivery. My mom had labors like this too, so I knew it was a possibility.

 

Yes yes yes! I want to smack anyone who says I am so lucky to have quick labours! Going from 4cm to baby in an hour or less is NOT good. Women normally have time for oxytocin and endorphines to build up, for their mind to go to that place it goes in labour, for hormones to react. With my third particularly, I didn't get oxytocin and endorphines, I got straight out adrenaline. (I recounted the story of my third a few posts above) Birthing full of adrenaline is not the same as birthing full of oxytocin and endorphones, and it's not a good emotional experience. 

 

I see videos of women walking around in labour, even talking! I don't have a clue how they do it, I cannot speak or move once it hits. And being alert and present for the actual birth? I've seen videos of women actually aware of what's happening as they birth, reaching down for the baby, feeling it's head, even catching it themselves! Maybe oxytocin and endorphones let's you do that, adrenaline, on the other hand, makes you only half aware it's even happening until quite a bit later, and in my case at least feel a total detachment from the whole situation. My husband says I've had midwives offer all these things, and that the fact they've offered apparently doesn't even register in my mind. To me it seems like the difference between a c-section with epidural, and an emergency c-section with a general. The body has an emergency backup of adrenaline when the rest fails, but it's not ideal.

 

Of course a long labour is bad too, certainly. I'm grateful for my issue-free, non-back labours. But I would love to experience a regular, 12 hour, calm and steady labour. I'd love to actually be present in my mind when the baby is born, and feel the good hormones instead of fight or flight hormones. Not to mention the physical problems and tearing that occurs when a baby comes out that quickly without preparation. The nurses don't have to encourage me to push, they have to scream at me to stop pushing immediately because baby is trying to come out in a single push before having time to turn after the head is out, and that could seriously injure both baby and me. Thankfully my presence of mind is enough to hear the panic and register the need to not push until the next contraction. But, fast labours have their own issues that most people are totally unaware of.

[wintermom]

There is no "other" in the poll. I've had 4 c-sections. I did go into labour for my 4th, and had to have him out 3 weeks early. He went straight into NICU because of fluid in the lungs. He was a handfull from day 1. Or should I say - 3 weeks. :laugh:  I had all my childcare arranged for my scheduled c-section, and with his early arrival all the relatives were far, far away.

Edited April 28, 2017 by wintermom

[Hypatia.]

My long labors were 2 hours. My shortest two were 24 minutes and less than 10 minutes. #6 was the <10 minute labor, DH didn't even make it out of the bathroom. He walked downstairs and I was holding the baby. She was 10 lb 4 oz, so not the biggest of the bunch but still a good size. It was kind of like stepping out in front of a freight train.

Edited April 28, 2017 by Hypatia.

[BlsdMama]

Shortest labor: Abigail # 7

 

Went to routine doctor appointment and discovered I was dilated to a "stretchy" 8.  He (my OB) nervously let me drive to the hospital across the street.

 

I got checked in, didn't think I was really having contractions to speak of.  He broke my water.  They put me on a ball and I said to the nurse, "Hey, this ball might work, this contraction is pretty decent."  A minute later another contraction and I told her, "Um, we have a baby."  She totally panicked, ran out of the room, and I got to have Abbie just DH and I.  I did make it onto the bed (mostly) but just barely.  It was great, lol.

 

 

But I will say with Sarah (the next one) when I showed up at the hospital with a similar scenario, they already had the baby warmer etc. setting up.  "We heard about you," they said.  :D :D :D   Yeah, well, I disappointed them. That labor took a few hours. :P