Fast labors?

United States
June 27, 2008 1:46pm CST
Are you the type to have a fast labor? How long was your fastest labor? When my youngest was born, I was in labor from start to finish a total of 3 and a half hours! Although IMO it was a lot rougher than a longer labor. The pain was a lot worse. I would have preferred a longer but milder labor.
7 responses
@gemini_rose (16264)
27 Jun 08
My longest labour was 3 - 4 days and that was with my first and my fastest labour was with my last and that was 3 hours. The pain was absolutely awful and it felt like I was in labour a lot longer than I was!
@gemini_rose (16264)
27 Jun 08
yeah, the midwives kept telling the doctors that I should have delivered by now, they kept saying it was because it was my first, so it was taking a bit longer. The midwives told them that I was in too much pain but they said just give her some more epidural and so they did, right into my spine and I had control of it. I went that numb I could feel nothing which made things worse. It was horrible.
• United States
27 Jun 08
3-4 days? Of full blown labor?
• United States
27 Jun 08
Yeah I had epidural with my first as well, and I was not happy with it. I think they gave me too much, because I had no feelings at all, and when the time came to push, I couldn't do it. They were talking about forceps! I refused epidural after that until my 4th when they induced for over 24 hours. I was in so much pain, the nurses talked me into an epidural. I finally gave in, and it wasn't so bad. With the twins and the baby I only had staydol, which only takes the edge off a bit, but it makes you really drowsy.
@kezabelle (2974)
27 Jun 08
Both my labours were really fast, 2 hours 45 mins for my first and 1 hour 23 mins for my second very fast very painful and intense but as I dont feel pains once im pushing it was ok really im very lucky!
• United States
27 Jun 08
Wow, that's quick. I'd bet you were afraid you'd never make it to the hospital in time... or did you do home births?
@kezabelle (2974)
27 Jun 08
No they were both born in hospital as I was induced both times for their safety and mine next time yes if i dont get induced then id be worried that I wouldnt make it in time. Im glad I was there though especially with eldest as she was very poorly when born and had to spend time in NICU
• United States
27 Jun 08
Ah, well that explains it, but you were lucky. I was induced with 1 and it didn't take. They kept trying for 24 hours before they finally broke my water and he was born 3 hours later. I'm glad your kids are okay now.
@sminut13 (1783)
• Singapore
1 Jul 08
i'm fortunate that i'm the type who has fast labor as well. i delivered my first son within 3 and a half hours of painful labor. 2 hours were not. once his head came out, his body came out really easily as he was a small baby. for my daughter, it was even faster. i delivered her within 30 minutes. but it took quite some time for her to come out as she was stuck around her shoulders i think. the aftereffects for my firstborn was not painful at all. it was easy and i could walk within a few hours already. but it was really bad for my daughter. it was tough to walk and sit for nearly 2 weeks. after that, i slowly recovered.
27 Jun 08
well my first labour lasted a VERRY long 28 hours my second however lasted around 2 hours in total so i was very pleased lol!
• United States
27 Jun 08
Was that full labor for 28 hours, or the mild "i can deal with this" for the majority of it? With my first I think I was in labor like 36 hours, but the first 30 hours were hardly noticable, it was just like "hmm, my tummy feels weird.... oh it's gone, nevermind"
@Gemini85 (18)
• Canada
5 Aug 08
Mine was about 10 hours in total, although the actual hard labor was only an hour... they broke my water at 8:30am and gave me epidural at 11 so I was good until about 5pm and then baby decided it was time to come, and he was down there in an hour and I pushed 3 times and then the nurse told me to stop but he fell out so she had to catch him without gloves on. He came out really really quick!!! My mom thought she was going to have to catch him... lol
@camomom (7535)
• United States
30 Sep 08
you were lucky with only 3 hours. my first was induced so i went in on monday morning to start the process and was sent home and told to return on wednesday for more procedures. i started strong contractions that night. went back into the hospital only to be sent home because i wasn't progressing at all. tuesday they were pretty mild but i was exhausted. went back in on wednesday, still not progressing so they did more procedures and sent me home again. horribly painful contractions all day...again went back to the hospital wednesday night to only be given a sleeping pill and sent back home. went back thursday morning and was finally admitted. they broke my water around 8:30am thursday morning and i didn't have my daughter until 1am on friday. so if you count labor from the first contraction to the last it was about 82 hours. my second, i started contractions monday morning around 4:30am and had her that night at 7:45pm. start to finish= just over 15 hours. the first one lasted so much longer but actual labor wasn't horrible, i had an epidural. the second lasted shorter but the epidural wore off so it was excruciatingly painful.
• United States
30 Sep 08
I think you may have been in false labor, which is why they kept sending you home. False labor is confusing even for a mom who's had a bunch of kids. With my first I never noticed the false labor contractions, but I could sense my tummy tightening every so often. With the rest of my pregnancies I had Braxton Hicks contractions for the last few months of the pregnancy, and sometimes they got rather painful, but as soon as I would start to think it was time to get ready to go, they'd stop or slow down.
@camomom (7535)
• United States
30 Sep 08
not according to the doctors. i was having real labor pains because i was induced which causes you to go into labor whether your body is ready or not. i've talked to alot of medical professionals and other moms that were induced and there are thousands of stories like mine. it is true labor.
@littleone3 (2063)
27 Jun 08
My first labour was ten and half hours which was not too bad. My first labour was also the easier. My shortest was about seven hours which was my fifth and last child. Like you i also found it the most painful.