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Length of labor time with 1st versus 2+

  1. LindsayInNY

    bananas / 9229 posts

    @SupernovaJ: Did you labor at home for long?

    @LCTBQE: I just had a panicked moment. It had not occurred to me that I could go into labor while at work. I'm a moron. I've been planning as though I'd be home, overnight, etc. Didn't even think of work!! With DD1, it was overnight and we drove to NYU during rush hour, LOL.

    @MrsADS: I'm stressed about those same things without having to worry about the length of labor!

  2. Becky

    persimmon / 1390 posts

    Baby 1: 10 hours
    Baby 2: Mostly labored at home, got to hospital about 7:20, 1.5 hours active labor (from first super painful contraction to delivery). In hindsight I labored at home the entire night (I wasn’t sure if it was the real thing then), so it wasn’t like there wasn’t any warning.

    Edited to add I had also been having prodromal labor so that’s why I didn’t go in earlier and also could have contributed to it being so fast.

  3. LindsayInNY

    bananas / 9229 posts

    @Anagram: Googling prodromal labor now...

  4. Anagram

    eggplant / 11716 posts

    @LindsayInNY: for me, it felt exactly like the beginning of labor with my 1st kid. But then it would totally go away. Every time, I would be like...is this it? this is it! And then, nothing for like a 24 hour period. Very tricky, because then one the day I actually went into labor, I spend the first hour (which was crucial since I was at work) thinking it was just going to be prodromal labor again.

    I complained to my doctor the week before (I think I was only 36.5 weeks maybe?) about the prodromal labor at night, and he said I should drink a glass of wine a night to "relax the uterus". lol. Which I totally did the night before I finally went into real labor. So keep that little tip in your back pocket, haha.

  5. Pollywog

    persimmon / 1111 posts

    @MrsADS: that was my biggest fear too! LO2 came 12 hours before my mom got to town and 5 days before my induction date. Our child care plans fell through (they didn't wake up). My toddler came to the hospital with us and my poor in-laws got a frantic call to come get him. The conversation was hilarious: "E's probably in labor. We need you to meet us at the hospital. No contractions. Her water hasn't broken yet". They were shocked when we had the baby before my toddler got back to bed

  6. periwinklebee

    grapefruit / 4466 posts

    @skinnycow: These responses scare me if we have another for the same reason! I didn't labor at home and we still weren't at the hospital for long - the nurse did not believe me when I said I had to push

  7. Foodnerd81

    wonderful cherry / 21504 posts

    @Sams Mom: 5-1-1 or 3-1-1 is contractions are 5 (or 3) minutes apart, 1 minute long, for 1 hour, and is when they typically say you should go to the hospital for a spontaneous vaginal birth.

    My second Labor was 1/8 as long! First baby was pretty slow starting, gradual, just over 24 hours from when i thought i was in labor to baby. Active labor was about ten hours I think.

    2nd baby was 3 hours from thinking it might be labor to baby in my arms. I arrived at the hospital parking lot 45 minutes before I had her and I think I only pushed like 2 times.

    I have heard 3rd labors are a total crap shoot though!

  8. bhbee

    cantaloupe / 6085 posts

    #1: 18 hours active labor and probably more early labor I wasn’t counting
    #2: about 4.5 hours total. Woke up with contractions that were easy, was getting things ready around house for a couple hours, water broke and it ramped up fast. We left the house at 3:45am, he was born at 4:30, was basically pushing when I arrived. I thought I had plenty of time because of my first being a slow ramp!

    #3 I was induced and it took a little longer but not that much and there were some extenuating circumstances.

    ETA just remembered with my second, I had labor that started but then faded the night before. So maybe that helped get it going even though it took over 24hr to come back. The biggest difference was definitely how fast things progressed once it got serious.

  9. LindsayInNY

    bananas / 9229 posts

    @Pollywog: Was your toddler at the hospital when you delivered?

    @Foodnerd81: I've heard the same thing about #2 versus #3!

  10. SupernovaJ

    persimmon / 1141 posts

    @LindsayInNY: Not at all! Since my first labor was a grueling 29 hours, I was in complete denial that things could move quickly with my second when my water broke and I started to feel mild contractions. I can honestly say I wasn’t in any pain and took a nap. This was around 9pm. By 11pm the contractions were more intense but still bearable. Again I thought I had HOURS to go. I only suggested going to the hospital because I was GBS+ and needed the antibiotics. I must have progressed and transitioned in the car—meaning things escalated SO quick (30 minute drive). I wobbled across the parking lot and checked myself in while husband parked the car. Baby was born just a few minutes later after I got into the delivery room. They had no time to give me IV antibiotics or even get the baby’s heart rate!

  11. psw27

    pomelo / 5220 posts

    @LindsayInNY: I ended up being the lady with the husband in the hallway yelling "we need a doctor" cause they hadn't even checked me yet and I needed to push.... Yeah. Don't be like me.

  12. Kitkat

    apricot / 325 posts

    Baby 1: water broke, he was born 11 hours later.

    Baby 2: water broke, rushed to the hospital thinking he’d come quick. He was born 26 hours later 😑

  13. Sams Mom

    grapefruit / 4492 posts

    @Foodnerd81: This thread has just confirmed that I'm 100% ok with a repeat c/s... and I only live 6 minutes from my hospital driving normal speeds and hitting stop lights.

  14. SweetiePie

    honeydew / 7463 posts

    My first I was induced at 37 weeks for medical reasons. I was in labor for 48 hours before I was fully dilated and ready to push (it took almost 24 just to get to 3cm) 😩 and then he wouldn’t budge after 2.5 hours of pushing so I had a cs.

    My 2nd I was 36 weeks on the nose. I felt my first contraction and 2 hours later I was already out of early labor (3+ cm dilated) and in active labor. My OB happened to be at the hospital and she said I was flying through labor, was I SURE I didn’t want to attempt a vbac. I had no interest after the first time around, lol. I was rushed to my RCS and 45 mins after arriving at the hospital he was out.

    So it was MUCH faster the 2nd time around. And a month early!

  15. tysonja

    nectarine / 2217 posts

    baby#1: 9 hrs
    baby#2: 4 hrs
    baby#3: 2 hrs
    baby#4: still incubating, but we are considering reading up on how to give birth at home in an emergency lol.

    when i say 2 hrs for the last baby, i mean literally 2 hours from the very first contraction.... gah!

  16. mdf106

    clementine / 828 posts

    first baby: 12 hours from water breaking
    second baby: 8 hours from starting pitocin

    The first half of both labors was not very painful, and I would not have gone to the hospital until more than halfway through without my water breaking or induction. I had a few hours of false labor with my second, which was at least as painful as the contractions halfway through labor. I would not be sad to have an induction with my third.

  17. Alba4

    nectarine / 2951 posts

    Both of my active labors lasted about 8 hours. The pre-labor was longer with #1.

  18. mamabolt

    nectarine / 2797 posts

    First 9 hours of labor, second 3.5 hours (and born nine minutes after we got to the hospital!)

  19. Reese

    pomegranate / 3521 posts

    1st-8hrs
    2nd- 25 minutes

  20. Lindsay05

    pomegranate / 3759 posts

    #1 - 20 hours of labour which include 4 hours of pushing

    #2 - 5 days of early labour, 18 hours of active, and about 3 pushes

    #3 - 3 days of early labour, 20+ hours of active labour, 1 hour pushing

  21. muffinsmuffins

    persimmon / 1023 posts

    DS1- water broke on a Friday, admitted to hospital because he was 35 weeks but not having contractions/labour, induction started Sunday around 11 am and born just before 9 pm

    DS2-spontaneous labour with bloody show and spaced contractions morning and aft, active labour around 7 pm and born at 1 am

  22. codeitall

    clementine / 874 posts

    1: 14 hours. I was in denial for the first hour because he was early and I didn't want to drive 2.5 hours back home to the hospital in labor. Yeah, it was horrible. That was a memorable Christmas holiday for the whole extended family...

    2: 9 hours, but it started overnight and I kept trying to sleep. Once it got going at 6:30 am it went super fast and I got to the hospital at 8cm at 8am. Baby born around 9.

    As many other have said, I tried to hold out for daycare, and then just told DH to go get my brother across town to watch DS. Don't wait till almost too late like the rest of us idiots

  23. birdofafeather

    pineapple / 12053 posts

    1: 7 hours
    2: 4 hours
    3: 2 hours - 17 minutes from OB checking me at 4 cm to delivering the baby into DH’s hands in a wheelchair in the middle of the hospital hallway. 😳

  24. mediagirl

    hostess / wonderful persimmon / 25556 posts

    @codeitall: hahaha. I was in early labor all day Sunday and finally hit real labor Sunday evening. Sent husband to bed, woke him up at 5am to leave pand STILL didn't have that baby until just about noon Monday!

    Really hoping baby 2 doesn't take as long...

  25. RonjaL7

    apricot / 424 posts

    My first labor was 15 hours from first real labor pain to baby. My second was 2.

    I almost didn't make it to the hospital for the second as by the time someone got to my house to care for my first child it had been about 1.5 hrs since my first contraction. I had no time between contractions at all with my second. I got to the hospital and had him 15 minutes later.

  26. snowjewelz

    wonderful kiwi / 23653 posts

    My labor with my 1st was just incredibly long b/c I was induced at 39 weeks due to GD so I was not dilated, not effaced at all. With my 2nd it was natural and def faster.

  27. LCTBQE

    nectarine / 2461 posts

    @LindsayInNY: Do you work in the city or in the burbs?? I also had quite a bit of prodromal labor including one incident that happened at work that I really thought was the real thing at like 37+1--actually called @SweetiePie: and she was like, yep, you should go to the doctor. My OB is across the street from my office, as soon as I got there the contractions stopped. It was such a head game! That's part of why I begged for an induction.

    ETA but my point is, if you work in the city you'd be in great shape to go into labor there, right? I was just at NYU today and saw a few full-term-looking preggo's milling around

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