I was induced at 41+4 with my first. From the start of contractions to delivery was about 2.5 hours. We are probably going to TTC #2 in a few months and I am so freaked out about the possible of another super fast labor. Our hospital is at least 15 min away without traffic. I guess I just want to hear your stories and how it worked out or if you had to make special plans for your next birth.
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You were induced, so it was 2.5 hours from induction to birth? I wouldn't be too concerned as induction is simply different from what your body would do on its own (although granted inductions are often longer than yours as well). For what it's worth, my kids were 7 hours from waking up with "indigestion" to birth with #1 and 3 hours from same waking up cramping to #2, but both came early and I was taken by surprise. In your shoes I'd just make sure I had what I needed for a hospital bag ready to go but not worry so much since your first was induced...if you need another induction and it is faster, you'll already be at the hospital.
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I don't have experience with this, because both my kids were c sections, but I have a friend who had all 3 of her kids super fast and she basically just discussed it with her OB and then went to the hospital as soon as contractions started.
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I can understand why you'd be concerned. 15 minutes away isn't too bad, but I'd consider what the home birth options are in your area.
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Perhaps consider scheduling an (earlier) induction for your second? My labor for my first was relatively short but not precipitous, and we were given the option to induce after 39 weeks, not because of the shortish labor but just as an option. It was great to be able to plan and have everything happen in a controlled environment!
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@turquoisemama: well, Matador has a story that you can read if you search the archives. I'll let her tell the story.
My story was less dramatic, but I had a precipitous birth with my second, which was unexpected because my first kid took something like 28 hours. Anyway, I was at work which is a 1 hour drive from home. And I had been having prodromal labor for literally a week....where I would start up with contractions but they wouldn't progress and would eventually go away. So when they started again at work, I wanted to wait and see what happened. Luckily, my husband convinced me to go home to be on the safe side--and I say luckily because as soon as I started driving, my contractions started fast and furious. By the time I was halfway through my drive home, I was having to count and breathe through my contractions. By the time I got home, I could hardly walk up my front steps and my mom had to gather my hospital bags while I was on all 4s in the living room. I had LO2 just 20 min after arriving at the hospital and the first 10 minutes was just me checking in and getting a hospital bracelet. I was 100% in transition on the short drive to the hospital (I was on all 4s in the back), so if I hadn't left work when I did, I think I might have had the baby in the car.
I had 2.5 hours from start to finish, and 1 hour was driving myself home alone from work around the 1:00-2:00 mark so it was a little scary but fine in the end.
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My sister had a very fast labor with her first (40W2D - first contraction 7pm, baby out at 9pm). When she was pregnant with her second her Dr had warned her early on that starting around 34 weeks she would want her to stay close by - no traveling. And simply advise her to have good "emergency" plans in place. She lives in a major city where traffic can be a beast...
Dr said no waiting, no "seeing what happens", no minimizing stuff...first inclination of labor head to the hospital - even if it meant multiple false alarms.
She was put on restriction at 36 weeks (she works in sales in the surrounding suburbs - Dr didnt want her an hour outside the city and something to happen) - and was only allowed to work from home. She walked around at 2-4cm at that time. She had lots of plan Bs...including the most severe where they would yell for the upstairs neighbors (3 family structure) if they literally had to walk out while her first was home.
Ultimately since she had such a smooth labor with #1, other than being quick, they offered her an induction at 39W2D and she took it to avoid the stress of spontaneous labor. From start of induction to baby born was 5 hours - from water breaking to baby out was about 1 hour.
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If you were induced, I probably wouldn't worry about it that much. Mine weren't "precipitous" but I went 8 hrs from water breaking to having LO1, and my OB told me that was fast so that if my water broke with LO2, I should head to the hospital right away because my labor with him might be more like 3 or 4 hours instead of 8. Well, my water did break, but 6 hrs later, my contractions were still only 5 minutes apart and the hospital basically strong armed me into pitocin because I had been there too long and they were going to force me out of my room (argh). Of course, the pitocin basically pushed me into precipitous labor (I went from a 3 to a 10 in 30 minutes) so I ended up having him in 8 hrs total as well, but I think my second labor would have been longer than my first if I hadn't had the pitocin.
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I can see why you're concerned. Do you know what position your first baby was in vs. this one?
I'm currently pregnant with LO2. My first labor was super-fast, but I had the benefit of a planned homebirth (so no risk of having baby in the car). This time, my midwives estimate my labor will be 2-3 hours, which really freaks me out. I already felt pretty out of control with the last birth.
My "prepping" is more to do with the physical side of things. Fast labors can result in more physical trauma to the mother (tears). For you, if your body responded well to the first induction, I might ask for a slightly earlier induction this time (maybe with a little less of the meds).
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I had a precipitous labor, and I will definitely be more anxious for future birth as a result. Mine was about 2.5 hours. I think your prep should involve heavy ground work to line up help at home to take care of your first LO (like in-laws staying in the guest bedroom starting at 39+1 or something) and have the bag packed and in the car. I think you will really be fine though, 15 minutes is pretty close, and you likely won't be puttering around wondering it's the real thing or not (ie the way I spent the first hour of my 2.5-hour labor). Good luck!
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I had a less than 3 hour labor and delivery with my first child (about 2.5 from time my water broke until time I was holding baby), and it was about 20 minutes or less with my second. I'll link to my second child's birth story later when I can find the link!
I'm currently pregnant with a 3rd and super nervous!!! I need to talk a plan with my doctor but he has mentioned if I feel off at all in any way I need to head to l & d about 32 weeks on.
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First was 3 hours from first labor pain till delivery. With the second same OB he opted to induce a week early 12 hour labor. Third baby same OB I went in for a C-Section due to spilling protein in my urine and HBP. I got the epidural first one I ever had and delivered with in 30 mins of the epidural in bed never made it to the C-Section was never in active labor that I knew of.
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Ahh these are freaking me out a little. DD was born at 38w5d about 4 hours after my water broke spontaneously.
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@SKINNYCOW: my OB said a truly precipitous birth is rare! In his 20+ years of practice he had never delivered one who didn't make it while en route! My mom had very fast births, all of us between 30 minutes and 2 hours!
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@danda: Yeah, so I'm pretty sure my water was leaking when I got to my induction appoinment and I was 3.5cm when they first checked me. When they started pitocin around 8:00pm, it was just regular Braxton-Hicks contractions for about 20-30 min then my water broke and I was pretty much in transition right then. She was born after 18 min of pushing at 10:53pm. I guess I could do a scheduled induction, but I was so disappointed I couldn't experience going into labor on my own and was hoping I would get to do that next time. I'd rather be safe than sorry though!
@Iced Tea: I thought about the home birth option but I think my husband would be totally against that. Also we are insured through a hospital group and they only have doctors and midwives who deliver in the hospital. There are no birth centers or anything like that.
@Beehive: I just really have my heart set on going into labor on my own this time. I know the goal is to be safe and not have a baby on the side of the road, but the induction was just so stressful and scary for me, I want to avoid that if possible.
@Anagram: OMG that is crazy! You're a badass being able to keep it together to drive home! I can barely drive when I have to pee really bad haha!
@Mrs D: That's good her doctors took her seriously. Sounds super stressful. I guess we just need a really good plan and be totally prepared.
@catlady: I think that may have been part of the problem with me. I'm pretty sure my water was leaking when I got there and probably would have started contracting on my own soon, but maybe the pitocin sent me into overdrive. I only got up to 4 and they had to turn it down because it was getting too intense.
@littlejoy: I'm not pregnant yet, just trying to plan for TTC in a few months. I think LO1 was in a normal position, not sunny side up or anything. I did tear quite a bit, but I recovered pretty quickly. No lingering pain or anything. The pitocin was at the lowest dose and it sent me in to wild labor immediately, so I would be scared to try that again.
@PawPrints: Yeah, I think definitely a strict plan will be important.
@matador84: Yes! I remember your story, so crazy! Thank God you had a good friend to help you!!
@SKINNYCOW: So I was super freaked out too, but I just listened to and episode of the podcast "The Birth Hour" that was about a birth in the backseat of a car. I thought that would freak me out too, but I actually felt way more peaceful about it just listening to her talk about how her instincts just kicked in and she silently delivered her own baby without her own husband(who was driving) knowing what had happened. You should check it out! Episode 83
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My first labor was 7 hours from water breaking to baby (5 from contractions starting). My second labor, I was totally freaked about it being fast and I decided that I would go in a bit earlier than I did last time, but I had to account for childcare arriving (family was 2 hours away) and DH getting off work (he's a firefighter). I had false labor that was real enough for me to call my mom to come but then it slowed down by the time she arrived so I never went in. 3 days later, I had no signs of labor at all, but was restless sleeping so I got up to pee and my water broke on the toilet. I called my mom immediately to come since contractions started right away. she got there 2 hours later and I had slowly been shuffling around but not doing anything AT ALL to help labor other than managing it with DH. Within 15 minutes, I was like, I gotta be at the hospital now. We had to go through the ER which took time because they insisted that I be wheeled up to l&d. I don't think I was in the room more than 20/25 minutes before she was born. So all in all, less than 4 hours. It was crazy and primal but I made it. I would look into a home birth too when we have a third but my kiddos typically have blood type incompatiblities that require bili lights so I want to be in a hospital for that.
I don't know that if induce for the fear of delivering quickly but I would make accommodations for child care (plans A-C) and not wait for anything to go. I know that when we have a third, I'm going to the hospital immediately if my water breaks (which apparently is rare but I've had S-ROM twice!) and worrying about the rest later. Even if that means I'm walking the hospital grounds before going in. At least I'll be there!
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