How do you measure how long your labour was?!

[Lulu1982]

A pretty stupid question considering I've already had a baby. I had my first contraction having been induced at 12.30 pm but carried on as normal. Had a few that I had to rock through but nothing that meant I needed pain relief.

I went t sleep that night and woke to my waters breaking at 7.40am. Went for a shower and stronger contractions started.

I had my LO at 12.16pm.

So how long was my labour?!

 

[tinkerbelle93]

This confuses me also. I felt my first contraction 2 days before my LO arrived, and from that point I had regular contractions that gradually grew worse and closer together until his arrival. However, my waters didn't break until 2 hours before he was born and on my maternity notes they have gone by this and stated duration of labour as 2 hours. I think it just depends on opinion really? Personally I feel as though labour begins when your regular contractions start so when people ask me how long my labour was, I always say 2 days. xx

 

[Eleanor ace]

I just go by the official word which is from 4cm dilated. Obviously you might not know when you reached 4cm- I went from 3cm to 6cm in 45 minutes so I just guestimate that I was 4cm from about 12.30am. I had him at 6.20am so I say my labour was 6 hours long.

 

[smileyfaces]

I always tell people that my first labour was 7hours (first contraction around midnight and had him at 07.09am) but I was checked at about 4am and was 4-5cm so I guess it was really around 3hours.

My second labour, I was having contractions stopping and starting for a few days being induced but they really kicked off at 2pm ish (when I was coincidentally 4cm) and had him at 4.39pm so was just over 2 and a half hours.

I agree that the offical labour should be from 4cm as that is when you are established but just explain it how you feel best!

 

[Lulu1982]

Hmmm interesting. I was never checked for dilation until,they told me I was ready to push so I guess I'll never know! Thanks ladies!

 

[nicki01]

I told my hospital when my first contraction was and they put that on my notes as when my labour started, so from first contraction it was 4 hours 15 mins, but when I got to the hospital I was already 6 cm and that was an hour after my first contraction!

I just say 4 hrs 15 mins as that's what's in my notes.

 

[d_b]

I have no idea. And do you count the pushing stage? In any case it doesn't matter for me as I have no clue what time anything happened aside from when I noticed my waters leaking and then the time LO arrived!

 

[staralfur]

I've always counted from first contraction to baby being born, for me it was 18 hours. I was induced so my contractions were regular from the get-go. If I were having irregular contractions for days then I'd count from my first regular contraction.

 

[snowfia]

I've always counted it from the first contraction so about 14 hours for me.
I have no idea when I was 4cm as I was 7cm when I got to the hospital. Who knows haha.

 

[EstelSeren]

For me established labour was about 5.5 hours, including 2nd stage. I always go from start of established labour as the time from 1st contraction would just be depressing! I was having regular contractions and dilating and effacing from the day before my due date for definite so on that count I would have been in labour for 10 days! I was at 3-4 cm for almost 2 days! I virtually lived wearing my TENS machine as the discomfort was constant and they didn't really intensify when labour became established, just changed to more pressure and I had a bloody show! I asked for an epidural but ended up not using any pain relief except TENS and a couple of puffs of gas and air!

Beca :wave:

 

[wanting2010]

I don't have a clue how long to say my labor was. I was 4cm dilated at 40 weeks and before I ever felt a contraction. My first contractions started at 3am on a Sunday and my son was born at 6:22am on Monday...I was 7cm dilated when I got to the hospital at 10pm Sunday night.