How long did labour last with your first?

[anita665]

I was just wondering how long everyones labour lasted with their first baby?

I live an hour from the hospital and am relying on my sister to take me. She could be at least an hour away from me too. I'm relying on the fact that first labours normally take ages but I guess there is always a good hour or two at least when you probably wouldn't call anyone because you wouldn't know for sure if it really was time! I wouldn't want to call her away from work, only to discover it was just Braxton Hicks!!

 

[Tilly]

I get confused with how people count their labour? I was 14 hours with proper contractions and giving birth.. but it all "began" a few days before.

 

[Little Monkey]

With my first I was in labour 3 hrs and 53 mins and 8 days early. Second was 20 mins and 9 days late and third was 3 hrs and 51 mins and 8 days early but had previous premature labour at 29 weeks.

I couldnt tell you what Braxton Hicks feel like as never had them with my 3 boys and praying I dont have them this time either.

 

[sarah29]

I was in labour for 32 hours and was 9 days overdue. Sofia just didn't want to come out!

I was the same as Little Monkey and never experienced Braxton Hicks x

 

[anita665]

Thanks. I've been having some mild Braxton Hicks which sometimes are a little painful for several weeks now but I've heard they can get worse before the birth so I guess I'll just wait and see. I was told with BH they tend to go in about 10 or 15 mins if you sit down and rest.

 

[Rayven]

Hiya! With my first i was induced so the labour was longer anyway - i was in 36 hours with her, my second was only 8 hours though. I think it depends from person to person. If worst comes to the worst and your labour doesn't take very long you may have to call an ambulance hun.

 

[elles28]

When I first felt contractions I went to L & D they examined me & said I was 2cm dilated they told me to go home have a warm bath & I would have my baby the next day...A week later I went back up & was taken straight to delivery suite 4 hrs later my son was born.

With my 2nd I was 7cm dilated when I got to hosp & my daughter was born an hour and a bit later I almost didnt make it into delivery suite!!

 

[anita665]

I'm so paranoid about calling anyone too soon as I really don't want to have to go to hospital and be sent home again so I plan to wait till I'm really sure I can't wait any longer. Especially knowing that most people take ages. Still my aunty was the same and she thought she'd have ages so she prepared a nice, warm bath and just as she got in it thought "omg I have push" so she very nearly didn't make it on time either!!

 

[vicky9207]

proper labor from 10 on saturday nite till 10:01 on sunday morning

 

[bigbelly2]

my labour was a bit strange i think....
i was due nov 26th, nov the 17th i had flu like symptoms and got really annoyed with everyone...never had any pains etc..went to bed as normal that night and at 434 nov 18th i woke up to go to the toilet, i went for a wee but it just kept trickling and trickling, at first i wasnt sure what was happening but then i twigged, my waters had broken...i had a shower, shaved my legs and bits *how i could reach i dont no lol* then made my way to hospital ~on crutches i may add as id dislocated my knee 8 weeks prior lol ~ i got there at about 8am got examined and i was 4 cm, at 9am i got off the bed as i thought i needed to go to the toilet, but my god i had the biggest contraction ever known to man and shot back on the bed asking for pethedine, they injected me and then at 930 the midwife checked me to notice maddys head was crowing...3 pushes laster at 939am she was born!!
May sound lovely, not too painful etc but my god did i tear and an hour and a half later they were still stictching me up!!

so on record im 9 minutes labour but i guess it was from 434 to 939 (5 hours 5 minutes) i would def say if your not at all sure go to hosp to be on the safe side as you live so far i wouldnt chance anything!!

good luck

h x

 

[TashaAndBump]

My waters broke at 10, my contractions started at 12 - but they were very intense as soon as they started and never has a break between them - I was glad I was in hospital from the first moment because I couldn't have done anything else! Anna was born at half 8. So my labour was technically 10 hours long, but from contractions to birht was 8 and a half - the time flew by, though!

[edit: I'm taking my labour from the moment my waters broke, but I did have flu symptoms early that morning (shaking, shivering, fever, sickness etc) and an unbearable hip pain that meant I couldn't move - I don't know if that was part of my labour or not ]

 

[xarlenex]

I guess if you werent sure it was real labour you could try a bath? Supposedly a bath will stop the pains if its not real labour.

My contractions started 10 past 8 on a saturday and kyle was born 21 mins past 8 on monday...so 48 hours and 11 mins.

 

[Mervs Mum]

I was 10 days over so I was induced. 16 hours proper labouring then forceps.

x

 

[Phexia]

Woke up at 2 am when my water broke, baby came 36 hours later.

 

[Zanny]

I was induced & for 14 hours I experienced cramping from the prostaglandin gel they used to soften my cervix.. but after the second dose I started having proper contractions & was in labour from 6am til 4.20pm. I pushed for about 10 minutes.. once they'd broken my waters I went from 4cm to 10cm in about an hour.

 

[ryder]

lol... wow bigbelly2... you even had time to shower and shave your legs?!?!?!?!

Does everyone do this before they go to the hospital?

 

[NorthernBelle]

From the time my contrax became timable/regular (i.e. < 5 min apart) to the time I actually delivered DS was 12 hours. I got to the hospital about an hour after my "labour" started, and was 3 cm dialated, so still had lots of time for the epidural. There is no way in H.E.double hockey sticks that I would have stopped to shower or shave!! My doctor actually advises AGAINST taking a bath if you are in active labour, if your membranes have broken it could introduce bacteria to the area, a warm shower is okay BUT>>> a word of caution IF you are in active labour, it may worsen and you will have a very difficult time getting out of the shower if you are all by yourself.

 

[Linzi]

Oh my word...

theres some really long ones on here.

Eek

xxx

 

[bigbelly2]

lol... wow bigbelly2... you even had time to shower and shave your legs?!?!?!?!

Does everyone do this before they go to the hospital?

lol yeah,

looking back i was only 19/20 and had no idea i was actually in "proper" labour as i "thought" my waters had broken but only had little period like pains...i USED to be obsessed with shaving my legs every day so just had to do it...ALSO being entirely honest as id been poorly the day before i hadnt had a shower *dirty bugger i hear you all shout* so i felt it was a necessity to smell nice for the midwives lol

h x

 

[Jem]

Lol!

My waters broke at 1am on the 18th Jan (was due 31st Jan) and my contractions started around 2am. At 7am I was in hospital and 2cms dilated and at 9am was 9.5cms! I was ready to push at 10am but didn't have Faith till 11.48am due to the fact she was breech and they didn't know until they saw the bum! Otherwise I'm sure I would have had her sooner! Anyway going from my waters breaking it was just under 11 hours from start to finish. Going from being in established labour I'm guessing just under 4 hours.