TTMs: Speed of L&D

Sarcasm101

To moms who have delivered more than once, was your labor and delivery faster the second time around?

I know every birth is different, but I am trying to plan since my hospital is 30 minutes away without traffic, and potentially 90 minutes away in rush hour.

So tell me, is it an urban myth or not?

erind228

With my first, I pushed for 2 hours. With number two and three I gave like 3 pushes. For me, the actual delivery was faster. As far as labor, with number one I was induced, so I am going to leave that out. For 2 and 3, I went into labor on my own, and they were both about 12 hours from when I felt my first true contraction until the baby was out.

rebelone

My first labor was 12 hours and my second was 16 hours then it turned into an emergency C Section, so no that was not the case for me. Then my third was a scheduled C Section, and my 4th will be a C Section.

sarahufl

I have the same issue- I live in an urban area and can be 25 min from my hospital or 2 hours. I feel like I would be better off taking the train than driving at some times of day!

My OB has a document (or plan of some sort) for women in that situation (very common where I live) that outlines when to leave and when to wait it out based on symptoms.

AnnikaD20

I've heard that the pushing phase is faster after the first, cause your body remembers what to do. But the labor stages can vary each time. This is my second, so I'm interested to see other mamas experiences. Fingers crossed that the faster pushing thing is true.

Jules08

Gah, I hope it's faster.  I was induced with #1 so that skews it, but it took 26 hours (pushed for an hour).

Sarcasm101

I pushed for 3 hours and ended up needing forceps. So I am really hoping this urban myth is based in fact.

momofmanyinthemitten

Labor was the same, but delivery was way faster: 3 hrs pushing + vacuum vs. 2 pushes. However, the second VBAC was 1.5lbs lighter than the first.

RoseShadow873

You could still potentially be fast even if it's your first. I was the first born and came out so fast my mom barely got to the hospital in time and I came out with a broken collar bone.

spicedice

If pushing is faster the second time around, I'll take it. I only pushed for maybe 30 minutes with DS.

imrachellea

Um...40 hours of labor with DD1 (induced, so I don't think it counts as much, but 20+ hours of active labor once things got going, as I was in early stages of labor at the start of induction) and I pushed for 1.75 hours...I really hope the pushing is faster this time around! I'm hoping things move faster this time because I want to go natural and feel like it will be easier to do so if it doesn't take as long.

NMort

Babies 1 and 2 were very similar time wise for me. However, baby 3 was way quicker! Baby 3 was born only two hours after arriving at the hospital, where 1 and 2 were between 6-8 hours. Good luck!

runningwild

My first labor was around 10 hours or so (I wasn't sure exactly when I was in labor), pushed for about 30 minutes. My second was 6 hours start to finish with like 5 minutes of pushing.

I live about 30-40 minutes (without traffic) from my hospital. So I'm a little concerned about how much faster baby 3 might go

TKaiser91

With DD I was induced with pitocin and it did absolutely nothing. They decided to break my water and that was when labor started. DD was born 4 hours after they broke my water and I only pushed 3-4 times and she was out. I'm curious to see what happens this time around because I'm really hoping that I wont have to be induced again. Only time will tell though.

dayj11

I'm on number 4 and labor as well as delivery have been faster each time so far. I'm planning on heading to the hospital at the first sign of anything with this one. My last l&d was fast! First contraction started at 330am not regular at all. I finally let my husband take me to the hospital at 5. From the time I got to the hospital (which is 10 minutes from home)to the time she was born was 1 hour. It was so fast.

JadaBlue

You ladies are giving me hope my two hours of pushing will not have to be repeated! I'm also wondering if the fact that it will have been less than two years since DD1 was born influences anything...

cmjenkies

I was induced with DS and from start of pitocin to baby in my arms was only 5.5 hours. It is really SO dependent on the momma's body. Everyone is different.

mojomama6

All five of my labors have occurred naturally and pain medication free. #1 was 24 hours with an hour of pushing. #2 is in my records as 6.5 hours but was really weird- one really big contraction at 3:30 am (woke me and my mom up, in the other room), then just pelvic pain for the rest of the time, no contractions until she was already crowning. I pushed once, pretty half heartedly. #3 was positioned posterior, and took 48 hours to get out, with 20 minutes of pushing. #4 was 62 minutes from start to finish, 2 pushes. She was 9 oz bigger than #3, and way easier. #5 was 10 hours of labor, pushing was complicated by a minor shoulder dystocia, but still only took ten minutes or so.

blonde151188

#1 was longer labor (early labor all day, active from 5p-10p) pushed for maybe 10 minutes. #2 was 2 hour labor, pushed 3 times. #3 was 40 minute labor, pushed once. I'm extremely concerned about how fast this one will go so I'm leaning towards being induced so we can be in a more controlled setting since we live farther away this time.

klingonboxer

According to the teacher at my childbirth class, unless you or a sibling were a SUPER FAST BARELY MAKE IT TO THE HOSPITAL type labor, you are EXTREMELY unlikely to have one. She said at least 99% of people who don't have a family history of precipitous labor will take at least a few hours to get to the pushing, even on second+ babies. So you've probably got plenty of time for traffic! (Unless you popped right out. Then I don't know what to tell you.)

helleebellee

First was 5 1/2 hours, second was the same. Third was 42 minutes, good times there. Fourth was 5 hours. And fifth, sixth, and seventh were all 12+ hours.

imrachellea

WHAT IS THIS @mojomama6, 62 minutes, and @SweetBriarBee, 42 minutes?!? I don't know whether to be insanely jealous or terrified of a labor that fast! I don't live that far from the hospital (less than 14 miles and just under 30 minutes with typical traffic)...but yikes! God bless you ladies!

Also, did either of you test positive for Group B strep at any point with your kids? I have already tested positive and will be getting antibiotics, and since I was induced with DD1 I honestly don't know what labor on my own will look like.

ImpatientPatty

Some of you ladies are true champs with these super fast labors with 2 pushes!!! Just like @imrachellea I'd be terrified of a labor that was 42 mins

briterfly84

With my first, I was induced because of BP.  Cervadil at 11pm, picocin at 8am, epidural at 2pm because I stalled at 4cm.  After the epi was "in" (because it never took) I rolled over to rest.  30 minutes later I was fully dilated and ready to push.  I pushed for about 30 minutes before DD was out.  I think I'd rather have a slow-go labor then push quick like that again, just for exhaustion levels!

helleebellee

@imrachellea  I was GBS+ with 3 of mine. Two were induced, and the last one was natural.  With her, I went in as soon as I thought I could be in labor so we could get the antibiotics going. It was a 15 hour labor, so I ended up with far more bags of antibiotics than I had wanted, but you never know what labor will do.  As for the 42 minutes, I was already at the hospital, so it worked out.  Our hospital is 45 minutes from us, so I would have delivered in the car far before reaching the hospital.  It was just a crazy, fast labor. The nurse thought I was being dramatic because she had just checked me and I was a 3 and not contracting much, if at all.  20 minutes later I was an 8 and they all started scrambling to get things ready. The dr walked in the room in time to catch. 

imrachellea

@SweetBriarBee That is actually really encouraging to hear, thank you! Because my DD1 was in the NICU after I was negative for group B at 38 weeks and then ended up positive at delivery, I have such fears about not getting enough antibiotics this time around. Having been on the other side, walking out of the hospital without her and she not seeing the outside world until she was 10 days old, I would take the extra antibiotics any day 

mojomama6

@imrachellea no, I've never tested positive for gbs, so I'm zero help there. But it would have been a moot point anyway with my 62 minute birth, as she was also born en caul, so there was no contact for gbs transfer.
I would not be jealous of a precipitous birth... It was crazy intense, like an entire 24 hour labor packed into one hour, and the entire time I was asking the baby to please slow it down and at least wait for dh to get home so there would be another adult (she didn't. I gave birth alone with my three children looking on). I was, however, really glad that we had planned a home birth, so we had supplies on hand, including medications for possible hemorrhage, even though I didn't end up needing it.

seasidesweete

Not personal experience....but this was my friends experience. Her son came on his due date and so fast she didn't get an epidural. I think like 2 hrs.  They had discussed inducing at 39 weeks because they were afraid she wouldn't make it to the hospital in time.   Her baby girl was born on Monday (she was due sometime in February, I think the 12th) water broke at 5:30 and she had her at 8:10.  

I had to be induced with #1 so wondering if this one will come on its own!  But I'll be ok if it takes its time at least a few hours

Mailmans Baby Momma

I like this thread!

I only have DS, but it was 18 hours of labor and less than 10 minutes of pushing. Doc barely made it there in time (I delivered on a Saturday and he came in just to deliver after checking on me throughout the day...best doc ever!).