Length of Labor

Olalala157

I'm curious as to how long your labor was first time around and if you did it again, second time around. Most places says the average is 12-14 hours, but I'm curious what actual peoples experiences were. I'm a first time mom and even though I know everyone is different, I'm curious what to expect!

smilelari

30 hours

I went to the hospital at 4 cm dilated and went home after determining that progress was still slow and went back more than 24 hours fully dilated

RedCamaro

7 hours 41 minutes

Pretty funny that little stuff like that sticks in your memory. I attribute that to continuing my exercise program throughout my 2nd and 3rd trimester. (Hopefully I can repeat it this time around.)

mbgreenwalt

14.5 hours. 

I went in at 41 weeks 1 day for an induction.  They started my pitocin at 9am and I had DD at 11:22p.  I had to push for 3.5 hours because she dropped with her face towards my hip.  I had to push while they manually rotated her.  Once they were able to rotate her she came right out.

lemonJAM

20.5 hours

Started my induction at 4 pm with Cervidil.  Started Pitocin around 2 am.  C-section at 12:40 pm. 

CheriCO

Just under 10hrs of real labor. My water broke at 1am & real contractions started around 3am. I arrived at the hospital after 8am & was 3cm (and in hard labor) at 9:20am. I was nearly complete with a lip of cervix around 11:30 and started pushing around noon. DS was born at 12:47pm.

RyansMTCowGirl

I was 4cm when they admitted me into the hospital to induce me, but I wasn't having any real contractions, at least none that I noticed.  I was all hooked up to the pitocin by about 5:30pm, but I didn't really start having serious contractions until they broke up water at about 8:00pm.  DD was born at 3:36am.

BeautyfromAshes

23 hours, from start of induction to delivery of the second twin. It was incredibly slow and long and awful, and I am really praying this one comes much faster and easier!

I will be avoiding induction at all costs, let this baby come when it wants!

myantonia

48 hours.

At 10 days overdue, I was induced at 6:30 on a Wednesday night.... failed.  C/S at 6:30 on Friday night.  

BeautyfromAshes

Oh, myantonia, that made me cringe. 10 days overdue and 48 hours of labor to end with a section...you're a hero.

MrsG.060708

From the time I started timing contractions to when DD was born, almost 14 hours.

"Real labor"--what is considered from when I checked in at the hospital at 4 cm to birth--almost 7 hours.

I pushed for about an hour, and then a vacuum was used to help get DD because I wasn't able to push hard enough. My epi was turned down an hour before pushing, and turned completely off 30 minutes before pushing, but I still didn't regain enough feeling in my legs and could hardly feel contractions and it was hard to know when to push.

mbaby1980

Close to 20 hours. Second child was only 4 hours, start to finish!! Hope this one goes as fast as the second.

ClaraEarlene

karenjoyharrison:

Oh, myantonia, that made me cringe. 10 days overdue and 48 hours of labor to end with a section...you're a hero.

Hero, indeed!  

Even worse than the waiting to hear the heart beat or to see the ultrasound, is the fact that I have no idea what to expect with labor.  It could last as little as a few hours or as long as a couple of days; it could be easy as pie and completely uncomplicated, or it could be the worst ordeal of my life.  I know this is something every woman goes through (except for those who know they're having a c/s), but it still bothers me.  I'm used to planning and anticipating the details, but this is impossible!

tx*mom

6.5 hours from the time they started pitocin and broke my water until he was born.  

peanutboogie

DD1- 4.5hrs

DD2-  5.5hrs

I was induced with both and only count active labor. (4cm-birth)  But before 4cm I was just hanging out watching TV waiting for the pain to begin..lol

cynth1

I went into labor 1 week before I was due and when I got to the hospital I was 6cm dilated.  I did not even know I was in labor.  The only thing that told me something was up was I started spotting in the middle of the night.  My baby was breech so I had to have a C-section but my doc told me that if I could have had a vaginal birth she was going to be out within a couple hours.  So not everyone's first birth is long.

b.heather

36 hours total - got an epi after 31 hours, started pushing 3 hours later, pushed for 2 hours before Zoe was born. I tried to labor at home as long as possible and went to the hospital when the contractions were 3- 4 minutes apart - that was at 4 p.m. - they told me Zoe would be born by 10 p.m. at the latest - she was actually born at 10 a.m.! THAT was a long night! It was rough, but I have every hope it will be faster this time around!