Question about labor length
virginiagirl11
member
How do you measure how long someone was in labor?
For example, I was in triage at 3 cm for a couple of hours before they officially admitted me at 4 cm. From the point at which I was admitted to the point at which I gave birth, 9.5 hours elapsed.
However, prior to being admitted at the hospital, I had been having regular contractions for 7 hours and irregular contractions for 13 hours before that.
If I count from the point at which the contractions started, I was in labor for 29.5 hours. If I count from the point at which I started having regular contractions that grew closer together, I was in labor for 16.5 hours. If I could from the point at which I reached 4 cm and was officially admitted to the hospital, I was in labor for 9.5 hours. Which is it?
I'm just curious because people have asked me how long my labor was and I really wasn't sure what to tell them. Thanks!
: sticky baby 4.25.11 : #2 due 5.18.13
Re: Question about labor length
I always wonder this too....I was having regular, steady, painful contractions for 4 days with DD. Got admitted on day 5 at 1 cm, had her about 20 hours later. In total from contraction #1 to delivery it was over 100 hours which is crazy
Even when I was admitted I didn't meet the criteria for 'active' labor since I was only 1 cm but it sure was 'labor' to me.
DS it was much easier to define, contractions and bloody show hit, baby showed up a few hours later.
I usually go by how long I was in the hospital, but I do hold the right to tell DD she was stubborn from before she was born
Good question. I had an induction so I just go with my induction length since I hadn't started laboring at all on my own.
I do this too, but I'm still confused sometimes because I had pitocin started at 10pm but didn't have any painful contractions till maybe 1am or so. If I count from the start of the induction it was 7 hours but from the start of hard labor it was more like 4.
I think it'll vary from person to person. For me, I count from first timeable, fairly regular, and uncomfortable contraction. With #1 I woke from a contraction at 5 am on Saturday morning and spent that whole day contracting fairly regularly and painfully. I was admitted to the birth center around 10 pm that night and DS was born at 11:05 Sunday morning, so I count my labor as 30 hours (I had been cramping on the friday too, but dont count that since it was irregular and only mildly uncomfortable).
I think no matter what I wouldn't count labor from the time you're admitted, because obviously some people labor at home for a long time.
7 Angels in Heaven, 1 In My Arms
12/24/07 D&C (12 weeks)
2/08 MC (5 weeks)
5/08 PA (7 weeks)
9/08 VTS (6 weeks)
7/09 MC (5 weeks)
8/10 MC (UKN)
6/7/11 CP (UKN)
*CM PIP Girl*