How long were your labors?

[somethingshiny]

Just out of curiosity, how long was your labor/labors?


My induced labor was 39.5 hours.

 

[Peepa]

Date: 8/4/2009 2:18:05 PM
Author:somethingshiny
Just out of curiosity, how long was your labor/labors?


My induced labor was 39.5 hours.

When you say almost 40 hrs of laboring... does that mean it hurt like heck the entire time and did you get epidural and if so, when?

 

[somethingshiny]

I had 12 hours of lying flat with a thing in me to make my cervix thin. That started contractions (I''m going to assume the kind of contractions that you stay home during) that stayed 5-10 minutes apart throughout. Then I had Pitocin started. That increased the severity of contractions. After 14 hours of pitocin, I asked for the girl with the epidural! After 13 hours of my lovely epidural and continued pitocin, I went in for a c-section.

"hurt like heck" started shortly after the Pitocin started.

 

[MustangGal]

somethingshiny - my labor was a lot like yours! I was already 4cm and 100% thinned out, so I didn't have to do that part. They started the pitocin drip at 9am, broke my water at 11:30am, and I finally started contractions at 1pm. Got the epidural at 6pm when the baby wouldn't rotate, started pushing at 8:30pm, went for the c-section at 10:45pm, so from the first drip to baby was 14 hours. Doesn't it suck to get that far, and then still have to have a c-section?

 

[vespergirl]

From the time my water broke to the time I delivered the baby was 23 hours. I never had a natural contraction. After my water broke, the doctors waited about 6 hours, then they induced me, since I wasn''t anywhere near going into labor (the baby hadn''t dropped at all either). They induced me at around 2 pm, and I was fully dilated by midnight. However, I pushed for 4 and a half hours with no success, so they assisted the birth with vacuum.

 

[D&T]

21 hours -induced, then an ER c-section for my first DD, my second was a planned c-section, only about 45 minutes

 

[snlee]

My labor was 20.5 hours and I did it natural with no drugs. Most of the time the pain was manageable and I could still talk. The worst part was the transition phase, from 7-10 cm, which lasted 3 hours. It was the worst pain I have ever felt. Then I pushed for 4.5 hours, which was hard work but much better than transition phase. Giving birth to my son was most amazing thing I've ever done. It was like an out of body experience because I don’t know how I was able to last through all that. Your body can do amazing things.

ETA My labor wasn't normal. I was on bedrest for 2 months and had contractions during the whole time (tightening but not painful). By the time my contractions were regular and I checked into the hospital I was already at around 4.5 cm.

 

[qtiekiki]

20 hours laboring at home. The contractions weren''t too painful yet. 5 hours at the hospital (I got epidural 1 hr after we got to the hospital).

 

[Shoopy]

Well, on the 30th (of June) I started experiencing some cramping at around 9AM but wasn’t sure if it was cramps or contractions. Turns out it was contractions and I delivered DD at 5:23PM the next day so I guess that would be about 30 hours.

 

[puffy]

about 2 hours at home, got to the hospital at almost 8 cm, got an epidural, and 20 minutes later i was ready to push, 25 minutes later, he was born, so total less than 3 hours. but it sure seemed like it lasted forever!!

 

[D&T]

Date: 8/4/2009 3:14:45 PM
Author: puffy
about 2 hours at home, got to the hospital at almost 8 cm, got an epidural, and 20 minutes later i was ready to push, 25 minutes later, he was born, so total less than 3 hours. but it sure seemed like it lasted forever!!

man- I sure hope my next one will be like yours...

 

[MonkeyPie]

Date: 8/4/2009 3:14:45 PM
Author: puffy
about 2 hours at home, got to the hospital at almost 8 cm, got an epidural, and 20 minutes later i was ready to push, 25 minutes later, he was born, so total less than 3 hours. but it sure seemed like it lasted forever!!

Omg! I hope mine is like yours, WOW!

This thread is making me scared lol.

 

[TravelingGal]

Water broke at around 3:30-4 pm. Went to the hospital at 9:30ish. They let me labor naturally until 1:30, then all "hell" broke loose as they came in telling me I had toxemia.

Pitocin and Mag was in by 2 am. Got the epidural at 7:30 am.

Baby was born via C-Section at 11:32 am. (Baby was in a bit of distress and heartrate kept going down.) I also only got to 8 cm after all that.

So total, around 20 hours. Piece of cake.

 

[Courtneylub]

Broke my water and started pitocin at 2pm. Labored for 5.5 hours and then pushed for 2.5 hours. They had to use the vacuum for me too.

 

[curlygirl]

First time, labored at home for about 3 hours till contractions became hard to breathe through. Went to hospital, water broke on its own, quickly went to 5 cm and then completely dilated within 4 hours. Pushed her out in 45 minutes for a total labor of about 8 hours from start to finish.

With the 2nd one, water broke at home in bed at with no real contractions to warn me before it happened. Since it was my 2nd baby, we rushed to the hospital per my doctor's instructions but had to wait around for a room for about an hour--dying the entire time as the contractions were on top of each other. Finally got a room and was at 8 cm. Screamed for them to hurry up with the epidural. Was complete within minutes, it seemed, but I asked them to let me rest because I was wiped out from the pain and excitement. So they gave me a reprieve for 45 minutes to let the contractions continue to bring her down, then I pushed her out in 15 minutes. So from start to finish with a break, it was 4 hours.

 

[MustangGal]

Wow, I''m surprised at all the ladies that had to have pitocin! I thought I was odd for being induced, but I guess it''s more normal?

 

[Shoopy]

Date: 8/4/2009 3:37:58 PM
Author: MustangGal
Wow, I''m surprised at all the ladies that had to have pitocin! I thought I was odd for being induced, but I guess it''s more normal?

Not to threadjack but I was given pitocin and they OB broke my water I think out of convenience. They say it was because my contractions were ever 1 to 2 minutes apart with no progress (I was 3cm and baby at -2 station) but I don''t buy that as the reason.

 

[packrat]

My contractions started about 9pm Saturday night, and I called JD to come home from work at 11pm-after I took a shower and shaved my legs. By 2 the next afternoon I was still only at a 4, and the nurses told me Dr wouldn''t order anything until I was at 6, I think. It''s been so long, I can''t remember. Anyway, she came in and said nope, we''ll do it early, so she ordered an intrathecal-(walking epidural, whichever you call it), thinking that would help my body dilate. She also talked to me about the need for a c section if this didn''t work. London and her big shoulders were lodged in the birth canal. It didn''t work, so they called the surgeon in, and London was born via C section that night.

Trapper, no labor b/c he was repeat section.

 

[Clio]

#1: My water broke around 2 pm, but no contractions. Pitocin was started at midnight, and she was born at 2:30 am. Approx. 20 mins. of pushing.

#2: Went into labor at 10:30 pm, and she was born at 1:00 am. Approx. 20 mins. of pushing.

#3: He was induced for size at 38.5 weeks. Pitocin was started at around 8 am, I started feeling contractions a little after lunchtime, and he was born at 4:30 pm. About 45 mins. of pushing (stubborn little boy had his hand up by his face!).

 

[MichelleCarmen]

Was a week late w/no signs of impeding labor and then given Pitocin and then began pushing around 9 hours later. Pushed for 3.5 hours, but my son didn't budge, so I was given a c/s. Second son was a repeat/planned c/s.

ETA - I was given pitocin because my son was a week late and I had gestational diabetes which wasn't dx until week 28 so they thought my son would be big. He came out with 8 lbs. 9 oz of chubbiness. I totally controlled my sugar levels and get this *exercised* 1 hour per day ALL through my pregnancy. Yikes. I was totally prepared for the endurance of labor - so I thought. I still had an epi.

 

[Pandora II]

53 hours and 45 minutes total...

Waters broke at 11am on Friday, contractions started an hour later. Daisy was born at 3.45pm on the Sunday afternoon.

By the time I got the epidural and they started the pitocin I had been in labour for over 40 hours and was only 1cm dilated - despite having had extremely painful contractions of 1 minute duration every 5 minutes for over 20 hours at that point!

I got to 10 cm at about 12.30pm and then rested until 2.45pm I only got to try to push for 20 minutes or so before the OBs came in and found that she was in deep transverse arrest and did an emergency forceps delivery in theatre!

 

[Tacori E-ring]

I was induced and my labor was 8.5 hours. 3 of those hours were pushing so it would have been REALLY short if she came out easier.

 

[waxing lyrical]

DD1: 3 hours
DD2: 47 minutes
DS: 1 hour 40 minutes (slow at first due to mechanical issues related to polyhydramnios)

I''m betting an hour or less this time.

 

[waxing lyrical]

Date: 8/4/2009 3:37:58 PM
Author: MustangGal
Wow, I''m surprised at all the ladies that had to have pitocin! I thought I was odd for being induced, but I guess it''s more normal?

The use of pitocin and other uterine stimulants is routine practice in American obstetrics. I''ve yet to come across a physician that wasn''t best buds with pitocin. I take that back, I know of maybe one or two that only use it when it''s truly warranted. It''s the convenience drug, even with all its downfalls. It''s highly abused.

Pitocin is a big culprit when it comes to long/hard labors or unsuccessful births. That and other factors. Cytotec (misoprostol) is contraindicated for use during pregnancy and is not FDA approved for use during pregnancy or birth, yet is still regularly used in obstetrics. It has many disastrous effects. :sigh:

 

[luvmyhalo]

Water broke: 2:20 pm
Started pushing at 1:00 am - pushed for 3 hours.....nada....
C-Section at 4:45 am

Total about 14 hours.

 

[qtiekiki]

Date: 8/4/2009 3:44:58 PM
Author: fiery

Date: 8/4/2009 3:37:58 PM
Author: MustangGal
Wow, I''m surprised at all the ladies that had to have pitocin! I thought I was odd for being induced, but I guess it''s more normal?

Not to threadjack but I was given pitocin and they OB broke my water I think out of convenience. They say it was because my contractions were ever 1 to 2 minutes apart with no progress (I was 3cm and baby at -2 station) but I don''t buy that as the reason.

I don''t think it''s just out of convenience. When I posted my birth story on the pregnancy thread and I mentioned that I had pitocin augmentation when I was 9cm dilated, this is what Dani wrote:

Re: Pitocin at last minute: It was ordered by your dr., and this is not unusual. Even if patients dilate quickly, when it comes time to push, your contractions should be at least every 2-3 mins so that you are pushing regularly and effectively. You may have not been contracting that frequently, so before you started pushing, they started the Pitocin just to get the contractions to be more regular. It actually probably shortened the pushing phase for you, which is a good thing!

I believe the pitocin did help me get to the pushing phase and make the phase shorter. I only pushed 3-4 times.

I know your situation is different b/c you were not as dilated but have more frequent contractions than me, but maybe the reason your OB gave was valid.

Sorry for the hijack.

 

[Ellen]

1st- 5 hours

2nd- 3 hours ----> Too close for comfort, doc barely made it, and I mean barely!

3rd- close to 24 hours, but it was only braxton hicks til the last 6 hours, at which point they gave me a pit drip and an epi.

 

[somethingshiny]

wow! I can''t believe so many of you have had "short" labors. I have a cousin who has 4 children and none of her labors were over 2 hrs. I thought she was one in a million! I''m actually surprised to see that there doesn''t seem to be a definite decline in labor for each successive child. I wonder if closer pregnancies equal less labor time.

As far as pitocin, I was induced because, frankly I was miserable. I couldn''t eat, sleep and it was really hard to breathe. I was induced at 39 weeks. I was on all the meds and the dr broke my water but I never dilated completely. That''s why I had the c. But, JT came out weighing 10 lbs 7 oz. So, even if I COULD have dilated, I''m glad I didn''t have to push him out!!

 

[robbie3982]

I started having contractions around 7pm on Friday and Desmond was born at 7:29am on Sunday. I didn't go to the hospital until around 9pm on Saturday though and when I got there I was 3cm. I'd been 1cm at my last appointment on Thursday. When the contractions started I told DH that they felt like someon was hugging my uterus, lol. Like Snlee, I did it naturally with no drugs. I was fine, talking and joking between contractions and sometimes even during, until I got to transition. Part of what made transition so unbearable for me was that I had to stay still. I was doing intermittent monitoring (15 min of every hour on the monitors) and Des had dropped so much at that point that my belly was mishappen and the monitors wouldn't stay on unless I stayed totally still. I felt my contractions in my back and it felt like my spine was going to snap in half. It only lasted 2.5 hours though and I'd do it again without drugs if we decide to have more kids. I only pushed for about 10 minutes. Crowning burned, but honestly the whole pushing thing felt GREAT after transition.

ETA: So, from start to finish, 36.5 hours with only 2.5 that were really bad.

 

[Pandora II]

I had to have the pitocin as I was getting nowhere in terms of dilation and my waters had broken over 36 hours previously (they always start induction and IV antibiotics at that point to avoid the risk of infection).

Turns out that my lack of dilation despite very strong contractions was due to her head being stuck and so not putting the pressure it should on the cervix.