how fast can a labor be?

[nem]

hi
my first labor was 5 hours start to finish, almost 18 years ago, a hospital birth.
15 months ago, i had baby #2,a home birth that was 3.5 hours
i am pregnant with baby #3, due in july, i live about a 30 min drive from the midwives, and from my husbands work, and am worried that no-one will get here on time, and it will be just me and my two year old. just how fast can things go?
nancy

[hunter]

It depends on the woman, and on her body's preparations. My cousin reportedly went from first contraction to birth in 45 minutes; it was her fourth in six years. However, I'm sure her "backaches" in the last weeks of her pregnancies were probably prodomal labor, but she'll never admit to that -- she seems to enjoy her notoriously short labors, calling the paramedics, etc.

My shortest labor was about four hours, and I had four pregnancies, with five babies, in less than five years. I planned to have all my babies at home anyway, so short notice was not a bad thing for us. My DH worked at home, and my midwives were about 10 or 15 minutes away. I'd warn them all about false alarms, just to be safe! Good luck!!

Edited to add that I *always* seemed to know when labor was "for real." I don't know if that's common or not, but I never called the midwife when it turned out to be too soon, etc. When I went into labor at 35 weeks with the twins, my DH thought it was "false labor" but my midwife knew me better, and came right away!

[Shari]

Not a personal experience, but my MIL had very VERY quick births. My Dh she had in 5 hours from the first labor pain. His brother she had in 3 hours...made it to the hospital thought she had to have a BM and nearly delivered him on the toilet. My SIL was born in the car on the way to the hospital...Under two hours of labor. She had 6 children in total, the first three (before my DH) were born in 6-7 hours.

I think it all depends on you and how much work your body does before labor i.e. prodromal labor w/dilation and effacement.

Ofcourse my mother's experience was a 5 hour labor w/ both my brother's and a 15 hour labor w/ me..but I was breech so that's likely why. She likes to remind me how I was trouble from the start ;)

Shari

[karin]

toh

my mom was 4 hours with me, 2 hours with my brother, and 50 minutes with my sister. i would call your midwives at the first sign if you think something is happening, even if it's a false alarm.

[djk42]

My son was 3 hours, Beth was about 2, Abigail was 5 days. It doesn't always get shorter each time. :)

[hedra]

Talk to your midwife - she's seen more births than we have! :) But I'd also recommend that you prepare for an accidental unassisted home birth, just so you feel safe. The more prepared you are to go unassisted, the more safe you and your baby will be IF the midwife doesn't get there in time. Ask the midwife to help you get the right materials together. More of a pain with a 2-year-old around, but chances are still good that if you call at the first sign of labor, she'll get there in time anyway.

(BTW, my first labor was 80 hours, my second 4.5 hours... I can't possibly lose the same number of hours the next time, or I'll end up in negative numbers, LOL!)

[hedra]

Oh, and BTW, my cousin's last labor was 1 hour and a bit, and the midwife was an hour away. She got there just in time to catch. :) That was my cousin's tenth baby, though... Once she got below 3 hours, she lost about 30 minutes per labor.

[midwifetx]

I have my ladies who have rapid labor call me when they first have the thought "Oh, man, this is it!"

[nem]

thanks for all of the responses.
just to clarify, i saw my midwife at 5.30 the night ruby was born, and i was not dilated at all, no braxton hicks, no cramps, until 6.40, and by 9.15 i was 10 cm, so basicly i went from 0-10 in 2.5 hours, with no advance warning!
djk42-as anxious as i am about things going too fast, i really hope that they dont take the direction yours did! the only way i can contemplate another drug free homebirth, is knowing that it will all be over in a few hours. i'm working on finding a way to surrender into it, rather than "get thru it" but we shall see how succesful i am at that!
thanks again everyone
nancy

[teachinmama]

I thought I would have a fast birth w/ #3 (it was one of our reasons for having a hb actually..lol). It turned out to be my longest. First was 5 hrs...second was 3 hrs...third was 8 hrs.

I agree w/ the others..call as soon as you think it's "it". But also be prepared for a longer labor.