Wouldn’t it be nice to know that as soon as your water breaks, or the moment you have that first contraction, you know your baby will be there almost immediately?
Some women and mothers would heartily agree and be eager to give birth very quickly in order to get the process over with as soon as possible. Other mothers may be more comfortable to take it one step at a time, dealing with each fluctuation and increase as things come along.
A small fraction of mothers don’t really have a choice and experience what is called precipitous labor or precipitous birth. And you may think you prefer it, but after hearing what it completely entails you may change your mind.
What Is A Precipitous Labor Birth?
Simply explained, it is when a mother goes through her entire labor and delivery in under three hours, and often shorter than that. I recently read an article about a mother who delivered her baby in 45 minutes ….. 45 minutes!! She had her three-year-old notifying neighbors to the situation. Isn’t that just crazy?
Most women have MUCH longer times experiencing labor. First-time mothers especially, normally have longer periods of active labor (up to 24 hours), but average around 12-15 hours in labor.
Then subsequent births do happen quicker, averaging less than 12 hours. My first boy took 11 hours and my next was only seven, then my third was just 2.5 hours!
Now, keep in mind that if you have an epidural, you ARE going to take longer, sometimes as much as two to three times as long.
Anyway, about 2-3% of mothers experience this regardless of the number of children they’ve previously birthed or not.
Related: Peak Of Pregnancy Labor Stages To Knows
Items Needed For Precipitous Labor
- Perineal Balm for those sudden tears that just may happen accidentally.
- Essential oils to help keep the calm, like Lavender and Frankincense.
- Tools to help stabilize you like a birthing ball or a peanut ball when the contractions come quickly.
Why Does It Happen So Fast?
A few resources suggest that there is a physical reason why women experience such fast labor, in essence, genetics. Things such as:
- A well-aligned pelvis, pubic bone, and birth canal
- An unusually small baby
- Having a female relative who also experienced fast labor
I’ve also discovered some other causes not relating to bodily function that you may want to be aware of:
- Cocaine use during pregnancy creates significantly higher rates of precipitous labor and other labor and delivery issues. The journal of Neurotoxicology and Teratology published a study in 2003 with Northwestern University Medical School Chicago that proves this.
- Autism in your baby may be associated with you experiencing a precipitous labor. The Journal of The American Academy of Pediatrics did a meta-analysis in 2011 with Harvard and Brown University confirmation the association.
Now DON’T read that and immediately expect that you will have an autistic baby. There a MANY, MANY factors that have been studied about autism in babies. But realize that an association exists. And ALSO know that there’s an association with the air all of us breathe too.
That being said, the main factor you should really even be considering and thinking about is if anyone in your family experienced a precipitous labor. That’s the BEST notion you can guide from in order to help you be prepared for the possibility of it happening to you.
Related: Folic Acid And Autism – Is There A Connection?
Caveats With A Fast Labor
In the few interviews I’ve read about mothers who’ve experienced this, almost all say that it is VERY challenging. Why? Because they had literally NO time.
- No time to mentally take each phase of the labor and delivery and process it.
- No time to get anywhere if you’re planning on birthing away from your home.
- No time to accept what may be happening and overcome the fear of things happening so quickly.
- No time to get used to the increase in strength of the contractions. Many report that they were immediately strong as if in transition (the last phase of labor) from the very beginning.
- No time to rest between contractions. Normal labor contractions are spaced a few minutes apart, but in this case they may just be a few seconds apart.
But after all was said and done, the labor and delivery took NO TIME at all.
So you can now decide for yourself if the idea of having a precipitous labor sounds a appealing to you or not. And if you know it runs in the family, no you can have an idea of what to expect and what to plan for.
Related: Why So-Called Birthing Hips Don’t Matter
What If I Experience This?
The hard part is that you may not know you’re in precipitous labor until you’re almost finished. But the key thing is that your contractions are quite hard throughout and very closer together, like less than a few minutes from the very beginning.
But if you suspect this may happen to you, the best things to really plan for is what can be done beforehand, if at all, such as:
- Have your labor bag checklist packed and ready by the door. If you’re planning on birthing at home, then this isn’t a worry.
- Make sure your transportation to the hospital or birthing center is clearly defined and ready. If your husband isn’t at home when you go into labor, have your back up informed such as a neighbor or friend ready to drop things instantly to help you.
- Ensure your children have places to go if they’re not coming with you. Again, a kindred neighbor or friend is a lifesaver here.
- Incorporate your relaxation techniques with the knowledge that things may happen quickly. When you have this in mind while you’re visualizing what works for you during labor, it will be much easier to grasp when the moment arrives.
- Stay CALM! Babies are born every day, in cars and on bathroom floors if need be. You will be okay….I promise. Mastering your relaxation beforehand will help tremendously. Plus having some calming essential oils to breathe it will help too. Lavender and Frankincense are my favorites for this.
Related: Guided Imagery Relaxation Techniques For Labor
I believe I will experience a precipitous labor again because I have now had one, even though it doesn’t run in my family. So it seems that no matter what you could or may never have one. But better to be aware and prepared in any case.
>> Ensure That Your Prepare For Your Birth No Matter What Labor You Have <<
But now I want to hear from you mothers who HAVE experienced it too.
What were you thinking in the moment? How did you feel? What did you do to get through the experience? Everything shared here can help a new mother cross over the line to having a wonderful birth experience with your help.
Have you had a precipitous labor?
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
- Natural Birth Essentials
- I’m Ready To Have This Baby!
- The Confident Mother Natural Birthing Course
- How To Relax During Childbirth: 3 Simple Ways To Ease Tension & Enhance Joy
- Natural Baby Birth Masterclass
- Express Delivery – Normal? by Pathways To Family Wellness
I am 35 weeks and getting mentally ready for another fast labor. With my first, I only felt a pressure as though I need to go to the bathroom, and then mildly painful contractions that were so close we thought they must be Braxton Hicks (I was 37.5 weeks) around 10:30am. When they became more intense, we called the midwifes at the hospital. When I saw blood in the toilet, we jumped in the car for the 25 minute drive. During the drive, the contractions were very intense and close together, and when we reached the hospital, I had the urge to push. In triage they saw I was fully dilated and they broke my waters. My baby was distressed by the pace, had pooped (there was meconium in the waters) and was low on oxygen, so my husband held an oxygen mask to my face while the midwives told me to push with every breath rather than at my own pace. They chose a vacuum over an episiotomy to help ease the baby out more quickly, too. I suffered several tears as a consequence, but the baby was fine. I was only in the hospital for about 15 minutes before she was born, and total labor lasted about 2 hours.
Now I am in that stressful place of monitoring myself closely all the time to be sure I catch the signs of labor right away… The midwife practice is very supportive and mindful of my history and my worries. I am hoping for a timely arrival at the hospital and much more leisurely pushing this time!
You’re going to do great! Let us know how everything turned out.
I’m currently 12 weeks with my second child. My first labor was a terrifying experience. My water broke just after 9pm when I was stretching before bed. Intense contractions started minutes later. Contractions were 2 minutes apart right from the start. They felt never ending. I called the hospital & struggled through their questions. They told me no rush in coming in since it was my first laborbut since my water broke I could come in at anytime. Once I could get to the car which took about 10 minutes we were in for a 40 minute drive to the hospital. The entire time the contractions never let up in intensity. I was struggling to stay on top of them. We arrived at the hospital just after 10pm & made our way upstairs. They told my husband to leave the car in the drop off area and to move it as soon as possible. Once upstairs and checked in I was only 1 cm. I was miserable, thinking this was only going to get more intense. I asked for something to take the edge off but didn’t want an epidural. They told me that I had to wait until I was fully in the system & it could be ordered. At that point I lost control of my body. I went from 1cm to fully dialated in under 30 minutes. Very very intense pains. I started yelling that I needed to push & they didn’t believe me. I was rechecked and informed that I was fully dialated. My doctor missed the birth by 20 minutes, he was finishing up a c-section when we came in. My son was born at 12:27, my water broke around 9:05pm. I’m really hoping for a less traumatic delivery this time around!
You absolutely have an advantage now Kaycee because you’re ahead of schedule and you can predict what you body may do. Master your relaxation and strength through exercise and you may find your next birth to be powerfully different and enjoyable. When you arrive at the hospital, use the word precipitous and indicate such a fast labor with your first. Then they’ll start to believe you. 🙂 Let me know how I can help!
I had a long first labor and precipitous second. I was very happy with the first and HATED the second. I did not have an epidural for either one. The precipitous labor was crazy intense, MUCH MORE painful, and absolutely terrifying. I felt out of control, like something was wrong. The only thing that kept me from completely losing it was my faith in the doctor and the hospital staff. I knew they had things under control, regardless of how I felt. My first birth was painful, yes, but I was never terrified, and it was never as intense.
I’m 36 weeks along with my third and I hope HOPE HOPE HOPE HOPE that my labor is much longer this time.
Hi Christy. There are ways to reduce the intensity and calm your mind, even slow down your labor (which I don’t recommend, but it’s possible). Are you in an area that allows for the use of nitrous oxide during labor. It’s more available out of the U.S. and in midwifery settings, rather than a hospital. The gas takes a ton of the edge off mentally and it something you can try and ask your doctor/midwife about.
The second I recommend is mastering how to relax, through meditation and calming the mind. You’ve been through this once and have a pretty good idea what to expect. Of course, this next birth may be very difference, maybe not. Going into it with stress will only exacerbate your experience. Going into it with peace will create a much calmer and positive experience.
Let us know how else we can help!
My first was a pretty average birth, although it would have gone a lot quicker without the epidural. My second was much quicker, and I wasn’t prepared. My water broke at 9pm, I had regular hard contractions by 10, got to the hospital around 11, sat in triage for 45 minutes, before finally being moved into the delivery room and delivering just after midnight. I had planned on another epidural, but by the time the anesthesiologist placed it, I was only 15 minutes from delivery, and it hadn’t started to work yet. I was overwhelmed by the speed and intensity of it. Luckily, my body took over and delivered that baby like a champ. I am planning on another fast delivery this time (in just a few weeks!), and I want to be ready.
You’re going to do great! What do you think was the biggest thing in helping you get through such a fast labor? Congrats on the one coming. 🙂
My first was born it about 6 hours, which is a little fast for a first delivery but definitely not precipitous. My second was an hour and a half from the first contraction to delivery. We lived about 40 minutes from the hospital and when my contractions started they were 5 minutes apart. In the 20 minutes it took my mom to get to our house to stay with our two year old they were three minutes apart. About 10 minutes on the freeway they were a minute and a half apart. When we’re were about 15 minutes out from the hospital I was experiencing one continuous contraction. When we arrived we had to enter through the ER since it was about 4:15 am. The intake receptionist and nurse didn’t seem to take me serious even though I was screaming hat the baby was coming and I needed to get to L&D immediately. When we arrived to L&D I was first taken to triage to asses my situation. This resulted in an argument between me and he nurse who wanted me to undress myself so she could check me. I kept yelling at her that I couldn’t and that she was going to have to take my pants off of me. My husband and the nurse pulled my pants down and then all hell broke loose because my son was crowning. When we got to the delivery room they discovered the umbilical cord had wrapped so tightly around his neck it was physically impossible for me to give birth. They had to cut the cord while he was still halfway in and then he basically slid out once his “restraint” was removed. I was hemorrhaging because of how quickly he was born and he was being given oxygen because he wasn’t breathing. Luckily He began to breathe on his own almost the second they began to give him oxygen but he did have jaundice from the bruising caused by how tightly the cord was wrapped around his neck. The entire lower portion of his face was purple from ruptured blood vessels. I wasn’t traumatized by the birth because I knew I had a good chance of experiencing rapid Labor. My mom and grandmother both delivered their children in two hours or less. I am now pregnant with my third and am trying to decide between induction or going into natural labor. Our OB is still
Located at the same hospital but there is a small rural
Hospital only about 10 minutes from our house that we could go to if needed. I’ve made plans with coworkers so they know who needs to do what if I go into labor at work. I will call an ambulance if I am by myself and my husband is dead set on an induction but I’m not sure I want to take that route. My OB said it may result in a much tougher labor so I need to really think about what I want. I’m due April 6, 2019 so we have time to decide!
I’m glad that you were aware of the possibilities with a fast labor Stacie! It’s incredible how much better mothers like you seem to fare when they’ve educated themselves and explored all options. Thanks for sharing your story!
Hello? funny thing is i just heard of the term precipitous birth…..and I have had 5 out of 7 of my births. I really appreciate this post, for years people say how lucky i am and I try to tell them that it isn’t an easy birth….I relate it to getting hit with lightening…..you know it will happen but you don’t know when. It is intense and the pain level is greater than a normal birth…my first 2 were 6 and 7 hours….and I could talk right into pushing. A few of my precipitous births are so intense from the 1st contraction that I can not talk and am shaking from the intensity and holding on for dear life. I am currently expecting baby #8…and birth is something I fear….part of me wants it fast…because of how strong my contractions are from the beginning but that too scares me…..
Lengths of my precipitous labors from first contractions
Baby #3- 1 1/2 hours homebirth(this was my best labor, not to intense, full of control, however she was also posterior…which makes it crazy as they are usually long and painful)
Baby #4- 45 minutes! (Intense contractions from the start, she was 2 weeks early and i had no idea i was that close) Hospital birth, supposed to have midwife…husband caught baby…i was fully dressed and our car was parked in front of er still running and doors opened. My husband rushed me to a room, against the wished of the nurses as they didnt believe i was in labor. We were classifies as a difficult couple LOL
Baby #5- 1 1/2 hours homebirth. It was actually a slow birth not intense lol a water birth.
Baby #6- minutes….3 crazy intense contractions that left me shaking violently. Husband caught her full intact in her sac….he said it was the craziest thing seeing her face pressed up against it like a child looking through a window lol. Midwife showed up 2 hour later lol
Baby #7-45 minutes homebirth. intense contractions from the beginning, husband caught her. Midwife had just arrived.
Apparently my mom had fast births, she couldnt believe that my first birth was so long lol….only if she was around to see the others and that I have them fast too.
You’re amazing Michelle! <3
I’ve had two precipitous births so far, and just out we’re pregnant with #3.
My first was unexpected. My water broke at 4 am, luckily I had just woken up to pee. Contractions started at 5 am, 5 min apart, about 1 min long from the get go. By the time we got in the car an hour later (I figured there was no rush, labor wasn’t supposed to be quick) they were between 2-3 minutes apart and definitely getting stronger. I remember laying in the hospital bed after we checked in, hooked to the monitors think, this is horrible. I’m having contractions so close together and I cant move! I finally got out of that bed 45 minutes later (answering any questions through contractions is impossible), and only got to spend 5 minutes in the tub because i went from 7cm to 10cm in 5 Minutes! All of a sudden my little girl is just coming out and I cant do anything. My legs are useless, my brain is mush, I cant understand what’s happening. I still have tough 3 years later feeling ok about my first labor. Everything happened so fast that I couldn’t process anything, and then all of a sudden I’m being handed my baby.
My second we had to induce because we had moved 45 minutes away from the hospital and I knew we would never make it there in time. Did a membrane sweep at 1 PM, long and slow labor, no real progress until my midwife broke my bag of waters (which, according to her was bulging like a softball when she did) at about 4 am, I think, and then things just took off. Transition hit within 10 minutes (I was hanging out at a 4-5 for most of the day) and within 5 minutes it was time to push.
When transition hits in a precipitous labor it’s unbearable. During a normal labor (around 12 hours long), your body has a chance to adjust to each new centimeter. In precipitous labor there is no preparation. Your body just goes on overdrive, stretching sometimes from 0-10 in no time at all. It truly feels like someone is using their hands to literally pull you apart from the inside on top of feeling like your uterus is being trampled by a herd of elephants, or perhaps squashed by a pod of orcas.
If you talk to a mom who had a precipitous birth, never tell her how lucky she is. Ask her how she felt. Ask her how hard it was. No labor is easy.
I must say I had a precipitous labour and I loved every bit of it. I beat against all the odds. I’m only 4 ft 10 inches and I was only 7 months pregnant. I wasn’t feeling well about two weeks ago. Anyways, my water broke and when I reached the hospital my cervix was already 5 cm dilated. In less than half an hour, already 10 cm. And I delivered within 15 minutes. I think my preterm labour was because I was having diarrhea since two weeks. But I delivered faster because I was very active before I became sick. I was walking up and down the stairs at home and I was working in hospital at the emergency department. Also, I did prenatal yoga at home 2 to 3 times a week and I was also listening to affirmations for easy delivery before going to sleep. The day I had labour, I was listening to reiki on YouTube for my solar plexus so I could heal diarrhea. Lol. And I woke in the morning when my water broke. At first, I wasn’t even sure if I broke my water or I was just having discharge because it was very little at first. But, again and again the water came out and we rushed to the hospital. I had a magical delivery.
Glad everything turned out great Christina! I too have had a precipitous birth that I would rate on the good end of the scale. Love your “magical delivery” comment. 🙂
Hi Sarah.
Found your site via youtube as i was searching the internet for info about this topic. Im from Denmark an i cant seem to find anything or anyone descriping precipitous labor like you do(sorry for my spelling) I gave birth to my 2nd child 11 month ago and the birth still haunt me. My first son was born at 39 weeks with my water breaking to induce labor because they thought he was to small. He was born after 6 hours of contraction. healthy and 3200 gr. so completly normal. My 2nd son was, again, suspected to be small, so i they again induced labor by breaking my water at 38+5 weeks. I was already 2 cm open with no cervix left. I had no contraction leading up to the induce. After they “took” my water, i waited for 2 hours and nothing happened. I was scared that my body was just not ready and i feared for the medicin they would give me if the contractions didnt start by them self. They brooke my water at 1.45 am. And at 3.30 i had nothing happening so i took a shower and when i got out of the shower and into the birthing-room i just fell to the floor with pain. It was a pain like NEVER before, so much power in the contraction that the amnion.fluids just sprayed out like a waterhose!! i laid on the floor and couldnt even tell my husband or midwife wat was happening. There were NO pauses just on long contraction that seemed to never hit the top and turn around. i couldnt breathe and at one point i looked my midwife in the eyes and tried to say i couldnt breathe. they tried to get me on the bed or i the tub but i couldnt move. I swear that if had had an gun at that point i would have ended myself( i know i sounds crazy but thats how i felt). I dont know what time it was but myhusband just picked me (and my 90kgs body – yikes) up and lifted me into to bathtub. at that point i got around 5 sekunds pause and i just scremed at my midwife that something is wrong – and then i felt a SNAP! i was sure i was ruptured from one end to another and then i lost conciusness for a few sekunds. i “woke up” while my midwife was cheeking me out indside and she said – “he coming now – you can push!” I felt him moving all the way from the top to bottom in one “swipe” and the i pushed him out and grabbed him myself. i could imedelly tell he was small and the drove him to Neonatal care right away. So i laid on the bed afterwards in CHOK, shaking and i looked at the clock and it was 4.03. its been a 25 min labour. I wanted to tell my story because i need to tell the world that a fast labour is NOT a thing to wish for – and i hope that other women would stop assuming that it is an “easy labour”. I was traumatising and i still dream about sometimes. Thank god my son was okay, he was just 2500kg a needed som help to get started but hes doing great. I loved reading this article from you and read the other birthstories and feel that im not alone. My midwife have talked to me alot afterwards and tries to help me comprehend the birth but she have never tried something like this before.
Thanks for your story Mie. I’m glad that everything turned out okay. Seems like having them “start” you played a big role in your experience. The drugs for that can really intensify your labor pains. But you also still had him super fast, which doesn’t tend to happen when labor inducing drugs are in the picture. There’s always a new situation for everything! I’m glad that you’re doing okay and that you found this article helpful. 🙂
Wow! After reading through all of this I am not sure what to think about delivery of my 3rd baby and I am scared! I’ve had 2 c-sections. 1st baby was born at 33 weeks, when it came time to push, after 3 hours he was “stuck” in my pelvis and couldn’t get past a certain point. Baby #2 was scheduled for c section due to docs thinking my pelvis is narrow. Went into labor before scheduled c section date and labor progressed FAST- from 1st pain to about an hour later (no pain relief available) I was at a 10 and feeling like needed to push. Docs kept saying don’t push, don’t push.. they were prepping for the c section… I was scared out of my mind thinking something bad was going to happen. Finally another 45 min-hour later they took me back for c section!
Sooo… with this baby (I’m due in november!) I really am scared about what will happen. I have been told I am not a good vbac candidate, having not being able to push a 5 lb baby out/him getting stuck. So having quick labor, and probably quicker next time, ack! I just want baby to be healthy & hopefully me too in the end. Feeling like I have a ‘freak’ birth history & am at a loss. Praying for peace & guidence about all I can think to do right now.
Krysti, I would encourage you to work switch to a new midwife or doctor that IS supportive of VBACs in order to support you as much as possible. Second, check out this post on helping baby to not get stuck: stuck.
You’ve got time to figure some things out and prepare as much as possible. One step at a time. Let us know how we can help! 🙂
Labor for DD1 took 26 hours from start to finish. 7#9oz.
Labor for DD2 took 3 hours to be fully dilated. But I didn’t experience Fetal Ejection Reflex for 5 hours. She was out in 2 pushes. 9#3oz
Labor for DD3 was 4 hours from start to finish. She was posterior. 8#7oz
JUST had DS and his labor was 4 hours start to finish. 40 minutes of which was pushing. 9#1oz.
I generally go from I’m fine to transition type contractions in less than 15 minutes. It is super intense. Thankfully I’ve spent a LOT of time with meditation, so you can’t really tell that my labor is progressing quickly, although it certainly feels “out of control” from inside my body!
That’s fantastic Tibeca! The meditation is perfect for supporting your mind and body through the whole experience. Congratulations!
I’m not entirely sure this is what I experienced, however I’m having a hard time understanding what happened with the birth of my first child, so I’m just going to tell y’all our story. Hopefully someone will be able to relate.
Ok so long story short, our due date was January 13th, 2018.
Started going into preterm labor the last week of November 2017. I’m a type 1 diabetic so my OB had been watching me for preeclampsia. After going into preterm labor my OB put me on nifedipine to help stop the contractions (which I could not feel, I only felt like I needed to throw up). As it turned out I was 100% effaced and 2cm dialated.
It worked, I went about my life feeling exhausted, sick, bloated, all the common 3rd trimester feelings. Then, at my appointed on the 2nd of January my BP was rediculously high and I was swollen to no end, so after being monitored for hours the fill in OB admitted me (my OB was on his only vacation he’s ever had, go figure lol). I was 100% effaced and 2.5CM dialated.
My contractions didn’t progress well, they said they were too close together, I didn’t feel one of them. They started my on pitocine, nothing happened, the next day they broke my water, nothing happened, my BP kept shooting all over the board, things were getting awkward. Finally 2 days later I was now 3.5cm dialated, and I started feeling something, for about 10 minutes it felt like period cramps, and then it hit, it was like a freight train rumbling through my entire body, and with each consecutive contractions it would pull fibers of me with it only to hit again before I could get a full breath in. There was not more than a 3 SECOND break between most of these “contractions”. I couldn’t stand, I couldn’t bounce, I could lay down, I couldn’t breath, I couldn’t stop screaming, I didn’t have enough time to get her myself enough to try and control any part of my mind would body, or figure out how to get through. I wanted so badly to go all natural but I took the pain mend which didn’t help at all and then the hospital staff sent someone in to give me an epidural and I was in no condition to refuse. I seriously think I could have died from the pain. The epidural started working in about 30 seconds which was a good thing because I was about to pass out. They checked my cervix again, only 5 cm dialated. I went to sleep immediately, it was about 1am. I slept though the nurses checking in on me though the night, and at 730 they checked my cervix again, I was 9.5 cm dialated, the ob decided to try and push back a “cervical lip”, apparently it worked perfectly, after about 15 minutes of pushing we had our beautiful baby boy who was a whole 1.5lbs bigger than expected.
There are so many other details before, during, and after that I did not include In this, and I’m sorry it’s so long, but what in the world happened?
I am the oldest of 8 children, I have been though a few of the labors with my family and some friends and have never witnessed anything so painful.
From what I’ve been told in the past by doctors, I have a very very very high pain tolerance. But from what I witnessed of myself during labor you would think I’m a huge wimp. I thought I knew what to expect, at least enough to get through it, but I wasn’t ready for that. As strange as it sounds I was looking forward to the pain and the relief of holding my son afterward and experiencing the whole birth without pain relief, I’m disappointed and just want to know what happened. I wish I had my mother in the room.
What I don’t understand is why they thought you were in preterm labor when you were only a 2m dilated for weeks. Most women don’t even go into active labor (preterm or not) until about 4-5cm. So it makes perfect sense that you could feel anything, because it truly wasn’t anything significant from a labor perspective.
The sudden pain was drastically caused by the pitocin. It will increase your pain because that’s what it does. I’m glad that you were able to dilate through the night, even with an epidural because typically an epidural will slow down the steady dilation. Because you were asleep (which drastically helps dilation) you were able to “de-stress” a bit and deliver is expected.
I am not a specialist when it comes to cases like yours with diabetic concerns. But aside from that factor, if you were to have another baby, I can see you having one much quicker and calmer without the use of pitocin. You delivered in 15 minutes, that’s miraculous with an epidural!
Thank you for sharing. 🙂
I’ve had two very fast labors. My second birth was two hrs from start to finish, home water birth with just my husband. Very intense, no break between contractions, all I remember is my husband telling me to breathe over and over and wanting a drink but not able to even say anything. It was extremely painful and even though I had some pretty severe tearing as he was born in one push I remember thinking that was a lot better than any more pain of contractions. My fourth birth we say was 15 min total though it did begin with about 15 min of mild contractions, which were the same as a week before. After the first very painful contractions, I called my midwife and she told me to call my husband inside, and she’d be right over. My husband started pumping the birth pool while I writhed in extreme pain on the couch, thinking I was going to die if I had to go through hours of this. Suddenly I had the extreme urge to go to the bathroom so I staggered to the toilet. I immediately had such intense contractions I couldn’t call my husband and couldn’t take my underwear off. Thankfully after a few minutes he checked on me, got my underclothing off and caught our baby girl all while I was still on the toilet. He got her breathing by suctioning her mouth with his and then settled us on the couch. Two minutes later the midwife walked in, she said it took her 15 min to get there. I felt green with shock and could hardly comprehend what had happened for days. Now I’m currently 36 wks And getting more nervous as the days go by how fast this little guy could come. I would say to anyone who is worried about a fast labor to plan a home birth and be fairly knowledgeable about it, in case one had to deliver unassisted. So much better to plan for it that way than have a baby in a vehicle or ambulance or hospital hallway. Since we live 40 min from the hospital mine would have been born in the vehicle. Much rather have a baby at home!
Are you considering having your baby at home? Glad that you’re working with a midwife, Kristie 🙂
With my first bun my waters broke at my cousins engagement party (9pm) I couldn’t feel any pain so hung around for an hour and thought I better go home and have a shower and get ready to get checked out at the hospital. (11pm) I arrived at the hospital with my husband they said since waters where clear and I wasn’t in pain I needed to go home and wait till I was having contractions 3 min apart or I could go to ward and wait. I looked at my husband an I just had a feeling I didn’t want to leave incase so the midwife said they will be back in 15 for my decision anyway when she came back my contractions had come one after the other and baby was already crowning she was born at 1:04am so four hours from my waters breaking with me only knowing I was in labour for about an hour. My family assumed I would be in labour for ages as it was my first and my sisters labour was 14hrs. So they where pretty upset they missed the birth. Secound time was Christmas Eve was due Christmas Day and thought I dodge Bullet of Xmas day baby since it was 11pm and hadn’t felt anything jumped in the shower waters broke still felt nothing hoped in the car with hubby drove to hospital had started to feel contractions was still able to talk though them though until maybe half hour till the end She was born at 0:43am so 1hr 43min after water broke. My third I went in for antenatal and was told I was 3cm I couldn’t feel anything but because of previous labours they couldn’t send me home so I went for a walk around at 9pm they asked if I wanted my waters broken was still 3cm so thought yeah why not so they started getting the room everything ready she was born at 9:45pm so 45min after they asked if i wanted my water broken. It was very very intense to say the least and I still question why I didn’t ask for an epidural first but was satisfied as I thought that was my last pregnancy and I wouldn’t have to go though it again. Only to find out that I’m due in Oct now live 1 1/2 hrs from hospital completely confused as to how I’m going to get to hospital or pick kids up from school with no one to look after them my husband will probably miss it and he is my only support person. Just hopping they will book a date before I’m due to have my waters broken in hospital !
Well, I didn’t know this is what it was called until i saw it on my discharge papers. This literally happened 3 weeks ago. With my first it took 12 hours of labour and an hour and half of pushing. with this one, I was just going about my business on a Sunday morning, doing laundry and baking bread because I refused to leave laundry pilled up in case i go into labour. Cooking, folding laundry i thought i felt something but it wasnt anything too painful/alarming. I called my friend who we had planned would take my son when i go into labour and gave her a heads up because i was sure i was having this baby at 37 weeks like my first. I was convinced for some reason. So again nothing serious until about 12:30am when i got hit with one contraction that made me speak in another language. I told my husband it was time to go, and start the car as i got my son bundled up to go. I told him to call my doctor who said he would meet us at the hospital which is 15 minutes away. I told my husband we could drop off my son but he refused and said he’d drop me off first (good thing he did) because as soon as i walked into the ER, i was ready to push and that urge that you cant control. The lady wheeling me to labour and delivery begged me not to push. I did not even have time to sign any paper work. I was rushed to labour and delivery and the lovely nurses undressed me and i was pushing while getting my name tag and IV in. 20 minutes later the baby was here, Both my husband and OB missed the birth. They walked in minutes apart shocked. The worst part of this precipitous birth is the baby shoots out of you like nothing which gave me a second degree tear. Not fun at all.
Can’t believe they were trying to get an IV in you with it all happening so quick. Sorry your husband missed it, and that you have a tear. They’re no fun for sure. How are you feeling now?
I am feeling much better. 4 weeks and the healing is getting better and better by the day, thank you for asking, I guess that Iv was so important for them to get it in during all that. I told my husband he got to cut the cord for our first , so it was my turn with this one :).
That’s wonderful! Best to you and your family. 🙂
Five years ago today I experienced a precipitous labor, I just didn’t know there was a name for it until I saw what you wrote! My first took 21 hours so that’s what I was expecting with my second, but I suddenly went from nothing to contractions so painful and close together I couldn’t move. Luckily we were 5 mins from the hospital and when I got there they said I was dilated 8cm. I begged for an epidural because I couldn’t stand the pain and there were only seconds in between the pain so no breaks to recoup. My whole body was convulsing horribly. They told me I needed to get ready to push the baby out but I was scared and in too much pain so they finally gave me an epidural so I could rest my body for an hour before I pushed the baby out. With my first it took an hour of pushing so that’s what I was expecting but this baby came out in 2 pushes, like less than 10 mins! The whole labor happened in 3 hours but it felt like an eternity with how painful it was. Because of it I decided not to have any more babies because it was just too much to endure if it happened again. I feel better seeing that I am not the only one that has gone through this and that there’s an actual name for it. Thanks!
Thank you for sharing your story Jenny!
hi, i just had my first and it was a precipitous delivery (first contraction to birth was 3 hr 6 min- would have been faster but my husband begged me to not push in the car on the interstate) thank you for your info! the experience left me in shock after and its actually not something i would hope for again. my husband walked into the room seconds before our daughter was born. overall it was more traumatic than wonderful. no one in my family has experienced a precipitous delivery either- in fact long deliveries and forceps run in my family. its nice to know the feelings i had others had too! thank you!
Did everything turn out okay thought, Sierra?
My third was a precipitous birth. I also didn’t know there was a name for it. My first two children were 6 hours with epidurals. Everyone said oh that’s quick!! My third, I was induced. We went in and the doctor broke my water and then they started the drip. I kept being told they would be in for an epidural. My husband started throwing a fit because my contractions were getting worse fast. All I remember was sitting up in bed and just started yelling the baby is coming. The nurse said calm down and I’ll check. She instantly started panicking and calling back up. Nothing was prepared because they swore I’d be there all day. My doctor told me to push and I remember how the pain lessened. Exactly 2 hours later he was born. I remember freaking out and saying I can’t do this. I was terrified to do it drug free. The nurse looked at me and said you have no choice now! I thought I was going to pass out. I had a lot of bleeding but they said it’s because he came quickly. I’m pregnant with number 4 and I’m definitely not past that experience and scared it could happen again. Kind of wondering if epidurals slowed it down some in the past. My mom did have me in 3 hours. So it is potentially in the family. It’s definitely intense!!!
Epidurals will definitely have slowed it down, if your past ones were intended (by your body) to be quick. Are you glad to be better prepared, knowing that it can happen again?
So glad to have found this page. No one really believes me, even my healthcare providers. They think I was secretly laboring at home. My first birth from the first contraction I felt until the time he was born was 20 minutes. Baby was 4 lbs 9 oz and 2 months early. Luckily I was in the hospital because my water had broken (just a leak/dribble), but I didn’t feel a thing. I was grading papers and making phone calls. They asked if I wanted an epidural, and I said I wanted to wait until I felt a contraction so I would know what they felt like. After the first contraction, I called for the epidural. They told me I had to hydrate for 10 minutes. When they came back to give me the epidural, they all started freaking out and telling me not to push, we had to wait for the doctor. And then 10 minutes later my son was born. It was surreal. I totally agree with the description above. I’d have a contraction, it would hurt like hell, then, the next one, I’d realize, “oh, if I move my hips this way, it’s somewhat bearable,” but then the next one would come and the intensity had increased tenfold.
My second birth, I was scheduled for induction at 6am, the night before at 11:45pm I had my first contraction. I knew it was time and told my husband, “we don’t have time to sit around and time these things, we need to go now.” We got to the hospital in time and my sone was born at 12:30am. He was 6 lbs, 15 oz. As soon as I got into the bed, my water bust and the contractions went from bearable in the first 30 minutes to shockingly painful in the last 15 minutes. I think I may actually have been in shock. All I remember is my whole body shaking.
Later I joked with family and friends that if I had a third child I would just book a room at the hospital two weeks in advance of my due date, just to be on the safe side.
Seems like you’re getting there just in the nick of time! Thanks for sharing, Lara. What advice would you give to new moms that want to prepare for this type of labor?
I’ve really found these comments interesting and beneficial. My first baby was an average length for labor and deliver. She was posterior and ended up having to use suction and forceps to help her enter this world, but I am so glad I didn’t need a C-section. I did have an epidural and I had severe tearing which made for a long recovery that I was not prepared for.
My second was a precipitous birth, which until recently didn’t know it had a name. I was suppose to be induced two different times but both times we were rescheduled because of how busy labor and deliver were. So, four days past his due date I went into labor. I knew as soon as my water broke I would need to get to the hospital because my first labor progressed pretty quickly once the water broke. But with this one I did not know I was in labor previous to my water breaking, and once it did boy did the contractions hit hard. I wanted an epidural so I told my husband to step on it as we made our way to the hospital. As soon as I was admitted (got there at 7:45 pm) into the hospital I began to shake and feel as if I couldn’t control by bodies reaction to the contractions. I had no time for an epidural because I had progressed from 7cm to almost 10cm so quickly. I have never experienced pain like this before in my life so I just began to moan and started to punch my husbands arm because it hurt so bad. My midwife was not there yet so the nurses were trying to get the doctor on call to come so they wouldn’t let me push and kept telling me to wait. Which made it worse so I just started to scream. The doctor came in and told me to stop screaming and put my energy into pushing (which at the time I didn’t care because all I wanted to do was push but looking back I should have just pushed and let a nurse catch the baby because the holding back from pushing is what was so intense for me). But just then my midwife came running in with her Uggs on and delivered my baby at 8:11pm.
Once I was able to push, for me anyways, all the pain went away and my energy went where it was suppose to go. My recovery was so much smoother as well. I didn’t tear and I was able to get up pretty soon after because of not having an epidural. I had told my sister before all this that if I could have labor in less then two hours that I would be happy. Now that I’ve experienced that I would do it all over again. Yes, it was very painful and shocking, but it was such a short period of time and the recovery for me was so smooth.
I am pregnant with my third (my other children are now 12 and 9, so there is a gap; got to love surprises) and will be going natural with this one. Honestly, I would be happy with another precipitous birth since I know what to expect and feel like my experience will bring benefit me this time around. And we do have a plan for if I don’t make it to the hospital. Our midwife has told my husband to be educated if we have an accidental home birth. No matter how it all turns out I just am excited for a healthy baby and healthy momma:) Thanks for your words of wisdom and insight as well.
Ah! I hate it when I hear nurses telling mothers to wait, gosh darn it, don’t they know anything? LOL
I’m glad that you’re excited, Jenny. I’m excited for you too! Let us know how everything turns out. 🙂
Both of my labors we’re very quick. My first baby was born in 2000. From first regular contraction to birth was 2 hours and 40 minutes. I had an episiotomy and additional tearing. My second baby was in 2012. Total time of labor and delivery was 42 minutes. I had extensive 3rd degree tearing. Both delivers resulted in 2 healthy girls weighing 7lbs 10oz and 7lbs 6oz. Although I am relieved to have rapid births, I experienced intense contractions with no option for pain relief (especially with baby 2). The only thing on my mind during labor was the pain. Both births are a blur and I have a difficult time remembering specific details.
I have two beautiful daughters 16 months apart in age and both were delivered with precipitous labour. Before my first delivery i had never even heard the term and I certainly was not prepared for the reality of it.I have always been a compulsive researcher so I had done the classes, read the book, and even watched the birthing videos.
For my first my water broke just before midnight, I had no detectable braxton hicks or early labour contractions and I had just had a doctor appointment that morning and was only dilated a fraction of a cm. I phoned the hospital and they told me to come in once the contractions became closer than 5 minutes apart or in 1 hours, whichever came first. I had a slow constant stream of amniotic fluid leaking so I sat in the shower for about an hour reading with NO CONTRACTIONS AT ALL, and then they were suddenly there full force. in the span of 10 seconds I went from nothing to barely enough time to catch my breath between each one. Nobody bothered to track them because it was pretty obvious that I needed to get to the hospital STAT. it took me 4 contractions to get down one flight of stairs getting to the front door and then the hospital was a 30 minute drive away.
We arrived at the hospital around 1:30am and I made my way over to a chair in the birthing room, walking between contractions (getting from the front door to the room took about 15 min) and collapsed on my knees at it resting my head on the seat. somebody helped prop a pillow underneath my arms and i stayed there for the next hour until a nurse came and told me that my contractions were so close together that I had stopped dilating because my body literally did not have time to relax the muscles between each one. My birthing room had a shower so I sat in that under hot water and was given nitrous oxide in the hopes that my muscles would relax. I sat in there until 4:30 when I felt an overwhelming urge to push. I literally screamed at my poor husband who so far had been no help and had been slapped every time he touched me to help me to the bed, lay down on it, pushed for 4 min and baby was out with no tearing. The doctor missed it but luckily a wonderful nurse was there to catch the baby. Her and I were both healthy and except for some initial latch issues (which I personally blame an overly enthusiastic nursing consultant for) we had no problems nursing. First contraction to delivery was 3 hours and 45 min including the hour where I was not dilating from tension
Baby 2 dropped to a +2 position at week 30 so I expected something similar if not quicker than baby 1, so when I got my first contraction just after 8:30pm I put my husband on house arrest. I phoned the hospital and was told to wait until an hour after my water broke or my contractions were 5 minutes apart. knowing my history I detailed my previous labour to the nurse and was told to get in immediately. In the 5 min it took to get ready and in the car my contractions were so strong I barely had enough time to get 1 large breath in between each one. 30 min again to get the hospital and as soon as I exited the car my water broke all over the parking lot. It took me 15 min again to get to the room making the time just before 9:30pm. I luckily had the same doctor so she offered nitrous oxide right away and then set up a chair outside my room with a pot of tea and a book. I sat in the bed in the upright position for the entire duration this time (my choice) and calmly announced that I had to push at 10:12 (my husband makes jokes about the contrast between my pushing announcements for the two labours). The doctor literally ran in, turned me on my side hoping to slow down the delivery, I pushed lightly one time once on my side and baby 2 slid out no tears at 10:13. From first contraction to delivery was 1 hour 45 min
I had precipitous labor with all 4 of my children. The first was 2 1/2 hours and 8 lbs 10 oz the 2nd (2 years later) was 45 minutes, and 8 lbs 3 oz, the 3rd (3 years later) was 23 minutes, and 8 lbs 13 oz (She was 15 days late and induced) and the 4th some 7 years later was 1 1/2 hours, he was 7 lbs 11 oz but was induced 21 days early due to preterm labor. I never had time to do anything…lol
Boom, Gina! What was going through your mind during your labors? I know other mothers are going to want more insight to your experience. 🙂
I had 2 precipitous labors and am trying to come up with a good plan for what to do when I have this baby #3 I’m expecting in a few months.
My first baby I was working, felt my first contraction at 8 AM and left work right away. I drove home and layed down thinking I would time contractions and be home a bit. Well the contractions were too intense and I couldn’t even focus on how close together they were, I just knew they were close, so I woke up my ride to the hospital and he headed to the hospital. My water broke on the way to the hospital and contractions were right on top of each other so we went to the hospital that was closest, didn’t quite make it to the one I had planned to deliver at. The nurses had me change into a gown and were looking at me like I was being a bit dramatic about how intense things were but the minute I got in bed and they checked me they started moving quickly as baby was already crowning. They had me hold off a little so the doctor could get in the room and she was born very shortly after. She was born at 9:21 AM… only an hour and 20 minutes after I felt that first contraction, she was born at 38 weeks gestation.
Fast forward 10 more years and I was 37 weeks along with my second baby. We had a scheduled induction set for 39 weeks but I didn’t make it to that. I had been checked the day before and my cervix was only 1.5 cm dilated and very high. I was a bit concerned since my daughter was so quick but thought maybe I had just missed something and that I would just pay more attention this time around. I woke up and took my daughter to school at 7:10AM, got home and had a bit of stomachache(felt nothing like I was in labor). I decided to take a bath, and a few minutes after I got into the bath my water broke. I was home by myself so immediately got out of the bath and called my husband. This was at 7:30 AM. He was on his way home but very soon after this, I knew he wasn’t going to make it there in time. I called 911 and they talked me through the delivery of my son. He was born at 7:40AM on my bedroom floor and caught by myself. It was one of the scariest moments of my life.
I’m due with baby # 3 in January and we still haven’t quite figured out the plan for delivery so I’m pretty nervous about things!!!
If you have a history of precipitous labors, obviously you are not one of those women who should hang around at home if they’re feeling odd twinges! Honestly, better to have a false alarm and get to the hospital in time! However, if you know that your babies don’t tend to wait around, I’d prepare your home for a makeshift homebirth – so in case you realize you won’t make it to the hospital, you’ll still be able to birth comfortably! Have a specified “birth towel” handy to keep under you if you do have to give birth so you won’t ruin any furniture or carpets, maybe pick up some relaxing essential oils – pack your bag at the beginning of your ninth month and keep all your birth things together. Sometimes there’s just nothing you can do and your baby is born when it wants to be born. But you can make it more relaxing and less traumatic for you if you realistically expect the possibility that your baby will be born at home, and that that’s nothing to panic about! And if you feel anything odd in your last trimester, call your doctor and discuss it with him!
With my first, I had done so much preparation and research. Like a previous poster I knew my biological mother had long labors ( She needed pitocin because I stalled at 8 cm, and my younger brother was a 36 hour labor) and my sister had a nearly 24 hour birth that ended in an emergency c-section due to cord issues, so I assumed I would probably be in the 12 + hour range. I had it in my mind that I could labor at home for a while, eat, take a shower, then head in. I had my hypnobabies on my ipod and had requested a hospital room with a laboring tub. I had a TENS unit, instant heat packs, and a birthing ball in my go-bag.
At least, that was the plan until labor started. I woke up at 5 am and decided to take a nice warm shower and try to go back to sleep. About 6:00 I had a twinge, and as I had never had a contraction before I guessed it was probably braxton hicks. 6:30 my husband got up to go to work and asked if he should stay home. By 6:45 I was curled up in the fetal position on the floor from the intense contractions. I remember a brief argument about wanting to stay home, and wanting to at least eat breakfast before we left, but he was having none of that and insisted we go to the hospital NOW.
My contractions were very irregular, 14 minutes apart, 2 minutes apart, 10 minutes, etc.
I got in the front passenger seat, put in my headphones, and started listening to hypnobabies. I had been doing the finger-drop and other techniques at home, but it was really starting to get difficult. Maybe 10 minutes into the ride I hit my limit, something seemed really off, it was too intense, too much, too close together. I tried to time my contractions still and they were long and still no where near regular. 8:00 we made it to the hospital. Triage took their sweet time, I remember hearing some quips about being one who “didn’t handle labor well” from the nurses and aid. When I got in the room, a nurse decided to check, I was 10 cm, waters bulging, +2 station. A nurse came in and said they were getting the tub ready and the nurse who was checking me changed her pace and said “she’s not going to need that. Call the OB and tell him to hurry.” I had a lip on the cervix that was holding me up. They were shocked I didn’t have a car birth. OB came in, pushed the lip back, I struggled a bit with getting baby’s shoulder, maybe ten minutes of pushing but then out she came. From first ever contraction to out in less than 3 hours. I needed several stitches because my body never paused between contractions at the end, It was one long mountain.
Despite all my research I had never heard the term precipitous labor until my second pregnancy. When I switched OB practices for the birth of my second child, the first suggestion from the OB was home birth. Then we realized that due to other factors I am not a good candidate for homebirth, so we are looking at induction once conditions seem favorable after 39 weeks, if I make it that far.
If I had to give advice to another first time mom experiencing this, it would be to listen to your body and be as vocal about your concerns as you can. Also listen to those around you who know you – birth partner, doula, midwife, etc. If I hadn’t given in to my husband’s request to leave at that time, I would have been alone in our house and likely had an unintended and even more scary experience.
Thank you for sharing Kelsey! Sending you positive vibes. 🙂
With my first child, my labor was a little over 6 hours. I went to the hospital and was told that I wasn’t in active labor yet & I would likely be back in the evening, but I was only 3 cm and my contractions weren’t strong enough. I had started them earlier in the morning and was timing them and they were between 3-8 minutes. They slowed down when I got to the hospital. They were getting ready to have me leave and then my water broke. After my water broke is when I time the labor since that’s when the contractions got stronger. I was told that it would probably be the next day before I actually delivered and I would be in labor all throughout the night. I had an epidural and was told that would slow things down. I was only 4 cm when they gave me the epidural and it was only a few hours later before I was pushing. I pushed for 45 minutes. It would have been less, but they had me take about a 10-15 min break from pushing because the baby’s heart rate dropped and my blood pressure was dropping.
My second, I was having prodromal labor for 3 weeks prior to delivery. The day I went to the hospital, I felt a small gush of fluid, but the contractions weren’t any different than what I had been having. I got to the hospital and they said my water didn’t break & were talking about sending me home but weren’t sure. I was 4 cm dilated when I got there and then my water broke there. After that, everything happened so fast. I was group b strep positive and they weren’t able to get me my antibiotics. They were trying to get me out of triage and into a room and as soon as I got in the room I was feeling such strong contractions and like I needed to push. I asked for an epidural before I even got in the room because I was in so much pain. The anesthesiologist arrived and had been told to give me a fast acting epidural so I got it and as soon as she left the room I was checked and I was 9.75 cm. I told them I felt like I had to push and they got everyone in. I pushed for under 15 minutes and he was out. From the time the contractions got stronger to the time of delivery was 2 hrs and 18 minutes.
I am now pregnant with my third and I am preparing things for in my car in case I don’t make it to the hospital in time. My OB told me that I have a “good birthing pelvis” and that is why my labors are quick. I’ve also been having frequent Braxton Hicks contractions, so I’m not sure if I’ll be able to tell I’m in labor until it’s too late.
Thank you for sharing Jessica! The more I hear stories like yours, the more I’m convinced that we should never take to heart what a hospital staff assumes about our bodies during birth. You just never know exactly when and how things are going to happen!
I would also recommend get prepped for a possible birth at home, perhaps in the water if you like, just in case. I think you’d enjoy that better than the car. How far along are you right now?
I have had precipitous labors with all three of my babies.
My first baby, I felt contractions around 130A.M. that had me doubled over. We immediately went to the hospital and our daughter was born at 4:49A.M.
Our second baby, they chose to admit me for an “induction” to simply break my water at 39 weeks and hopefully have a controlled environment in case I went quickly again. The broke my water, I felt my first contraction at 515PM and our second daughter was born at 6PM!
Our third baby, they attempted to “induce” me the same way again, and thank god they did! I arrived to find out I was dilated to 6cm and already in labor but felt NOTHING! I felt my first contraction at 1230PM and our son was born at 1250PM!
Oh my gosh, isn’t that so interesting?! Thank you for sharing, Ashley. If you were talking to a young mother that is wanting to prepare for a short labor, what would you tell her?
My first child was born at 24 weeks she weighed a pound and 10 ounces. With my second I went to all the childbirth classes and did all the things they told me I should. The day my son was born I was just fixing brunch and I had my first contraction it brought me to my knees, the next one was 2 minutes later that was at 10:45 AM by the time we got to the hospital I was pretty much having one long contraction. I never felt the erge to push at 4 PM my son was born. He had complications that were caused by the fast birth but he is very healthy now. I felt so cheated I never got to experience a normal child birth. I felt like my body had betrayed me in both cases.
It’s impossible to know why things like this happen sometimes. What would you define as a normal childbirth, Judy?
It is very comforting reading all these stories and knowing I am not alone in how I felt during my precipitous labor. My first born was a very normal first birth. I had about 24 hours of prodromal labor, which kicked into active labor and he came 10 hours later. I guess I expected my second birth to be similar, perhaps slightly shorter in duration. I had some prodromal labor on and off for a couple days, and I awoke just before 3am with contractions I could no longer sleep through. They were about 5 min apart at that point. After an hour, they became 2 min apart and I told my husband it was probably time to head to L&D.
They took me to triage and asked me to put on a gown so they could check me and see if I was really in labor. I then had a contraction and doubled over, heavy with the shakes. The nurse then said, actually lets go ahead and take you to delivery. They gowned me, and a cervical check showed that I was 4cm with a bulging bag. I remember thinking that was perfect, I would have time for labor to progress and baby would be born several hours later. The nurse asked if I wanted an epidural, and I said not yet, I was tolerating the contractions just fine. Not more than a few minutes after the cervical check my water broke, and the nurse told me my contractions were going to intensify quickly. The next contraction was so incredibly intense and I started pushing. The nurse asked if I was trying to, and I yelled that I couldn’t stop. She then told me that meant I was 10 cm, and I yelled back “but you just told me I was 4!!”
I had no time to mentally or physically adjust to the pain and intensity of these contractions. I remember yelling that I needed an epidural, I was moaning at the top of my lungs, it was so primal and everything felt out of my control and scary. They sat me up for the epidural, and I was pushing as they did it. I laid back down and they told me I would get some pain relief if I could hold off on pushing for 15 min. Yeah that wasn’t happening. The nurse told me she would likely have to deliver the baby herself, they had been calling for the OB in house but it was all happening so quickly. The OB came in just in time, caught the baby and then introduced herself. My baby was stunned (can’t blame her) and didn’t cry for several minutes. My husband and I just sat there in shock, we had had no time to prepare for any of what we had just experienced. The labor was 3 hours from start to finish, we had been at the hospital for 45 min. When people ask about the birth experience, the word I use is “intense.”
I am due with my third child in several weeks, hence my reading these birth stories. Thank you to all who have shared, and I hope to be more prepared for the potential for another precipitous, intense birth.
Marvelous story, Brigitte! This time around, master your relaxation, and you’ll be prepared for whatever comes. How far along are you now?
I am just shy of 36 weeks. Very much hoping for a natural delivery, and hoping my prior experience helps me cope in a better fashion. I will absolutely be focusing on relaxation techniques these final weeks.
Fantastic Brigitte! Relaxation is so important and it sounds like you’re doing all the right things to prepare. In case you’d like to explore relaxation even more to the best levels it could be for birth, I have all my easy techniques in my relaxation ebook. Let me know how you’re doing and when things get closer! Cheers. 🙂
I gave birth to my 3rd child 3 weeks ago, I was 39 weeks. I had some mild contractions throughout the day, nothing really painful or different from the prodromal labor I had been experiencing. I was lying in bed in the evening when suddenly my water broke. I knew the baby was coming fast. I told my husband to call 911, but he decided to start driving us to the hospital. It was like a scene out of the movies, me yelling, husband running red lights and traveling over 100mph on the freeway. We made it to the hospital just in time. My baby was born 6 minutes after arriving at labor and delivery, less than 30 minutes from the time my water broke. It was quite dramatic to say the least. I was finally able to achieve my natural delivery (not quite how I envisioned it), but a wonderful and memorable experience!
Oh my gosh, Brigitte! What time of day was it? I’m so glad that everything turned out well. 🙂
At 38 weeks pregnant I was attempting to sleep at home but was having difficulty because I was uncomfortable. My water breaking was the only giveaway that I was indeed in labor. I woke my husband and we prepared to head to the hospital. I was having contractions one right after the other on the way to the hospital but they didn’t really hurt until I walked into the hospital, at that point I got panicky. I had paperwork to sign and told them I didn’t care what it said, just tell me where to sign. In triage the nurse was surprised to find that I was 8.5 cm dilated. I begged for my epidural; they told me if I could sit still they could work on getting it for me. At my delivery room they checked me again and told me I was fully dilated; no epidural. A hospital doctor came in and told me to wait to push until he got his gloves on and my doctor came rushing in right after that. My daughter was born 30 minutes later. It was about 2 hours 15 minutes total. I had never planned on a natural birth but I had one and am grateful for it in hindsight. I am hoping to have a natural birth for my second as well. Having a precipitous birth was scary for me, I thought there would be more time for everything. I am pregnant again and my hope is that I am able to make it to the hospital in time. It would be nice to go into labor at work because I work right across the street!
Thank you, Sara! I wanted to point out something you said: “They didn’t really hurt [contractions] until I walked into the hospital, at that point I got panicky.”
You were dilated passed an 8. So your contractions were already in transition and at the peak of intensity. But you wanted the epidural after you got panicky. Not to discredit your experience at all. I just wanted to show other moms who may be reading this that what we allow our minds to focus on directly affects what we feel during labor.
I’m so glad to hear that you’re eager for another natural birth. We’ll help you make it even better this time! 🙂
I had precipitous labor with all 5 pregnancies. My shortest was 30 minutes, from start to finish. After the first one, I had planned for a home birth for the rest because I knew I wouldn’t make it to the hospital, and wanted to be safe and comfortable, not having a baby on the side of the road in a car. My husband delivered 2 of my kids because the midwife couldn’t make it that fast. One child was born on the bathroom floor and another was almost born outside! With one birth I was laboring at home alone with my 4-year-old and my husband walked in the door 10 minutes before he delivered the baby. For another pregnancy I was dilated to 8 (!) for the last month of my pregnancy. All were full term.
My labors were intense, but relatively easy and not very much pain. But recovery was lengthy. Friends with C-sections seemed to recover much faster than I did.
Wow, Jenna! Thanks for sharing that even though your labors were intense, they were fairly easy and with little pain. I too have experienced the same. It’s stories like yours that give a lot of support to moms that may doubt their abilities. Thank you!
I have had 4 precipitous labours and one not. my first was 2 1/2 hours beginning to end and it was extremely intence. Plus I had back labour which was not a bonus! My second was five hours so that was my longest one. I had time to adjust to my pain which was nice. My third was 3 hours and once again very very intense pain from first contraction on. I was happy when it was over. my fourth as well was a three hour labour. But this one was good. very manageable pain so the way through, I relaxed my body unlike the first three times and he came out in two mins of pushing! My last baby was the quickest and I wasn’t even aware it was real labour because it wasn’t that painful. I was already expecting it would be quick since my midwife told me the day before I was suppose to come in even I just felt unwell and my baby would make her appearance very quickly. It was a total of one hour and fifteen minutes. luckily hospital was five mins away?very good labour though! I’m expecting baby number six so this one could take me by surprise and be very long who knows!
Hi Lisa! I love that you said relaxing made a big difference in how you felt and helping your labor progress so much better for your baby’s delivery. How to relax during childbirth is something that is certainly beneficial. When are you due with this one? That’s exciting!
I do not have precipitous labors but I appreciated reading about the experience. I was one of those people who would say lucky you, but I won’t anymore.
My 1st was a long 25 hours of (unmedicated) labor with back labor and no rest from the pain in between contractions because the bag of waters was bulging through and not allowing my muscles to relax between contractions and I wouldn’t let the nurses break it. So I was really annoyed by the woman who joined me in my not private room labor who was complaining that she didn’t have time to get an epidural because her labor was only 3 hours long. Now I understand better her side of it.
#2 and #3 were a nice 12 hours long from start to finish and the only unbearable part was the last hour or two of transition labor. #4 is coming soon and I’d be happy if it’s a little shorter bit don’t expect it to bees and after reading all these birth stories, I’m fine with that.
A friend of mine who has 5 babies was induced with most of them and had labors of under an hour. It was so traumatic to her body that her heart literally stopped while pushing during a couple births. Luckily everything was fine immediately after.
Hi Jenny! That’s scary about your friend. Pushing does suppress your heart rate and it’s a reason why I recommend breathing your baby out as long as possible. Best of luck with your #4, that’s exciting!
I loved my precipitous labor with my second child. As you said, I had no idea it was unusual until it was over, and things moved quickly. I was lucky enough to have already planned for a home birth. Water broke at midnight, and we called the midwife after conscientiously changing the sheets. I think we told her eight minutes apart, and she came right over.
The funny part was, as I was moaning through each contraction (your own kind of personal vocalization helps SO MUCH!), the midwife asked my husband how far apart the they were- his job was timing them- and he said, ‘About seven minutes,’ and then right as he finished saying that, I had another one. They were already two minutes apart. I barely made it up the stairs to the bedroom and remembered complaining that it was too hot. The midwife said that was for the baby, and was like, ‘Wait, he’s coming now?’ I pushed twice, breathed through one contraction to allow for natural stretching, and then with six more strong pushes, out came my 8 bl 2 ouncer! His two and a half year old brother ate my recovery toast while everyone sat on the bed and watched the baby’s first little exam. It was amazing, and I have truly never been more proud of what my mind and body are capable of.
I just really want to say that yes, the contractions are intense, but it is only pain. Never go into labor afraid of pain, it is only a feeling, and it will pass. Precipitous labor is something to be aware of, and something to plan for, NEVER something to be afraid of. If you don’t know how quiet a persistent fear, “Ina May’s Guide to Childbirth” has so many beautiful birth stories to read and reflect on which really helped me enter it with hope and trust that my body knew what it was doing.
Thank you, Lindsay. I really love many of the things that you said. Especially “labor is only a feeling … never something to be afraid of.” I really like Ina May’s Guide To Childbirth too. You’re SO inspiring! <3
I am currently 35 weeks pregnant with my third child. With my first, I was not prepared for labor, let alone fast labor. I thought I knew what I needed to, but looking back, I knew basically nothing.
I had my first contraction at 11pm. It was intense. I got out of bed and used the bathroom. On the way back to my bed the next one hit and I was bent over on the bed groaning and unable to tell my hubby what was going on until it was over. I had been told that the first contractions are mild and I thought, “If these are mild, I’m going to die!”
Shortly after the third contraction we were in the car and heading to the hospital down the road. I was in a daze and scared. By the time I got on the hospital bed and was checked I was at a 6 and the contractions coming faster. I asked for an epidural and they were in the process of giving the epidural when my water broke. That scared the daylights out of me. I don’t remember what time it was or most of what followed. I was in a blur until my son was born at 2:15am.
With my second child, I was induced at 38w2d because the baby wasn’t growing much. I was dialated to a 3 that morning at my Dr. Appointment and he said we would just break my water and see what happens. That afternoon after the long process of getting checked in and getting hooked up to an IV, and getting my epidural I was ready to get it done and not have to experience what I did the first time. The Dr checked me and I was at a 4+ when he broke my water. Apparently I was in the process of having the baby on my own! I felt pressure with each contraction soon after that. 2hours and 46 minutes after having my water broke my girl was born. All I felt was pressure and her moving down the birth canal and out. There was no pain and it was an awesome sensation. What an easy birth!
So, even with epidurals, I have quick labors. This time around I have this gut feeling I’m not going to get the chance to have the choice for an epidural. I live not five minutes from the hospital, thank goodness. I have been studying up on natural birth and techniques. I’ve even got myself to watch birth videos! I want to be prepared and understand the birth process so that I can cope as best as I can here in a few weeks or so. Wish me luck!
You’re going to be great Danie! Sounds like you’ve already got all the prep and experience needed. I would love to hear your story once your baby arrives. Good luck! 🙂
Hello. I had this happen with both my children. I gave birth to my son at 34 weeks in about 3 hours which he then was sent to the nicu which helped me get the night to recover. My daughter was born 3 years later. I barely made it to the hospital. The nurses, my husband, and my mother were literally holding my legs shut until the doctor arrived. I gave birth to my daughter in about 40 minutes. For me this kind of labor is horrible. Both times were in the middle of the night and I had extreme pain from the beginning. There was no time and it was not a gentle experience. Both times I had no pain medication what so ever and I didn’t even have an IV. My nurses both times made the comment. Why did I not come to the hospital sooner? But I came as soon as the pain started. I’m glad to know I’m not alone in this. And yes it does bug the heck out of me when people say I’m lucky. To me, I felt like giving birth this quickly was completely unnatural. I also ended up having a stage 3 tear with my daughter and had over 30 stitches. I’m glad my babies are here but I wouldn’t wish this kind of birth upon anyone. Thank you for letting me share my story
Stage 3 tears are awful, Stephanie. I feel for you! That’s unfortunate your nurses where forcing you to wait until the doctor arrived. I think the more we do share our stories it will help new moms and those inexperienced in these kinds of labors to be more open minded and accepting of their own circumstances.
I felt the same way with dealing with the nurses. I was told ‘to wait’ and was suggested I was exaggerating the pain. My 2 & 3rd were less than 90 minutes from 0cm/0 effacement to baby being born. I was full term with 8lbs babies so definitely wasn’t a case of small early babies. I guess it’s so rare the nurses really didn’t believe me until my doctor got there and being told I was over reacting and needing to calm down was not helpful!!
Only you can know exactly what you’re feeling! That’s frustrating when no one believes you. Way to go with your births, Fast&Furious. 🙂
Hi Sarah,
I know my comment is a little late in the game, but I would love to share my story. I have two children, and my son was a pretty typical birth. It was 12 hour labor that went very smoothly. With my daughter, I carried her to 41 weeks after a fairly typical pregnancy. At 37 weeks, I was 4cm dilated and she had completely dropped. My doctor kept saying that she couldn’t believe I hadn’t started labor yet. Looking back, this struck me as an odd comment, considering she waited a month to take any action! I stayed at 4cm with no labor, so I was scheduled to be induced on 7/22/15. The day before my induction, my son was with a relative, and my Mom and husband were helping me get ready for the big day. I woke up shortly before 2 am with some discomfort and mild pain. I tried timing my contractions, but they were all over the place. After about 10 minutes of this I felt like I had to use the bathroom. I sat down on the toilet but nothing happened. I wiped and saw blood. That’s when I decided we needed to go to the hospital. I woke up my husband and then my Mom. By this time I was having major contractions, and could barely speak. My husband called the hospital to let them know we were on our way. Instead of telling us to come in, the nurse asked to talk with me. She preceded to ask me a bunch of questions I could barely comprehend…meanwhile my contractions are getting stronger. The triage nurse finally tells us to come in after 5 minutes of useless questions. I can barely make it down the steps and into the truck. My husband realizes things are getting serious and steps on the gas. The hospital is less than 10 minutes away, and I was able to be somewhat calm and breathe through the pain. But when we hit a speed bump going into the hospital, I felt my daughter crown. I screamed “she’s coming,” and my husband goes as fast as he can up the parking garage. He throws it into park when we get to labor and delivery, and runs in to get help. My mother is a minute behind in another car, so I am alone for what seems like an eternity. I really thought I was dying, because the pain was so intense, and I was unprepared emotionally/physically. My mom zooms up, and about the same time my husband charges up with a team of nurses and a doctor. I have one more mind-altering contraction and they get me into a wheelchair and zip me into an elevator and up to labor and delivery. While the one nurse is running me past the triage desk, the nurses are calling out to me asking my name. My husband yells out to them as I am whipped into a room, stripped down, and helped onto the bed. The hospitalist yells that her head is coming out, the doctor on call shows up at that moment, I push twice through mind-numbing pain, and my daughter is put on my chest. From the time I went into active labor until she was born took 39 minutes!! Like other mothers, it was a really traumatic experience, which could have been helped if my doctor had induced me earlier. And if the nurse hadn’t been trying to prevent me from coming to the hospital. Thank goodness I had such an awesome birth team that knew exactly what to do! And my husband and Mom were incredible through the whole experience. Needless to say, for my last baby, I will be getting a new doctor, a midwife, and an even closer hospital!! Thanks for letting me share my crazy story. I haven’t told to many people my birth story, because I didn’t want to relive it. But it feels good to tell it now!
Hi Heather. I’m glad that you shared your story! And I’m even more happy that you said it feels good to tell it. That’s quite amazing that you felt your daughter crowning before you had even reached the hospital, and she was still born there.
Why do you say that you want a new staff of care providers? Sounds like they were great. What are you looking for differently this time? Let us know! 🙂
After 4 babies that took 36hrs – 7 days of labor to birth (yes, really), with no family history of precipitous labor, and none of the other risk factors listed here, my 5th was born in 2 hours, and likely would have been 30 minutes if I hadn’t gotten up to shower, pack bags, and get in the car. My best guess is that my dramatically improved diet (based it on the ancestral health principles in Nutrition & Physical Degeneration) led to a birth like most doctors who served pre-industrial tribal peoples described: “so fast that they always gave birth before I arrived. ” “After 36 years of fast & easy deliveries that I almost never made it to in time, the women were eating a modern industrial diet and having to be carried to the hospital in labor pains [they had no cars].” I had had a few strong cx that week that felt like they were pulling hard enough to dilate, but with no length and zero regularity. The preceding 36 hours I had no real contractions at all, then woke at 5am with a 5 minute long transition-intense contraction, followed by another only 50s long, then more 45-50s long and 5m apart but very intense. They eased as I rode to the hospital, and baby was born after 2 pushes just 5 minutes after I arrived.
I’d definitely sign up for it again. The biggest downside was a mild tear and emotionally fearing my next birth because it was *very* intense (not the same thing as very painful). So accelerated and crazy intense I forgot about the baby until they handed her to me a few seconds after the birth! If I had known ahead of time it was the norm and that’s how really, really healthy women birth, I could have been psychologically prepared, and if in the calm and quiet of my own home, no worry about getting anywhere, it would have been even better.
I should emphasize I never had close together contractions in this short labor until the last 15 minutes. They were 5 minutes apart and as short as 30-40s long even after the first mega-contraction. I also had many months of Braxton-Hicks contraction with every pregnancy, which is why I know the difference between those and real, but not regular contractions I had in the week before this birth.
By the way, only my first birth was a medicalized (but vaginal) birth. The rest were in hospitals, but totally natural, and my recovery and total pain was far, far less than the one where I had an epidural. I’ve also never been in triage since the first, because (as per Bradley recommendations) I wait until my intensity and emotional status tells me I’m deep into active labor to go to the hospital. Of course, that’s our only choice if the first contraction I have is a transition contraction – we have to go, stat!
Thank you Joselyn! I’m so glad to have heard your story. It really puts things in perspective when you have experienced births in a variety of ways. It makes complete sense that healthier mamas would likely birth faster. But to each her own experience, for sure.
I’m also glad that you said the intensity wasn’t the same as intense pain. I completely agree with that. It’s so much tied to orgasmic births that I always share that fact too. Thanks so much!
I had a very quick labour with my second child. I had home births with both but for my second I had a pool. I had some irregular contractions that day but not painful. They suddenly went to 3 minutes apart so the midwife was called. As soon as she arrived I got in my pool and was chatting about how comfortable it was. I then felt slight pressure and then had intense contractions on top of each other. Thankfully I was able to go within myself and breathed the baby out without even a graze. In total it was an hour. I am currently expecting my 3rd child who is due in 3 weeks. I’m nervous about potentially having an unassisted birth if my midwife doesn’t arrive in time but have tried to prepare myself for that scenario. I’m just glad I don’t have to try travelling in to hospital and risk delivering in the car or roadside.
You’re going to be great, Emma! You sound like a professional already, with or without a midwife. Let us know how everything goes and if you have any questions getting ready these next two weeks. 🙂
I had five children all quick, bit had never heard of this term before. My first labour was three hours. It was painful as in hospital and was induced with a pessary. Second labour 3 hours at home and was lovely. Didn’t feel rushed. Everything felt that it happened under control. I had no pain relief as didn’t need it. Active throughout just felt that time was normal because of previous labour and never told that it was super fast or anything.
Third labour was one hour again easy and controlled just things happened faster but I felt fine and again no pain relief needed.
Fourth labour was an hour also, but much different. Felt a bit uncomfortable like something was happening but no real pain. Called midwife as I knew I’d be fairly quick.
Had one massive contraction and baby born immediately. So quick and it was a big baby and he passed meconium as came out, but there was no real concern as wouldn’t have had time to inhale so was safe and healthy.
Fifth labour again easy, but more painful than previous although didn’t need pain relief.
My total labour was put down as 34 mins. Was a bit shocked that in the last 10 mins everything seemed to happen and thought that may be too early to push, but midwife said was fine and it was the first baby I had to push more than once to get out! Was a big one for me at just under 10lbs though so maybe that was why!
I am expecting 6th labour in a few weeks to be fast too
My fast labours were all fine and easy. I would’ve felt more under stress if I had to travel to hospital as probably wouldn’t have got there. Maybe as I was at home I felt relaxed and in control, but I’m just not sure. I’ll let you know after number 6 if I felt the same!
I would love to hear how your sixth one goes Elizabeth. You’re a rock star!
I’m glad that you said being home was much more relaxing than at the hospital. I think many mothers would need that encouragement if they desire to birth at home. Thanks for sharing. 🙂
I had my first baby in 4 hours, start to finish. Woke up at midnight with what were clearly “real” contractions, painful and evenly spaced, so my husband and I waited until they were 5 minutes apart and then headed to the hospital. By the time we got there, the pain was intense enough that I was spacing out and unable to fill out the paperwork they handed us, so my husband did it. Looking back, I think I was already quite far along in the labor process!
The nurses didn’t quite realize how far along I was, though, until I suddenly had to throw up while they took blood pressure and questioned me about health history. About 5 minutes after that, my water dramatically broke and they stopped with the triage stuff and got me to labor and delivery.
I can’t remember ever being told how dilated or effaced I was; I do remember a sweet nurse putting me in a warm shower (awful!), And then asking if I wanted to sit up in bed (awful!) I seemed only capable of lying down and before I knew it, I had to push. At some point I asked for an epidural but it was too late. After what seemed like ages, baby finally arrived– best feeling in the WORLD. ??? I was stunned to learn that All of the drama and pain and fear only lasted 4 short hours.
I thought about that a lot afterwards and I do think that a fast labor can be scarier than a slowish one. It just gets so intense so quickly and if you don’t realize you’re close to the end, out can be overwhelming. My second was born with an epidural and I felt so much more laid back, I think was the calmest one in the room! That labor took, I think, 8 hours or so.
Hi Katharine! Isn’t them asking for signatures and paperwork when you arrive at the hospital just SO lame? It’s hard when so much is happening and you can hardly process the situation. I’m glad that even after all that, the arrival of your baby felt wonderful! Thanks for sharing. 🙂
I just learned tonight that what I experience in labor actually has a term! I am almost 38 weeks pregnant with my fourth child, and of my other three labor/deliveries the longest was just under four hours. My husband and I had taken natural birthing classes and were prepared for the textbook 12+ hour labor of a first time mom. So when my first contraction hit rather intensely I thought I was being a huge baby about it. Within 30 minutes I was on the couch moaning through long, very close contractions…showing every sign I needed to go to the hospital. Thanks to my husband, we decided to go and when they checked me I was dilated to an 8 and taken straight to a delivery room. I had my first child less than 2 hrs later.
With my second I was 41 weeks 5 days when I let them induce me. After being on pitocin for 3 hrs and it not giving me even one contraction, they decided to break my water. 15 minutes after it broke, I had my first contraction (which again was a late stage labor, extremely intense contraction). I went from being dilated to a 3.5 (not having had any contractions) to a 7 within about 15-20 min. My daughter was born less than an hour after my first contraction.
With my third it was rather scary! I woke up with very mild contractions (something I had never experienced) and so I wasn’t sure if I was having Braxton Hicks or labor. I walked around the house for probably 30 minutes before I woke my husband up telling him I might be in labor (3:30am). He made the calls necessary for someone to come take care of our sleeping children. I thought he was acting prematurely but he insisted I get in the van. By the time I got dressed and got in the van, we pulled out at 3:47am. Even while we were driving to the hospital I thought he was crazy for leaving so soon…I was convinced this labor was going to be long. When we got closer to the hospital I realized I truly was in labor and the contractions were starting to hurt pretty bad. When my husband went in the ER for a wheelchair I realized I was in transition. I was wheeled into the triage room to check for dilation at 4:00am. When I lifted my leg on the table, my husband saw our baby’s head and the nurse yelled “she’s crowning!!!!” That was enough of a green light for me…and I was holding my baby at 4:03am…16 minutes after leaving my house.
Needless to say…we are very nervous I won’t have enough warning for baby #4….hence the reason I am up so late researching if there is any way I can be more informed. I feel overly educated on pregnancy, labor and delivery…but my body experiences something most women do not. I am grateful for my short labors…but I also am a little stressed about them! Lol.
Not sure this will help anyone…but that is my experience!
I love your stories Jessica! Yes, I think that getting prepared for the possibility that you may just be birthing at home is a good possibility. Way to go hubby! He’s got your back. 🙂
I am the daughter of a doula and as such I have attended births since my childhood. I was all prepared for 18-20hrs of labor with my first, then I found out I had to be induced at 39+5 due to high blood pressure. One of my biggest fears prior to giving birth was how I would hold up and I knew that inductions can be even longer. My first doesn’t quite qualify as a true precipitous birth by a bit; it was 4hr from the IV being placed to start the pitocin to my son being placed in my arms. My mom was my doula for both births, but she arrived 3 contractions prior to my son as she lives at the other side of the state from me! Every thing felt so rushed that I never felt like I could get used to any particular stage of the labor. The nurses were running to break down the end of the birthing table and the doctor almost dropped my son as he came “shooting out”! (A good friend is a L&D nurse at this hospital and came in to sit with my until Mom arrived, thank goodness)
My second birth was honestly terrifying. I was meeting at my OB’s office (along with mom/doula) to discuss my induction as I was approaching 41 weeks. In addition to precipitous labor, I also experience prodromal labor on and off for about 2 weeks prior to giving birth. So I had been having contractions for a while, but they were nothing new. OB checks me and says to go immediately to the hospital, as I was already at 4cm! (she also swept my membranes against my expressed wishes, but that was a whole side issue, although it did likely speed things up even more.) From the doctors appointment, Mom drove me to the hospital (about 30mins in the car). Daughter was born 1 hour after I arrived at the hospital! So just under 2hrs in active labor. I had crash transitions with both births and I don’t have very many clear memories of being in labor; just an over-riding feeling of one long panic attack. Because I was “panicking” in the doctor’s opinion, I was also disregarded when I said I was in pain following the birth. Two hours post birth I finally passed a blood clot the size of my baby’s head and ended up with a hematoma for weeks following. I really think that had I been able to be calmer during the birth, I would have been listened to when I said something was wrong.
I have so many friends tell me “must be nice”, but I wouldn’t wish this type of birth on anyone. You never have a moment to feel you can get on top of the contractions or take a breath. I love my kids, but I am glad we stopped after 2.
Hi Kristy, wow! So had you never attended a birth with your mother where the baby arrived quickly? I wonder if they hadn’t swept your membranes if you would have been waiting around for much longer.
I’m sorry you didn’t feel like you had great birth experiences. 🙁
Are you a doula now, like your mother?
I just had my second child in February of 2016. My first was born via c-section due to her being breech. I never went into labor with her because i had pre-eclampsia and they took her via c-section at 38 weeks. With this new little one, I was 38 weeks and my blood pressure was increasing, so they wanted to induce. I went to the hospital already at 3cm. They induced by breaking my water. It took about 3.5 hours from breaking my water to deliver my little girl.
I didn’t really feel anything at first. Then there was some light cramping but I could walk around and breathe through it. Since I was a vbac, I wanted to get an epidural just in case there was an emergency. They told me it could take up to 30 minutes to get the epidural, so I asked for it. When the nurse anesthetist got there and had me cleaned up, my contractions were pretty strong. She was about to do the epidural and I couldn’t take it anymore. The nurse kept telling me to breathe and I was. I was breathing extremely loudly and hard. There were no breaks between contractions. Eventually I was screaming and breathing. My doctor and 2 more nurses ran into the room due to my screams. I wanted the epidural, so they were helping hold me down. i remember trying to stand up and shouting, “i have to push! I can’t stop pushing! I have to get up!” I was in a sitting position for the epidural but I felt my body pushing. I wasn’t controlling it or doing it purposefully. My body was doing it all on it own.
They did the epidural and the doctor said, wait 10 minutes until it kicks in and I’m going to check you. An hour prior when she had checked, i was still at 3cm. She said, you are probably transitioning. When she checked she said, you are 10cm and the baby has already begun moving down the birth canal. Said that if I had stood up when I wanted to, I would have had a baby not an epidural.
They gave me some time to rest before pushing. The nurse said lets practice pushing and then said, nope stops, she is coming out. The doctor came right in and 3 pushes later she was here, a 7lb 1oz little girl. They said, i was only in active labor for 1 hour.
My mother had precipitous labor with all four of her children. With her last, they induced 2 weeks early because they were afraid she would go to the bathroom and a baby would come out. When they induced 2 weeks early, my brother was born in 20 minutes. My doctor told me that if I have another, the baby will come even faster than this one. Said she is ready this time.
Hi Shira! Thanks so much for sharing. I was curious … did you epidural kick in while you were pushing, or not until after your baby was born? I’ve never had one. But I know that they can sometimes take up to an hour to even work. 🙂
I had a very similar delivery with my first.
My water broke at home. Went to the hospital BEFORE pains started.
My mother had three precipitous labors – the 3rd labor was TWINs!
Was not planning on having an epidural, but the nurses freaked out. LOL
I was 2cm and 20 min later I was 10cm.
Transition DURING the epidural!
I was glad to have the epidural as I was able to catch my breath…unfortunately this was 30 years ago and they gave to much medication in those days.
I couldn’t push with the epidural so they had to let it wear off which took two hours!
He was born 4 hours after the first pain, and 7 after my water broke.
With my second, my OB drove me to the hospital because we lived out in the country and couldn’t find DHs parents! He was worried!
When I got there, my contractions stopped.
Later my water broke, and it was a repeat of number one.
Labor pains started 3 hours after my water broke, and he was born about an hour later.
This was actually fun as I was prepared for the pain, refused an epidural, and felt GREAT the second he was out.
Third baby….12 hours of mild to annoying labor, one hour of tough pains, and then my Doc, whom I adore, BEGGED me to have an epidural LOL.
I listened to HIM, weird, right…he had a feeling…my son was facing to the side and not effectively pressing on the cervix. He was in distress and my Doc, yes he gets credit, and I , together got him out in record time. This required some manual intervention, luckily no forceps. He did have to go to the NICU about an hour after he was born…lungs…he was there a week as his PDA wouldn’t close until the neonatalogist threatened him with surgery! He has the same obnoxious (precious) behavior now.
The epidural that time only lasted about 20 minutes! Amazing. I could move my legs.
Still didn’t like having one…
All babies were 5-7 weeks premature, although we didn’t realize with number one until after he was born that he was more than 3 weeks early..the olden days!
They weighed between 6-7 pounds – DH and granddads weighed over 10lbs and that’s what they would have weighed at 40 weeks!
I was less freaked out about the quick deliveries as my mother had told the story of our fast births for years, and my grandmother had similar deliveries also.
My sons are now 30, 28, and 20 and all are over six feet tall!
Oh, they did a NEEDLESS episiotomy with number one, and no episiotomies with 2 and 3 they were a pound larger LOL!
Olden days again!
Would LOVED to have had home births, and more babies, but although my labors were quick in the end, I had preterm labor with all three from about 28-30 weeks, so hospital was a must for safety. Baby 1 spent one day in NICU, Baby 2 spent two weeks,Baby 3 eight days.
Love hearing other’s stories, and wish everyone well.
I am currently pregnant with my 3rd daughter. I was induced at 40 weeks, 5 days with my first. My cervix had been dilated a few centimeters and was mostly effaced for several weeks, and my induction went very smoothly. They broke my water and started pitocin around 8 a.m., then I got an epidural around 11:30 a.m. and she was born just before 4:00 p.m., so about 8 hours total. I definitely experienced some pain, especially before the epidural, but overall it was a wonderful and joyous experience. Right after she was born, I told my husband that it wasn’t nearly as bad as I thought it would be.
My second baby was an entirely different experience. I was also overdue with her. I had a checkup up at 40 weeks, 3 days and again I was dilated a couple centimeters and mostly effaced, as I had been for several weeks. That night I got up just before 3 a.m. to pee and my water broke. I called my doctor right away and she said to wait awhile to see if I started having regular contractions. I was definitely having some, but they weren’t too intense yet, but I woke up my husband and decided to take a quick shower before heading to the hospital. Within 15 minutes my contractions were only about 3 minutes apart and getting stronger. I started getting nervous and called my parents to come over right away to stay with our older daughter. Thankfully, they live close by and they were over to our house shortly before 4 a.m. By the time we got in the car, I was having very strong contractions every 2 minutes or so. We got to the hospital right around 4 a.m. and had to go through the ER. It took them 10-15 min. to get me up to L & D and by then I was in excruciating pain and getting really scared. They checked me and said I was 4-5 centimeters. I told them I wanted an epidural asap, but they were still trying to just get me checked into the computer system, get my IV going, etc. and the nurses seemed very unaware that I was progressing extremely quickly. By that point, it seemed like one long contraction with basically no breaks and I started feeling pressure. My entire body was clenched up in so much pain and I felt like I couldn’t move at all and had no control over anything. The last 20-30 minutes are a complete blur of blinding pain. They checked me again and she was basically coming out. There was no time for an epidural and then they started trying to tell me not to push because they were not set up and were waiting for the doctor. I did my best to follow their instructions, but I pretty much had no control over my body. She was born right at 5 a.m., so the whole things was about 2 hours, and we were at the hospital for less than an hour. Honestly, it was a horrible, traumatic experience. Of course, I was overjoyed with my daughter, but I was so shell shocked and traumatized by the pain and fear, that it took some time for me to actually be able to enjoy her. And even after she was born, it was definitely not like the “you’ll forget about all the pain” thing that you hear people say. I was still in a great deal of pain. Also, the nurses and doctors were really dismissive of the whole thing and didn’t acknowledge at all how traumatic it was for me. Maybe that sounds selfish, and of course, I was overjoyed to have a happy, healthy baby, but it really was the scariest, most horrific thing I have ever been through, and for them to act like it was all great made me feel even worse. It’s hard to explain to people that have never been through it, but I would take the 8 hour induction I had with my first any day over the 2 hour nightmare with my second.
Now, I am expecting my third and having done it both ways, I absolutely do not want another natural delivery. I switched to a new doctor and I am scheduled for an induction at 39 weeks, to try to avoid another precipitous labor. I live in the midwest and with her being due in December, I am actually quite terrified of her coming early and not being able to make it to the hospital. I am praying that she will be like her sisters and not come early and that I can have a smooth induction like I had with our first.
Hi Jaimee. Thanks for sharing your story! I’m so glad that you’re standing up for what you feel is best for you and your baby. In fact, it seems that you likely would have had a precipitous labor with your first. Because you said that you had her within eight hours along with an induction and an epidural. These two things will have slowed down the entire process, being prone to a precipitous labor or not. But because you had your baby in just eight hours is fairly quick with having those kinds of interventions.
I hope this next birth happens how you plan and that it will be even more joyous than the last for you. Have a great day! 🙂
Thanks! I am trying to prepare myself in the event that things do not go as planned, but my fingers are crossed that they do! Regardless I am reminding myself that I’ve done it twice before and can do it again. Most of all just praying for a happy, healthy baby girl 🙂
That’s great, Jaimee! You absolutely can do it again. 🙂 Let me know how things go.
My first labor was less than 5 hours, start to finish. I was expecting to be in labor for hours, but things started out less than 5 minutes apart. We called after about 3 hours, and the OB said GO NOW. But when we showed up, the nurses clearly did not seem too concerned. I remember one of them sort of dismissing me, since I had only been having contractions for about 4 hours at that point (never mind that that were only a couple minutes apart by this time) and this was my first baby. I told them my water had broken, but it did not seem to register until one nurse had to help me take my pants off (which she was clearly annoyed at having to help me with) and she realized it was wet. Someone finally thought to check me since I was making a lot of noise, and guess what was right here? His head! Well, you bet the mood suddenly changed! I ended up giving birth in the triage area, still wearing most of my clothes. My OB never even made it in time, and she left when we did.
So, when I was pregnant with kid #2, it was written in big letters in my chart that I had a fast first labor. My water broke around 8pm 2 weeks before my due date, and at first I thought I had peed myself. Once we realized what it was, my husband and I left immediately for the hospital. We showed up before 10pm, and the midwife decided to admit me, even though I wasn’t contracting. Normally, she said I would have been sent home for max 24 hours, but given my history, we thought it best I remain close by. Good plan. I went pee, started to shake uncontrollably, and BAM, it hit me. The contractions were HARD, and back to back. It was all mountains, no valleys. No breaks between them at all. And 45 minutes after the first contraction, he was out before 1am. The two midwives said they had never seen anything like it.
My midwife said that if I have a 3rd, I might want to consider homebirth.
My mother also had 2 very fast labors. We are both tall, thin women with narrow hips too. Guess we were just made for giving birth!
That’s fantastic Anne! Sounds like you have some excellent midwives to keep working with. What advice would you give a young mother that perhaps finds herself going through this same thing? I appreciate your perspective. 🙂
This happened to me 12 weeks ago with my second baby. I had been having a lot of Braxton hicks for over a month. At a normal appointment at 39 weeks my doctor sent me in to be induced because the baby seemed a little stressed. Got to the hospital at 6, the nurses said baby and I looked fine and went about questions and paperwork. I was 4 centimeters. About 730 and still no pitocin, contractions suddenly started, strong and 4 to 5 minutes apart. The monitor wasn’t hooked up right because the nurses weren’t really believing me. My water broke about 845 while throwing up. Immediately I went into a constant horrific contraction that never let up. They checked me and I was 6cm and about 30 seconds later 9cm. They started rushing me down for an emergency c-section due to baby’s stress. I had the urge to push and my son popped out at 906 on the operating table. I was pretty out of it, couldn’t focus or see, and could only hear things on and off after my water broke. I really thought I or baby or both wouldn’t make it. I know my husband was scared too. I am just so thankful that for some reason the doctor sent me in. I don’t know what would have happened otherwise. It was really traumatic and it took me a few weeks to even talk about it with anyone our think about it without tearing up.
Oh and I remember them handing my baby to me to hold as they wheel me back to the delivery room. He just laid in my arm while I’m completely out of it and confused. I had no interest and was glad when someone else took him and held him. Made for an awful looking first picture. It was sad then, I needed time to recover and come to terms with what just happened. I shortly felt the urge to cuddle my newborn and love him.
Allison, I think almost everyone’s first picture isn’t what we’d prefer to look at. 🙂 But that time also blurs for many of us, no matter how our birth went. But now you can create greater expectations for if/when this happens again and find ways to fully enjoy it. I love how you said you shortly felt the urge to cuddle. I want to cuddle with my boys all the time, and they’re no longer newborns. Thanks!
Thank you for sharing your story, Allison. So your labor was all in all about an hour and a half from first contraction to delivery? Wow, honey.
Just the fact that you were willing to share your story and end it on a positive note shows me that even though things didn’t go as expected, you are strong because of it and are an example for the rest of us. Were you planning on a natural birth?
I wanted an epidural. Even though with my first born I had an epidural leak and was bed ridden for 2 weeks.
With this one I actually asked the nurse for an epidural 2 seconds before my water broke. They didn’t want to give me one the first time I asked because they said it was too early and wanted me too walk around later. Definitely wasn’t too early! It was too late!
Hi Allison. That’s a little weird that they told you it was too early. Usually if they’ve admitted you, they know you’re progressing enough that you’re going to be giving birth within the next 12 hours or so. Usually, it’s because it too late that they’d refuse to give one. So you’ve had two babies then, with your second naturally? After experiencing both, which would you rather have if there is a next time?
I experienced a precipitous delivery with my 2nd child. It was 12:48am . Id just become 37 weeks at midnight. Suddenly I got hit with a contraction that totally took my breath away. I was staying with my parents that night and had my 3yr old with me (5hr labor with her). 5 minutes later another contraction. I got up and told my mom, “its time.” She was exhausted from helping my sister move in 90 degree weather all day so I told her Id wake her in an hour to go to the hospital and went downstairs with my daughter. I decided to go potty so I wouldn’t “go on the table”. Afterwards I called my sister who heard the way I sounded and came straight away. She walked in 20min later to find me with my bottom lifted off the couch moaning in pain and huffing and ran upstairs and woke my parents. The hospital was 7 min away and we took off. Forgetting cameras etc. My mom put on the hazards and ran the red lights because the contractions were coming so fast the minute on the clock wasn’t changed from the end of one to the beginning of the next! I arrived at labor and delivery and ran inside pausing to bend and breath as contractions hit me one after the other. The nurses took one look at me and grabbed me and we ran the 20 feet to the delivery room…I had 2 contractions on the way and they stopped, let me bend and breathe and then started hustling me the second I was able to move again ! We got in the room and I stripped by the bed and climbed on. I was 7cm/100%/bulging water bag. A team of nurses surrounded me putting in the IV etc. I was out of it with pain and using every fiber of my being to not panic. I asked for an epidural and sat on my hands while it was done because I could feel babys head and didnt want to sit on it! (I know that sounds crazy but with my pain I was desperate and terrified) I laid back down and was 10cm. Bag bulging out of my body. I was panicking because the epidural hadnt kicked in yet and I coughed and my water broke. The doctor hadn’t arrived yet and the nurses had me breathe thru the urge to push. Minutes later the doc arrived and asked me to push once and STOP. The babies cord was wrapped twice very tight around his neck. They couldn’t loosen it and were forced to clamp and cut it with only his head out. I pushed one more time and he was born. 2hrs and 10min from my 1st contraction. After being sewn up I was able to move myself from my labor bed to postpartum bed but my epidural kicked in omw upstairs to postpartum and I couldnt move for a couple hours. Lol. I think had I not been so determined to get that epidural and hold back until I got it he would have come about 45 min faster. Precipitous delivery is bad because the bleeding after is worse, the tearing is much worse. My son was 7lb 15 oz and came out w a perfectly round head!! I had 3rd degree lacerations, urethral tearing, lots of blood loss and couldn’t stand for over 24hrs due to fainting. Had to have an indwelling catheter for 2 days due to the trauma to the urethra. Now 9 yrs later Im pregnant again. Im 38 weeks 2 days. Have been dialted to 4cm for a week! Ive been having very strong contractions every hour and have an appt with my doc in 2 hours. We both anticipate I may be 6cm or greater. So this baby boy may be about ready to make his appearance today (9 yrs to the day of his big brother…happy birthday big brother lol) with me only contracting once an hour!!! We’ll see but when you have one precipitous delivery you are at risk to have even faster precipitous deliveries after! Ladies beware of that fact! Good luck to you all and your deliveries be a but less traumatic!
Ah, Crystal! As I read this you’re likely in labor or pushing that dear little one out or holding him in your arms! I’m so excited and eager for you right now. 🙂
Thank you for sharing your story. And you better come back and tell us all about it how it goes! Best of luck.
I recently gave birth to my third child, a boy, on August 26, 2016. I was expecting him to be late like my previous two and a longer labor. Boy was I wrong!
With my first, I was induced at 41w +4 days. My water broke early into the induction, about 10 hours in around 10pm, before I was having any contractions. Contractions began, the nurse said I should try to sleep, but I was filled with adrenaline and excitement. I was attempting to have a natural birth. By morning I was at 5cm, and tiring. I had lost most of my amniotic fluid, baby was posterior, and I was in terrible back pain. Baby was having a difficult time rotating, and they thought he wasn’t properly engaged to encourage my cervix to open. Needless to say, we began more interventions. Balloon catheter, pitocin… Baby’s heartbeat was dropping. We tried an epidural that afternoon and more pitocin. Again, baby’s heart rate dropped. At 31 hours in, my cervix bruised and stuck at 5cm, I had a c section. He was a beautiful boy, 8lbs 13oz! Though I healed from the section quickly and well, I felt like a train had hit me those first days after labor.
Two years later I am waiting to delivery my second baby. After that hospital experience, I chose to give birth at home, attempting a VBAC. I was overdue with my second, and despondent, knowing what I went through with my son. I knew I wouldn’t be induced this time and at 41w+5 days, I went to bed feeling a bit unwell. I woke during the night having loose bowels and contractions that were more regular. Not having gone into labor naturally with my first, I was in disbelief this was it. I tried to get some sleep, and was able to sleep a bit. By morning contractions had fizzled. I was depressed. Midwife said go about your day, take a walk. We did with our son, while family was cooking. We had my mom, my mother and father in law there because everyone thought the baby would be here by now! Contractions picked up and later that afternoon we called our midwife. When she arrived, I went into the birthing tub shortly thereafter. Transition was super intense for me as I had never made it past 5cm with my son. We got out of the tub and into our bedroom, where baby began to crown and I started to push. Our daughter was born on a birthing stool in our bedroom, about 20 hours after my labor began. My water didn’t break until I was almost fully dilated. I felt better afterward with her than my son, but still a bit worn out as labor was long, and active labor, transition and pushing were things I didn’t go through first time around. She was 8lbs 14oz! I was so proud to have my VBAC at home!
Now my third baby. We decided on another homebirth. I was expecting this baby to go late like my other two. And I thought labor would be shorter but still around 10 hours or so. The day before my due date my water broke in the middle of the night when I went to pee. I was surprised, and called our midwife. She said to call again if contractions began. I had some during the night but nothing very regular. I tried to get some sleep. The next day I had hardly any contractions. I was bummed, thinking I was in for a very long haul, and scared I would have to go to hospital if contractions didn’t begin. I went to bed, and around midnight on my due date, about 24 hours after my water had broke, I awoke to strong regular contractions about 15 min apart. I couldn’t sleep through them, so texted midwife. We agreed this was probably early labor, and to contact her again when contractions were 5 min apart. Well by 130am, contractions had gone from 15 min, to 10min, to 7 min apart. I could tell things were moving quickly but was in disbelief as I hadn’t had a quick labor with my other two. At 2am we were 5 min apart. My midwife said she was on her way. She was about an hour away. Again, I wasn’t worried, I didn’t think baby would be here for awhile. What you said about not really knowing you were having a quick labor while in it is so true! So around 230am, 3 min apart. I texted her around 3 it was getting intense, I couldn’t wait for tub she was bringing. I said I had a lot of sacrum pressure. She said to fill up our bath tub, which I did. I could barely fit in it! My husband was not with me at this point – I think he was terrified knowing it was quick, hearing my moans and groans and wondering where the heck was she! My midwife texted I was in transition it sounded like, I said heck no way, but before I knew it I was on hand and knees in the tub and baby was crowning. I remember saying it’s too fast, it’s too fast, as my midwife arrived, said this baby will be here soon… 10 min after she arrived, and 3 pushes, my 9lbs 6.6 oz boy was born! My two children woke up to see it all, hearing mommys loud noises! Lol They weren’t scared at all. My midwife said you basically delivered this baby yourself! I didn’t tear at all – didn’t with my daughter either. So from start to finish, when contractions officially began, 2.5 hours. I felt amazing afterward, the best after my three labors. A week later it was like I hadn’t given birth and I was already thinking about sex with my husband! Lol I think if we have a 4th, I wouldn’t mind a quick labor again. Very proud to have had two VBACS at home.
That is SO awesome Amanda! I love hearing the perspectives of mothers who have gone through completely different birthing experiences between children. Like you, almost always I hear that the mothers proudly prefer the natural version. I love knowing that your other littles were calm and enjoyed being a part of your birth too. I feel like I would be too anxious if my boys were present at the birth of another sibling. I guess that’s why I’m always having natural births at the hospital. But you are such an inspiration, Amanda! Thank you so much for sharing. What would you say to mothers that are desirous for a VBAC, but maybe unsure that it’s possible?
My third child (a girl) was born on Thanksgiving morning, November 26, 2015.
My 1st child was 4 days late and had to be evicted. I did not go into labor on my own.
My 2nd child was induced a week early, but doctors feel he would have been born a little early anyways.
I switched doctors, but since my other labors were induced no one could predict this. Not even my doctor. I had a c-section scheduled for November 30th. My real due date was December 5th.
I woke up at 4:30 am and had a little bit of mucus and blood in the toilet. I called the doctor on call. She told me it could be start of labor, but it could be nothing. About 5:15, the contractions started to get stronger and closer together. I wasn’t exactly sure, but it didnt seem right. I woke my husband up at 5:30 am and said something isn’t right. He told me to go back to sleep! What?!
I called my friend to come over to watch my two other ones. My parents would never have made it in time. We got to the hospital at 6 am. I was 6 cm dilated. I felt like I had to push, but the nurse was basically telling me to calm down and be quiet. By the time she came back with an IV, the contractions were right on top of each other. Once she got the IV in, I begged her to check me again. At that point (15 minutes after my first check), I was 10 cm and crowning, I begged for my c-section because I had previous 4th degree tearing before. She was like no honey, you do not even have time for a epidural. Samantha Lillie was born at 6:36 am.
My recovery was so much easier because I did not have an epidural, etc. I didn’t realize it at the time and I was terrified. My whole labor was 2 hours from start to finish. It was the most painful thing I have ever experienced. It was nice though to be able to call the grandparents to tell them she was here instead of them waiting around.
Anyways, that is my story!
I must also say that the doctor on call did not even make it to the hospital in time to deliver the baby.
It was a staff doctor. So crazy!
Hi Michelle. What a story! I’m so glad that everything turned out fine with your birth, even though it was super quick. 🙂 Did you tear with this one? You mentioned bad times with the previous births, but I guess it was better with this one? You’re an inspiration. 🙂
I decided to go into labor, with my first, with an open mind (I don’t like change so if I picked one thing and then it didn’t happen I would have been frustrated) My goal was to go all natural but knew I wouldn’t be a “failure” if I didn’t!
My daughter on the other hand took all the decision making out of my hands!
Christmas Eve night at 11:45pm I woke up coughing and felt a gush. I woke my husband by telling him “I think my water broke” He was a bit confused but I did get him to function enough to call the Dr. for me since I was shaking uncontrollably. When the on call nurse realized I had soaked the bed she suggested we get to the hospital.
The whole ride over I was sure I was going to get sent home since I had NO pain. I was able to walk into the hospital and to the Triage room but had to stop every now and then because I was leaking.
Once there nurse kept asking me questions that I felt were dumb since I had answered everything when I pre-registered, but I answered them with as little sarcasm as possible. Once I laid on the bed things went from 0 to Holy Cow!!!! I flipped on my hands and knees and told the nurse I was not going to answer any more questions. She asked me what my pain was and I told her a 7. My husband told her that meant a 10, but she still continued to ask her questions GRRR! So I asked her if I could answer her later I needed to push. She stopped her Spanish Inquisition long enough to check me, then bolted out of the room screaming ” SHE IS AT A 10!!!”
I give the nurse an A for effort though she continued to ask her questions as I was being rushed to L&D!! Once I was transferred beds all the nurses backed away from me like I had ebola. The dr. was not there and no one wanted to take charge. So my husband started talking me through everything telling me he could see hair, which helped put me in a calm mental state, it wasn’t until this point it clicked I was actually in labor. Finally one nurse took charge and talked me through pushing correctly. Much to the other nurses relief the on call Dr. made it in time for 3 more contractions and baby.
My daughter was born at 1:08am, an hour and 23 minutes after my water breaking, Christmas morning. She was three weeks early but an healthy 6 lbs 7oz.
I am a little nervous to have a second baby since I hemorrhaged after my daughters birth, I may have to campout at the hospital the last month of my next pregnancy.
A Christmas baby! What a surprise that must have been for you. I hate all the questions that nurses ask too sometimes. It can get bothersome when you’re clearly trying to focus on other things. Way to go for the hubby. That’s really interesting that you say not one of the nurses wanted to take charge. My third birth this past year was all done with nurses and it was amazing how one very experienced nurse took full charge and inspired a lot of confidence in me.
When your water breaks, it’s often when you’re transitioning into the final stage of labor and needing to push rather quickly. Now you know for next time. But I have full confidence in your husband for every child you both bring into the world. 🙂 He did awesome, and if he’s able to coach you through things the first time around, just imagine how great he’ll do each time.
You’re a marvelous woman KayLynne! Congratulations.
I had my first child naturally at a free-standing birth center and was in labor for 12 hours.
We planned to do the same with our second. He was 4 days late when I had an induction massage. I went into labor the next morning with contractions that were 25 seconds long and 2 minutes apart. We ended up having him in the front seat of our Honda Fit(!) because we didn’t think things were going to go so fast and had taken our daughter to the babysitter’s. I pushed 4 times and he came as we were pulling onto the shoulder of the road (my husband caught him one-handed). Labor hurt a lot and was very scary at the time since it was so fast, but we laughed like maniacs after it was over. I never felt the ring of fire and felt great as soon as he was born (I had felt fine immediately after my daughter was born too). After she examined me, my midwife told me that I didn’t even look like I’d had a baby. I was in labor for 1 hour and 47 minutes. My midwife had told us that generally everything and everyone is alright when things progress so fast, so even though it’s alarming at the time, I’d say embrace the speed.
Hi Jessica. When I was having my third baby I started to worry about having him in our car when I realized that I was bearing down while driving. Then I decided that I didn’t want him in the car. But now I’m starting to accept that I may just have the next one there!
I love how you say you laughed like maniacs! That’s probably what I would do too. The ring of fire isn’t all it’s chalked up to be for most women. How long ago was this birth for you? Next time I will also “embrace the speed.” You’re so great! 🙂
I arrived at the birth center with terrible back labor. I was 10 days late and when I arrived I was measured at 1 cm. I had signs of meconium but really did not want to be transferred to the hospital unless we were positive. The midwife broke my water to confirm. The birth center is directly across the street from the hospital. I was placed In a wheel chair and we started across the street. By the time we got to the entrance doors I was screaming that I had to push, the midwife said that it wasn’t time and to hold on. In the few minutes they took to get me to the bed I had dialated from 1 to ten cms, I pushed twice and my son was born. Everyone always says how lucky I am but the truth was it was terrifying and I felt completely out of control. In total I had my baby in about one hour including the time it took to push three times. I am due with my second in just a few months and I’m already of anxiety about it. My goal was an unmedicated and calm environment for my baby. Although I was able to have an unmedicated birth it was definitely not calm. My mother has past so I’m not sure about her labors other than she had an emergency c section bc my brother was breech and then a planned with me. I would really like to know if you have this experience will you have it again and any coping mechanisms that people have utilized with their seconds.
Hi KC. Yes, it’s almost guaranteed that you’ll have fast labors with each baby, especially where you had such a quick one with your very first baby. But there’s GOOD NEWS!
You already know what to expect. You’ve been through the experience once so you can have all the mental preparation done in advance. There is a lot of peace and calm in simply knowing that fact.
I would encourage you and your husband to learn what you can about giving birth at home since the situation may be just that. I have a post HERE on the risks of birthing at home if you’d like to study up on it. But it sounds that since your first was within an hour and you were able to get to your birthing center right away, you may still be able to do the same as you had previously planned.
When you mentioned being anxious, what exactly is making you anxious? Is is the intensity of feelings you experienced? Or more the shock that it happened so fast? Let me know and I can help with that. Thanks for sharing your story!
With my first son I had a text book labour and delivery. 8 hours from my first contraction to delivery, with no epidural. But my second son arrived much more quickly.
I had my first contraction a bit after 6pm (during dinner) and thought, Oh! Well I’ll see when the next comes and it came 8 minutes later. I was thinking, that couldn’t be right, but sure enough I had another 8 minutes later again! At 6:45pm they were still coming 8 minutes apart but they were becoming more intense. So we called my birthing clinic and they said to come in. We arrived around 7:20pm.
They looked and I was dilated to a 5. Then suddenly my contractions jumped to 1-2 minutes apart. I went for a bit at 1 minute apart then they were continuous.
My midwife got me on the table once I couldn’t stand and rock during contractions and I was an 8 and then soon after my water broke. And I told them, I HAVE to push!!! Pushing was difficult and extremely painful.
He was born at 8:37pm sunny side up (facing up/posterior position) which accounted for the tough push?
So from first contraction to delivery was about 2 hours half. I tore badly and primary postpartum haemorrhage and lost a lot of blood. I was under constant monitoring for 2 and a half hours to be sure I didn’t pass out or need a blood transfusion. It felt like I was in a tunnel, everyone’s voices were muffled. Very weird.
When they finally moved me to my room after the 2 and a half hour monitoring, I had to use a wheelchair because I was still shaking so badly, I could not stand on my own.
It was brutal and intense. Nothing like my first son’s labour.
Wow, Dora! You got through it. That shaking afterwards is truly annoying isn’t it? My babies have all been posterior too. There’s always a bit more effort that seems to be necessary with them because of our various pelvic shapes and the like. How long ago was this birth? Are you planning on have more children? They may come just as quickly, if not even faster. You and I have the same mindset with wanting to use a midwife and birth in a center where emergencies can be taken care of much easier.
With my third baby, I lost my blood quickly at the end too. Not too much blood to need a transfusion, but just the normal amount much faster than normal. I had that tunnel feeling too. Had to lay back, put a cold cloth on my head and sniff alcohol. Thankfully those things don’t last too long when they do happen. You’re a trooper!
It was all quite recent. He was born this past March (the 13th to be exact). Both my sons were born 4 days before their due dates.
I don’t think we will have any more children. Maybe if I was a bit younger and lived closer to my family. I like to visit the States to see them once a year and it gets expensive fast with multiple tickets! My husband is Japanese and we live in Japan.
I was very pleased with my midwife experience and the clinic. Here they keep you 6 days after a vaginal delivery and nearly two weeks for a c-section. It is very nice. My only complaint is that they hold a very strong view towards weight gain in pregnancy here. I was allowed 10kg only. The midwife and nurses always went on and on about my gain. I ended up gaining 12kg with my first son and 15kg with my second. They were not happy, but according to my start weight and height I was fine according to both the US and WHO guidelines. But in Japan they are funny about weight.
That’s interesting you bring that up, Dora. I used to work with a gal that I believe was from Cambodia, but grew up in Japan and China. She would go on about her weight too. And she was this little petite thing like me that was probably slightly underweight. But like you described, it was never about losing, just gaining. She ate well and healthy and was active, but freaked out one day when she noticed she’d gained a kilogram. I don’t know, it’s different.
Perhaps it’s because there are risks for childhood obesity from pregnancy weight gain. But it really does vary how much weight is naturally healthy to gain based upon your weight before you’re pregnant. Someone like me that’s barely over the line of a low healthy BMI, I need to gain at least 35 pounds (16kg) in my pregnancies for them to be optimal, weight wise. In fact, I gained around 45 pounds with my first baby, I think 40 with my second, and 35 with my third one.
If your BMI is on the higher end, I can see why they would want you to gain a lower amount of weight when you’re pregnant. But really, 10kg? That’s pretty unrealistic for most women. Thank you for bringing that up, it’s kinda interesting.
I bleed too much with delivery. I lost 7 pints with my first and had to have a D&C and became unresponsive. It all happened so fast! My dr put a plan in place for my 2nd so I would be monitored more closely and hopefully not bleed to death. I live 50 minutes from the hospital and I had a feeling I wouldn’t make it to the hospital in time and bleed to death in thr car. Once this bleeding starts, they have to give me shots, vaginal meds, and iv meds to stop it, plus pull out blood clots 3-4X and have me empty my bladder to get my uterus to contract back down. I prayed my water would break first so I would KNOW when I was actually in labor, since I had irritable uterus and irregular painful contractions from 26 weeks on.
I felt funny that day; really tired and kind of nauseous. We stayed out late, so I was up taking a shower at 1:30. I had my usually irregular contractions and sharp pains in my cervix. I had been at a 3 for a month, so I didn’t think anything of that.
When I got out of the shower about 2, my water broke. By 2:30, I got my husband up and my FIL came over to get my daughter. The contractions were blinding and every 2 minutes for a full minute. At 2:36 i had a contraction last until 2:38 & immediately start again. I had no breaks in the car.
When I got to the hospital, about 3:15 I was at a 4. The nurse didnt think my water had actually broken and put me in bed. I could feel when I dilated, so they checked me again. I was at a 6 one hr later. I couldnt handle it so I asked for an epidural. The pain was all in my back and cervix. I had no stomach pain. It felt like hours befor they gave me my epidural, but it was only 15 minutes of solid contractions. I got checked then and was at an 8.
So to recap…my water broke about 2 and from 3:15 to 5:15 i went from a 4 to an 8 and the nurse couldn’t really see any regular contractions on the monitor because I was in back labor. That wonderful epidural slowed labor down and i had my son 2 hours later. Thank God for pain medicines!
My mom also had fast labors. She would dilate to a 3 and have us within 30 minutes. She never got to have an epidural because they went so fast. My nurse told me i barely made the cut off for one. I’m so happy I got my epidural because i got to rest a little before I had to push my son out. 2 hours of nonstop contractions was the worst pain I have ever felt in my entire lifetime.
Hi Britt. Did you have a Posterior Baby? You mentioned having pain in your back. That’s very common with posterior littles. Yes, your epidural slowed down your labor, as expected, or else you may have had your son much quicker. I’m sorry it was not an enjoyable experience for you. Was your first baby just as fast too?
I am the mother of an adult daughter. My precipitious labor story goes as follows…. I went to the doctor on May 16th and was six days past due. No dilation or effacing was occurring so my doctor said that we should talk about inducing. So I went home and did my normal stuff. On the morning of May 17th I started to feel “not quite right” but I didn’t have any pains. So I told my husband that I wanted yo go to the hospital to get checked out. We arrived at 9:00 a.m. I told the nurse that I didn’t have any pain but had a sensation of not being quite right. I also stated that I was not going to hang out there all day. I walked into the examination room and laid down. Next thing I heard was the nurse saying PUSH. My daughter was born less than 30 minutes after I walked into the hospital. Later that day my doctor said that it was the first time he had ever had a patient like me. Needless to say I was quite popular on the maternity floor being a first time mom and delivering so quickly I had many visitors asking me what it was like. When I was being discharged my doctor said that for all future children I should plan on having them at home. That statement convinced me that my daughter would be an only child.
Hi Diane. I recently read a story of a young mother like you that had super quick deliveries. She didn’t even feel much until the baby was almost immediately out. She felt like she needed to use the restroom, in comparison to your ‘not feeling quite right.’
Were you not ever wanting to birth at home? Is that what you mean being convinced that your daughter would be your only child?
Thanks for sharing!
Hi I had my 4 th baby in 25min from start to finish. She was in fact born in the car, on my way to the hospital. 🙂
Baby 1 : 4.5hrs
Baby 2 : 3.5hrs
Baby 3 : 2.5hrs
I’m glad you ‘smiled’ after mentioning the car birth. When I was heading to the hospital with our third boy on the way (born just minutes after arriving), I suddenly decided enroute that I DIDN’T want him born in the car. I guess I’d rather have a birth at home in the tub, with water and other supplies available than in the car with nothing but pavement nearby. Way to go mama!
I’m a mother with 4 adult children. each labor & delivery was under 1 hour from start to birth. had the same doctor for 3 of the four but never gave my rather short labor the name, ‘precipitous’. just said I was fortunate to live close to the hospital and likely subsequent births would be even quicker. recall with the third child upon last exam the doctor commenting I was 5cm dilated and ‘don’t you feel the contractions or pain?’ absolutely not, in labor but no pain. was admitted to hospital, water broke, and delivered 15 minutes later. honestly didn’t have any pain til the urge to push. voila … over in a flash. my fourth was so quick my husband drove me to the ER, wheeled me in, left to park the car and when he returned, the nurses took him to the nursery to show him our son. have no regrets whatever for this supercalifragilistic condition. I’m one of 10 siblings and though I never asked, I’m convinced my Mother’s labors were very fast … ergo, it’s hereditary. thank you, Mother!
Ah, I love it! With my third baby here six months ago, I was worried that same thing was going to happen when my husband went to park the car. People in the ER were looking at me like I was crazy! If I hadn’t NOT pushed as the nurse brought me upstairs, that baby would have been born right there on the waiting room floor.
Isn’t is crazy, but also SO fantastic? I don’t regret the ‘supercalifragilistic’ condition either. 🙂 Love how you put that.
Jane, you said you felt no pain until needing to push. Is there anything during your pregnancies or lifestyle that you feel contributed to that? I’m sure that many mothers would love to hear and be inspired. Thanks!
Just for background: my first son was born two hours after I arrived at the hospital because, about 17 hours earlier, I had been told the contractions I had were false labor; no effacing, no dropping. So I went about my day until I couldn’t take it any more and called my mother and she told me to call the midwife and she told me to go to the hospital, bam! It was kind of textbook except for the initial being in denial part.
My second son…from the time my mom told me my breathing was heavy and I started timing contractions, until he was delivered, was 33 minutes. Now, I don’t know if it was a 33-minute delivery or not, but mentally it was. I say that because I had an irritable uterus for the last 20 weeks of my pregnancy. Contractions had become a daily part of my life, and they had not been deemed as premature labor – merely a nuisance. I would count up to 12 contractions an hour at times, some very close together, but never regular. Three days before I gave birth, some fluid poured out of me – about two tablespoons. We made sure it was not urine, and then waited. No baby, visit to my midwife. She said it was likely that my forewaters broke and his head had descended and plugged up the cervix, which is why no more amniotic fluid was leaking out. But she said he was very, very ready to be born and would likely arrive within a day or two.
Well, two days later, I was finishing up the taking down of Christmas decorations, and that’s when my mom told me I was breathing heavily and that maybe I was having real contractions. I started timing, and they were a minute long, a minute and a half apart! I said, “If this keeps up for a couple of minutes, we should go to the hospital!” Well, the second I said that, my water broke, and everything went into overdrive. I went to the restroom and was, gratefully, able to evacuate my bowels before I changed and got in the car. By the time I was changing my panties, I was doubling over and saying that I was not able to handle the contractions coming one on top of each other. My mother, who’s attended several births, knew this meant I’d already gone into transition. She hurried us along and got us in the car and drove to the hospital, where we then muddled about as I argued with my husband about which entrance to use (I was wrong, GAH!).
So we’re supposed to go through the ER – they send my husband out with a wheelchair. My mother tells him that we need actual people, I can’t move – actually, she’s checked and I’m crowning by more than a quarter. I’m basically sitting on the poor babe’s head because I’m frozen in constant contractions and trying not to have him the car.
Finally he comes back out with a person, they get me inside, wailing and huffing and puffing, kick someone out of a triage room and then ask me if it’s OK to cut my panties off. Are you kidding me? I’d rip them off myself if you don’t! I get on the table, two pushes, he’s out. The whole freaking ER staff tried to crowd in all at once to see it – thankfully my husband was right next to me, but my poor mom missed the birth (again, because the last guy was 10 days early and she was thousands of miles away).
The fallout would be that I was entirely emotionally and mentally unprepared to have the baby, and I had a ton of adrenaline that had nowhere to go and I couldn’t sleep that night, even though I had him in the early afternoon. I tell moms that, 33 hours sucks, but so does 33 minutes. They always say they’re jealous, but honestly, I’d have been happy with at least another hour so I could have delivered in an nice delivery room, with my midwife, and not an ER doctor (second birth he’d ever attended). I also had some small lacerations all around my urethra, which my midwife said was due to an unskilled delivery, as well as an irritated urethra. Nothing major, though.
I’d like to have a third child, but am admittedly terrified as how that will go. I might just hire a midwife to live with me….!
You are a CHAMP Hillary! I’m sorry your mother missed it after being so close this time. One thing I just may do next time around — and I think you could too, if things happen that way for you — is to get my husband to read up on home births because he very likely will have to be prepared for something like that too.
I think short or long, ANY labor can suck, as you so well put. But… all births are just so welcoming from the journey to get there. I love your story and thank you for sharing it.
What is one thing that you would tell young or first time mothers about being prepared? I know they love the perspective. Let us know, thanks Hillary!
My first labor was 8.5 hours and I didn’t need pain meds. I felt like I had time to ease into the pain. With my second labor, my water broke and she was born less than 40 minutes later. We were not even at the hospital for 10 minutes and my husband almost caught her. My husband screamed that the head was out and a random nurse walking by our door ran in and caught her. I had no contractions or labor signs before my water broke. Once they started coming, I had only seconds in between each one and there was no time for pain meds. The pain was so intense I actually thought I was going to die in childbirth. She was born with zero complications and I was up walking around after 2 hours. I healed incredibly fast and felt back to normal in days. Even though the pain is much more extreme when it is compressed like that, I preferred the fast labor because the recovery was so fast. My body didn’t experience trauma for very long so there wasn’t much to recover from.
I should add that my body went into shock after labor – I was convulsing, teeth-chattering, etc for about 15 min. It is completely normal and somewhat common with rapid births, but I did not know that ahead of time.
I’ve had the shakes after every birth, long labor or short. It certainly drives you crazy doesn’t it? 🙂
Oh Jenna! That’s odd you were in there for only ten minutes and you were left alone by the nursing staff. Seems they take at least half and hour to bother you with getting things into place for your delivery. How did your husband handle that?
I also prefer the faster scenarios too because the after math is exactly how you described it–easier! I’m glad that you mentioned the ability to still go naturally with your first birth though too, because many women believe they can’t first time around.
Thanks for your comment!
Regarding my first and so far only child, I accidentally found out I was in labor when I went to my 39 week appointment and was 6 cm dilated, 75% effaced, and baby at zero station. I was fully dilated, water broken, and in constant extreme pain within 45 mins. My baby was here via C section 15 mins later. My baby was breech so I thank God daily that I was at the dr office at the right time. I wasn’t in “pain” until I hit 8cm and there wasn’t enough break between contractions to breathe. I would never have made it considering I wouldn’t have left for the hospital until I had pain. I do have fear regarding my next preg, labor, and delivery.
Oh WOW Kayla. So you had your baby within an hour of going into labor! Did you know your baby was breech beforehand? Sometimes breech babies flip even in the midst of labor, but usually a few weeks beforehand when mothers do some exercises to help them turn.
Yours is certainly a case where I believe that c-sections are modern miracles in extreme situations. I’m quite nervous myself for the next delivery I have because it will likely be super fast as well. If you come to that point in the future, let me know how things go and we can share stories. Best to you!
I had a precipitous birth with my first child – 3 hours 40 minutes from the first contraction to her being in my arms in the hospital. My husband was asleep, and I woke him up an hour or so into labor. While he was in the shower I went through transition, and all of a sudden my body started pushing! I let him know that we needed to leave the hospital NOW – and clung to the passenger seat of the car while he drove to the hospital and I said over and over, “baby stay in! baby stay in!”
The nurses didn’t believe when I told them that I was pushing, and asked me for a pee sample and to change into the hospital gown. When the nurse did finally check me she said, “DON’T DO ANYTHING.” My midwife arrived 10 minutes before the baby was born, my doula 20 minutes before.
Early labor I handled okay, but once I went through transition things felt out of control and very scary. When my daughter was born I was just so overwhelmed that I had my husband hold her for the first couple of hours while I cried.
NOW, I am 35 weeks pregnant with my second. I have received the “how lucky” comment from people, but I’m so thankful that my doula and midwife are offering me tons of support and understand my fear. I had two contractions the other night and started crying – I wasn’t ready, and I was terrified to “wait and see” how the contractions developed or didn’t.
While I had intended an unmedicated birth with my first (good thing, because that was the only option), with this pregnancy I’m considering being induced with an epidural, because I just… want… time. Time to get to the hospital. Time for my support and medical people to be present. Time for my brain to get a handle on what is happening. Anyway, we’ll see what happens.
Dear Missi, isn’t it just so crazy how fast things can happen? I’m amazed that you made it in time. You should read my third birth story I had just two months ago, 2.5 hour labor, was needing to push in the car just like you.
I promise that the second is easier, mentally and physically. You’ve been in a position of strength that was just so overwhelming you didn’t know how to process it. But now your body and mind knows what to expect. Give hope to that and have faith that your support system will be there for you. You are an AMAZING woman that has endured wonderfully difficult things. You can do hard things and you will be great this time around.
If you have a midwife and doula, have you considered simply birthing at home? Then there’s no additional fear of getting to the hospital on time. If you want to understand the risks of birthing at home, they aren’t much different in terms of safety for you and your baby than at the hospital.
Please let me know how things turn out! I’m excited for you and wish you the best. Do you have any questions too? Good luck Missi!
Hi Sarah,
Here’s a funny coincidence: Just yesterday my midwife told me, given the speed of my first labour, that as soon as my waters break this time, the baby will be here almost immediately – just like the opening line of your post. I didn’t think ‘How wonderful’. I just about burst into tears!
My first labour was – thankfully – not as intense as I know other precipitate labours can be. I did have a break between contractions and some time to prepare for each one. But it was quick. My waters broke without any warning at all – no preceding contractions – at 5:30. I had two contractions at home starting at 6:00, one in the car, and two in the hospital waiting room, which my husband measured and noted lasted a minute each at two minutes apart. I was examined after that second hospital contraction and was nine centimeters dilated. My son was in my arms by 8:00.
As far as precipitous labours go, it was good. The pain wasn’t too intense because I had breaks between contractions. But it was frightening. I didn’t even know I was in labour until I was on the delivery bed (I’d been told that because I didn’t have any contractions before my waters broke that it probably wasn’t my waters at all). I had no time to get used to the idea that it was happening, to the point that I panicked when I had a show after my examination, and started crying, telling everyone something must be terribly wrong with my baby.
I didn’t experience any physical shock, but I was certainly reeling emotionally for weeks afterward. Like many posters here, I’d never heard of precipitate labour. My mum and sister both had long labours – especially with their first babies – as had all my friends. I was geared up for a marathon.
I know all labours are challenging, but as some one who’s had a precipitate labour, it’s VERY hard to hear people say ‘Lucky you’. Which is another reason why my midwife almost made me cry yesterday. Instead of saying that, she stopped, gave me her attention and said ‘How did you feel about that?’
Your article had almost the same effect. So thank you for putting it out there and helping people learn that quick labour isn’t necessarily a wonderful thing.
So this was your first child, I gather. Have you had any other children since then? I imagine that you were more aware and mentally prepared with your next babies. It’s so difficult to realize that we are NOT just like our mothers or other relatives when it comes to pregnancy and childbirth, at least not most of the time. And yet we ALWAYS assume that that is how things are going to be for us.
My mother was always terribly sick during her pregnancies, all three trimesters and had difficult births. So I expected the same for myself, preparing for the inevitable. But it turns out that we’re quite the opposite in many ways. Oh, there are things we’ve experienced in common, of course, but not 100%, for sure.
It’s also hard when we don’t know how were going to mentally respond to the experience the first time around. It’s just a BIG moment with such intensities that even a mother who’s very mentally and emotionally healthy and in control can become something much different after the experience of childbirth. But I also believe that we are built for it and are able to adapt and overcome far better than a male could. It’s just working trough everything surrounding it as well.
Thank you so much for sharing, Ruth. I’m glad that you were able to recover emotionally from the entire experience and were willing to let others know about it too. So you’re expecting again? Please let me know if I can be of any help or support. I’m so glad that you visiting today and left your comments. They make such a huge difference for other mothers as well that may be going through the exact same things. We need to always help each other that way.
If you haven’t seen it yet, give the post Overcoming Fear In Childbirth a look. I imagine that this isn’t a fear issue for you at all, but rather a disappointing circumstance you’ve come to accept. But, hopefully, you find something that will be able to hep buoy you up at this time.
I wish you the best!
Hi Sarah! I had a precipitous labor with my daughter (1hr 15mins) and I am very thankful it was over so quickly because it was a traumatic experience! You explained it very well about the contractions being intense from the beginning and being back to back with very little time between. I actually ended up going into shock afterwards. I was fortunate enough that I was on my way to a doctors appointment when I went into labor or we would not have made it to the hospital. Great article, I wish I would have known this was possible before hand. I am very nervous about what’s in store if there’s a baby #2.
Now you know how to better prepare and expect for the next time. I can imagine how shocking that would be for a first time mother. I’m glad everything worked out well for you even with such a super short labor time. Thank you so much for sharing Megan.
my first baby was my son. I was having pains for 48 hours before he was born. They did say that when I went into the final stage it was quite quck for a first baby but i was so out of it I just kept asking if I could go home!
Can we come back and do this later please.
My elder daughter was fast. We arrived at the hospital at about 2 and they told me I was hardly dilated and I would be a long time yet. The pains seemed very severe and I was told off “for making a fuss” (2nd time mums should really know better). However the pain suddenly felt very different and I called to my husband who was on the phone at the time and the midwife came bustling in again rather huffy. I put my hand between my legs instinctively and felt my beautiful babys head. It was Kinda weird because I kept being told it was not happening so I remember thinking What is That? My daughter was born by 445. She slipped out, barely had time to shout catch.
So with my 3rd we were all more prepared. The pains started when my husband was at work and my sweet 3 year old son patted my back as I doubled up in pain and made my way to the phone. A midwife was at my house in minutes and told my husband to follow us there we needed to get to the hospital NOW. I was barely dilated but this time they listened and were aware that this meant nothing . Sure enough my daughter was born within 1 and a half hours of labour starting.
Yes, overall I am glad it was quick. It is a bit of a shock to the system though and I do believe it is a lot more painful. However I was not against using gas and air – natural birth to me meant pushing baby out. not drug free pushing it out! I did not actually get gas and air with the second, as we did not have time.
Wow Vanessa! Thank you for sharing. It amazing how different our births can be from each one to the next.
I’ve heard about using gas to help with relaxation, but I hadn’t looked into it just yet. Sorry you had a nurse that seemed irritable when you really were so much farther along.
It’s amazing what the body can do in such a short amount of time. You definitely had precipitous births with your second two.
I appreciate your candor and am glad to hear from someone who has experienced this. You’ve been a great help to many!
Hi Sarah, this is a very interesting post. One thing I normally hear people stating is they had a 12, 14, 18 hour labor. However, what I don’t see discussed, and I believe people have different takes on it, is when does labor start? I’ve heard it’s when you are 3 cm dilated. Is this so? If so then I almost had a precipitous labor (4 hours).
Hi Ana. There are different stages of labor that I haven’t had an opportunity to thoroughly post on yet. But I can summarize for you.
There are three stages: early, active and transitional labor. Each stage is shorter than the previous. Early labor can last a few days up to a few weeks. It’s usually when the cervix is dilating to 3 or 4cm. Mothers can have subtle cramping very low in their abdomen that feels much like period cramps. Or they can feel nothing at all. With my first baby I didn’t feel any early labor, but I did for a few weeks with my second.
Active labor is when actual contractions begin. And yes, you’re right, starting around 3 to 4cm, sometimes even straight from no dilation at all. This is when mothers will head to the hospital and lasts hours or a few days at worst.
Transitional labor is the most intense but also the shortest, usually when one is 7 to 8cm dilated or farther. This labor often only lasts a few minutes up to an hour or less. When the cervix is fully dilated, then the urge to bear down and push starts.
So when I say that the time in labor is 12 hours for example, that usually means the time from the start of active labor until the baby is completely out.
Now I’m going to write a complete post for you on this so it’s clearer. But hopefully that helps. Subscribe to be sure and not miss it. So yes, you were quite close to be considered one with a precipitous birth. *Update- There’s a new post about Stage of Labor here. Enjoy!
What did you feel and experience with it? Thanks for your questions and feel free to share more if you like. Thanks!
thank you for the useful article!
You’re welcome, Zhanna.
Hi Sarah
Great post. I had never heard of precipitous labour before reading your article. I can see why some women prefer a longer, better prepared child birth. Thanks for sharing!
– Adam
Thanks Adam! Feel free to share. 🙂
Hello Sarah!
This was so interesting. I have a son. Remember waking up at 3.30 AM with such pain. Called the hospital, and they asked me how far it was between the contractions. I couldn’t answer. I didn’t understand when one ended and a new started. Since I was “so worried” and it was a slow night I was allowed in.
I had planned to give birth naturally – but I was in such pain. Nothing helped until I got epidural. Twice. Then suddenly I got a break. I could rest. I had periods of pain and periods of relaxation. It was like friends and family had described it. Except I was extremely tired.
Just like you said the epidural slowed everything up – so he came 3.30 PM. It was 12 hours long.
The first night at the hospital, I woke up with an infection in the entire body. I was really sick. Can’t remember so much from the first two, three days at the hospital.
Sometimes I wonder how fast my delivery would have been without epidural and the infection…
Marie
It’s hard to say because every case is so different and can’t be directly compared to another without the exact same circumstances. Actually, for having an epidural, a 12 hour labor is on the shorter side.
I’m sorry you had an infection there too. Nothing’s fun about being in the hospital even if it’s for a short amount of time.
Thanks for sharing your story. It’s hard for a first time mom to be able to know all these new sensations and feelings coursing through her body without much to compare too. That’s one reason what I built this site to be able to help new mothers be aware of as much as possible.
Thanks Marie. Hope you’re doing well. 🙂
Great tips for soon to be mothers. I’m no expert but I think, having all over in 3 hours would be brilliant as I know what my wife went through and it was much much longer than that.
I think I’d like two to three hours and being done with it myself too. But less than that I don’t think I’d want at all. I’ve mentally prepared myself for the slim possibility of not giving birth in the hospital and deciding to be okay with it, but I certainly prepare to help ensure that doesn’t happen.
We can only do so much sometimes. Thanks for your comment, Jason.
I can see where you would think that shorter is better but I assure you I would take a 24 hour labor over precipitous any day. I had precipitous with both of my boys and my second came in 2 hours start to finish. Awful.. No time for pain meds, barely made it to the L&D floor, head was crowning to the hospital, husband barely made it, and I hemorrhaged. Instead of progressing slowly it’s thrown at you at once and you black out from pain. It’s like one longgggg contraction that does not stop. And since every baby comes faster usually I’m reconsidering more children :/ Just wanted to give insight on it… a lot of people don’t even know it’s possible to have a baby that fast!
Thank you for sharing Kelsie. I’m sorry your labors were not a fun time for you. I can totally see where you’re coming from. Hemorrhaging certainly isn’t desirable either. I’m glad that you are doing well though and that your boys were just fine. I hope that if you still want more children though, that your own body won’t convince you to stop. Having babies in the world today is a great blessing and we are helping the future generations by becoming mothers. But everyone’s personal circumstances are their own, of course. Thank you for sharing. And you’re right, hardly anyone knows that babies can come that quickly!
Very good information here. My wife was in labor for many hours so it was not pleasant. I will definitely pass this on!
Thanks
Thanks Thomas. I imagine it can be even more drawn out and boring for the husband that just has to wait often.
Hi Sarah, great post as always. It’s getting closer and closer until or second is born, so this was very interesting. I had no idea that epidurals slowed down the birthing process! Our first was relatively quick compared to some of our friends, being that this will be our second, I hope for my wife that it does go even faster. Just as long as there’s plenty of time to reach the hospital!
Cheers, Tony.
That’s exciting Tony! YES, epidurals absolutely slow down labor and increase the chances of needing a c-section. You can read more about the side effects and risks associated with them in this post here in comparison to having a baby naturally.
I’m very confident that you’re wife’s second labor will be quicker this time around too, which is really nice. Just keep her walking and it will definitely help push things along. Let me know how she’s doing. I’d love to hear from her too. Best!
GREAT Content. inspiring and full of insights. Thank you for sharing this!
Thanks Ginger. Feel free to sharing with others.
Nice post! Very interesting to know that there are different types of labour.
I ended up with an emergency c-section, so I cannot even imagine how a woman could give birth so quickly.
My sister’s first labour was long and painful, and she needed forceps in the end, yet her second was so fast her daughter’s head was bruised!
You never can tell what sort of labour you will have, but it is always best to be prepared. My hospital bag was packed away upstairs, so I never got to see it at all while I was in hospital! Always keep it by the door!
Or keep it in your car 🙂
Thanks for sharing Michelle. It certainly is true that things are different every time. So we must be open and aware of almost any possibility.
Hi Sarah – the body is amazing and confusing in equal measure, isn’t it! My sister in law had a 37 hour first labour, but on the other hand, a friend of mine has had both of her children before even getting to the hospital! I believe she’ll fit squarely into the precipitous labor category.
Claire
I often hear about women thinking that they’ll be just like their mother’s or sisters when it comes to their births because of the family aspect. I even believed it myself for years. But I have learned very quickly that this is simply is NOT true. Yes, some genetic conditions can be factors, but overall, everyone and everything is different almost every single time.
Yes, the body is amazing and confusing all at the same time. But miraculous too. Thanks Claire!
hi Sarah!
It’s weird as I was just having this discussion with a pregnant coworker not too long ago. She was saying how much she did not want a quick birth. And I was thinking at the time: why would a woman want a longer labor?
Well now I know! You explained it very well in this post. Thanks for sharing this. And acknowledging that there is no direct link between autism and a precipitated labor…..
You’re quite welcome, Emily. I’ve been back and forth on the idea a few times over the years. I just never wanted to be sent home from the hospital for not being far enough along.
Feel free to share with your coworker anything you think may help here. I’d be glad to visit with her.
Thanks for your comment!
Nice site full of great information.
Thanks Amanda.