How do you judge how long your labour was?

[Arimeh]

I know, seems like a funny question. But if your labour was the "Building up" type - do you count the total time of labour from first contraction or when they started getting more regular and ouchy?

Like, I got my first contraction with DD2 at around 5am in bed, but didn't get another one for about an hour, and then every 7-14 minutes I would get a contraction, but they weren't particularly ouchie till about 1pm - and then she was born at 6.20pm (well her head was born at 6.15, but body at 6.20pm).

So do I count my labour as being 13.5 hours long - or 5.5 hours long?

[feeb]

First stage starts from regular rhymical contractions.

[Arimeh]

Hmm so would that be when they were like 7 minutes apart most of the time and still not that ouchy?

[feeb]

Yes, not everyone needs ouchy contractions to be in labour!

[TeniBear]

I count it from 3am, though I'd had peth and paracetomol earlier for light crampy feelings. But the ones starting at 3 were the ones that I couldn't sleep through - plus that's the only time I remember for certain. So I say my labour was 5 hours 52 minutes (gee that sounds really long now!) although technically it was longer, and the hospital says it was under an hour

But, obviously, I was induced, so I don't know what it would have been like if everything started on its own

ETA - 3am was when they got regular as well :$


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[Party-of-five]

I count mine from when my contractions started

[Arimeh]

Yes, not everyone needs ouchy contractions to be in labour!

Ok I'll have to look through my notes and see when that was for sure...

Thanks

Teni - thats pretty short for a first time labour!!! You might deliver on your door step with the next one

[TeniBear]

I'd like to know if my "normal" labours in the future will start with my waters breaking, or they'll be like last time and break right at the end (and that was with help!)

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[~clover~]

I count mine from the start. Waters breaking, first contraction. Established labour is 4cm or regular 5 minute apart contractions I think, but personally I was in pain well before then. Quite alot with DD2 even though my contractions were still 30 minutes apart. They got me to 7cm dialated, so I'm counting them!

ETA - Teni, my waters broke 1st with DD1, had ARM with DD2 on crowning & broke about an hour into contractions with DS, so different every time for me

[Arimeh]

Ok I just went over my birth story - and the more consistent ones were 6-7 minutes apart at around 12pm.

SO really it was a 6.5 hour labour I suppose?
Teni - mine didn't break until I had my internal and I was already 7-8 cms.

[MrsFabuloso]

With DD, I was induced, and I count labour from when I had the drip put in because from that stage until she was born 23 hours later, I had regular contractions, about 7mins apart. It hurt from go to woah.
With DS I have absolutely no idea how long I was actually in labour for. I had a really long pre labour with ouchy and often fairly regular braxton hicks for about 2 weeks before hand. They would tease me and come regularly about 10 or so mins apart, and when I would get excited and hopeful this was IT! they would die down and go away. When I got to hospital (fully expecting them to give me some panadine and telling me to come back when it got serious, I was 8cm dialated. OB broke my waters an hour after we arrived and DS was born about an hour after that.

[ShootingStar]

I count mine as the first sign of labour.. with DS was contraction (11 hours), DD my waters breaking (16.5 hours). But the hospital have it down as 4 hours (DS) and 6 hours (DD). DS's is a blur but at my counting 10.5 hours for DD was when i asked for an epidural. I was 6cm dilated and had been for the past 4 hours. So i have no idea how they calculate it.

[Marlene]

I was having contractions for 16 hours at home before I went into hospital at about 12.30 in the afternoon, I had Jack at 6.30 that night. My hospital records say my labour was 4.5 hours...not sure how they worked that out, LOL.

[Lisa]

I usually count from the first contraction. If I am anywhere past 38 weeks, I write down the time of anything that feels like a contraction and take it from there. I count the end to be when the placenta is out.

Although with DD2, my contractions were all over the place so I counted from the first, but the Ob & midwives counted from when my waters broke.

[~clover~]

See, with DD1 i headed off to hossy when my waters broke. Fear of the unknown. So they have hers as the 18.5 hours I have. With DD2 I wasn't that silly. I had contractions for 30 hours, 20 hours irregular, but couldn't sleep through them, then 3 hours 30 minutes apart & I was groaning through them. I didn't go to hossy til about 4 hours before she was born (7cm dilated), so they class that as a 4 hour labour, but to me I went through 30 hours of pain. DS is on hospital record as 2 hours, even though it was full on 5 hours & never let up from start to finish. So IMO hospital records don't count, coz they only start from when they see you.

Every labour is so very, very different. They all start in their own way & build up in their own way. It is hard to pin point a starting point for that reason. I have a friend who got to 5cm without a bloody niggle! So when did her labour start? Before contractions started? Who knows.

[Early Kids]

I wish I could count mine from first sign of labour, 344.75 hours with Brendan and 8+3 weeks with Tristan. I was having contractions, but they had me on drugs to stop them and all the drugs did was ease them off not the pain. With Brendan I wasn't in a lot of pain but with Tristan I was in agony for the whole 8 weeks. I actually only count it from when I started getting them regular though (once the drugs stopped) so for Brendan I count it as 20 hours and 45 mins and Tristan 10 hours.

Official labour times, as per hospital records which records from 4cms dilated, are:
Brendan:
1st stage 11hrs 55 mins
2nd stage 20 mins
3rd stage 5 mins

Tristan:
1st stage 7 hours
2nd stage 34 mins
3rd stage 7 mins

[Lulu]

I'd like to know if my "normal" labours in the future will start with my waters breaking, or they'll be like last time and break right at the end (and that was with help!)

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None of my labours started with waters breaking.

I always thought it started with "active labour"?

[Epacris]

I always thought active labour was strong/painful regular contractions from 4cm dilation.

DS – Pre labour for about 2 weeks, then about an hour of regular contractions (that weren’t painful) before my waters broke, then active labour for about 2 ½ hours.

DD – Pre labour for about 3 weeks (I was 3cm dilated for all of that time too) then my waters broke (no regular non-painful contractions before hand, nothing) took a while (like 10 - 15 mins) for contractions to start after my waters broke, then active labour for about 40 mins.