mine have both been very slow and steady. WEEKS of pre-labour contractions, sometimes regularly every 5-7 minutes for hours on end, and then they would disappear again until the next day (infuriating!!), and then 17 hours of active labour with my first, and 11 hours with my second. both of them were 2 hours of pushing. my daughter's birth actually felt easier, even though it was longer and went overnight and into the next afternoon, but i think it might be because i was SO SCARED about giving birth the first time that i was pleasantly surprised that i made it out the other end alive!! with my son, i didn't stress too much about the birth in advance (afterall, i was a pro, had done it all before), and i found his labour a lot more difficult. the pushing phase was especially hard, and absolutely exhausting, but i guess he was 9lbs 7oz, and in between each pushing contraction he kept slipping back up the birth canal which was excruciating!!
i am due with #3 soon (in fact presently overdue!), and am hoping this birth will be a bit quicker (and hopefully easier - wishful thinking!!) - i would be happy with about 5 or 6 hours i think - i don't want to risk not making it to hospital, and want a little bit of time for the contractions to "ramp up" so i can get my head around the idea of actually being in labour!!