Thick and fast or slow and steady?

[PumpkinZulu]

Which was your labour? Thick and fast or slow and steady? Were you happy with it being that way, or would you have preferred the opposite?

Mine was definitely thick and fast. Although my labour wasn't too quick (6 hours), my contractions went from a few hours of period like cramps, to waters breaking, and then extremely painful contractions. No build up, no progression. I read and hear often about women who chatted in-between contractions etc, I never had that...it was, 'oh, this is odd, feels like AF' to not being able to speak or even really communicate in a few hours, and for the duration of my labour, that's where I was at. The only difference I noticed at transition was that the contractions got closer together. Pushing ended up being my favourite part of my labour, FAR less painful than my contractions. I laboured in hospital for 5 hours and used the gas for the first 20 minutes. From my own experience, I think I would have preferred a longer labour with a slower buildup (ETA, but not anything so long that my body just couldn't take it anymore, iykwim). I honestly think my body was shocked by the sudden onset of extreme pain, and even though I coped with it well, it would have been nice to have that gradual buildup of pain instead of all PF it in one lump. Also wondering if your second and subsequent labours were all like your first in progression. I am more than happy with DD's birth, now that I know I can cope with what I did, but still curious as to the other side.

Interested in everyone else's thoughts on this

[Sagres]

Ooh, very much thick and fast! Actually a lot of what you right reminds me of DDs birth (2 hours). I was watching one born every minute and saw women having contractions and chatting in between and I was like 'hey that's not how I remember it!' But yep, straight from 'oh what is this crampy type feeling' to 'woooooooaaaaaaah', with no breaks between the woooooooaaaaaaah's

I don't think I would have preferred a longer labour, but like you say a bit of gradual build up might have been nice instead of going from 2 to 11 on the pain scale. The only thing I would have preferred was my mind knowing it was going so fast. I was totally unaware that things were happening so quickly so while I was in the deep dark place of transition, I thought I was only 2-3cms dilated and what I was feeling was going to go on for HOURS longer and get so much worse instead of this actually being the height of the pain.
As for subsequent labours hopefully I can report in 4 weeks!

[PumpkinZulu]

Omg yes Sagres! I got to hospy an hour after my waters broke and I was 6cm...somehow my mind got stuck on 6cm and when I felt like pushing, I remember thinking 'it can't be time yet, I'm not dismayed enough!' GL for your impending birth!

[Sagres]

Thanks!
I am hoping that my knowledge of how things feel when we get to the pointy end will help me recognise it a bit better this time and my head will be in a better place. And just knowing it CAN be that fast will also help.

[Liz]

I twiddled my thumbs between contractions with DD1. It was so different to DS because I was augmented with him, so contractions were on top of each other. But then DD1 was prem, so at the beginning they were trying to stop the contractions, so I think if anything it just prolonged my getting into established labour. I don't know what's recorded as active labour, but from go to woe it was about 12 hrs with her. And 5 hours with DS.

Now.. DD2.. THAT was thick & fast! Within a few contractions I was in transition, freaking out that I didn't remember it being this painful so quickly and that there was no way I could do this for the next ???hours! They were hitting me every 2 minutes. Before I knew it I was pushing and my midwife wasn't there yet! (she just made it). Looking back, I love that it was a 40 minute labour, and would do that again in a heartbeat It was actually really easy (ouchy but easy). I would have liked a headsup that it was going to be that quick tho, I wouldn't have spent the time pacing around the house yelling at DH to get the pool up (which never got filled LOL) I would have got myself into a better headspace to just get on with birthing. Only thing with that quick labour was the soreness I had in my muscles and bones within the next couple of days. Think I waddled more then than when I was pregnant! LOL.

I do sometimes think about how I missed out on the 'calm' waterbirth, imagining my kids with me etc.. but pfft... who wants to labour that long?? hahaha.

[Glamourcide]

DD1 was very fast - her labour was induced so I literally went from 'nowhere near ready for labour' to drugs, 10cm, pushing, and cutting the cord in the space of four hours. It was horrible, I definitely would have preferred a slow and steady build-up. My body didn't cope and I suffered complications.
DD2 was much better - 2cm dilated on Thursday (post-EDD), twingy on Saturday morning (went shopping and to visit a friend), got cranky Saturday evening and found out I was 5.5cm and on the point of no return. Rocked around on all fours watching TV for most of the night, went to bed, woke up at 3 and went to hospy at 4... ARM, pushed for a couple of hours and she was born at 7:30 I was one of those who could talk between (and even during) contractions right up until pushing, it was a much more pleasant experience.

Slow and steady is definitely the way to go imo, provided labour doesn't stall and bub go into distress It was still a relatively short established labour, but the 24-36 hour lead-up got my body ready, if not my mind!

[DANNIIM]

DS1 was a slow and steady build up, although only 8hrs of labour but i remember thinking i just wanted it over and was contemplating drugs/pain relief, i also felt like i was hit by a truck the next day but i think that was because i had to push for 1.5hrs.
DS2 was 3hrs and didn't even have a chance to think about pain relief as the ouchy contractions were maybe an hour tops and he was pushed out in under 5 minutes and i felt great afterwards - wasn't even sore in the nether region.

I'm hoping with this next one she doesn't go an change the rules on me

[FarmGirl]

I have had two thick and fast labours, but both different from each other.

My first with my son had me waking up at 12:30am with two minute contractions that went from cramps to very painful in around 20-30mins. We went straight to the birth centre, arriving at 2am and my son was born at 3:06am.

Expecting a fast labour again with my daughter, the slow build up of contractions threw me. I sat around watching TV for an hour and they were not painful or regular, so I went back to bed. I couldn't sleep so I got up 30mins later and woke my husband. We called the midwife, explained what they (contractions) were doing and agreed to meet at the birth centre. We took our time this time, but as we drove in the car, they became regular and painful and were at 2min intervals on arrival (4am). Everything went very quickly from there, and my daughter was born at 4:48am in two pushes and still in the caul.

I loved both my births, and wouldn't change them for the world. I wanted drug free natural births in the care of a midwife, and that's exactually what I got, twice. Truely blessed.

[LionsandBears]

DS1 was slow & steady with lots of back labour. 21 hours from start to finish, but a slow build up with ctx every 7 minutes from midnight, getting closer and closer. Everything ramped up from about 1:30pm. I didn't recognise transition and still don't know when that kicked in. On my hospy notes, it have labour as 5hours, including 1hr 15min to push out bub and 30min for the placenta. I felt in control for most of the time and was able to get things moving along myself.

That was my only spontaneous labour. The induction with DS2 took under 8 hours but that was a whole different ballgame altogether.

I think 8-12 hours is enough. Time warps in labour - you dont realise the time, but you feel the exhaustion. I'm a control freak and think a short, fast labour would scare the hell out of me. Is it difficult to stay present in a short, fast labour?

[Sagres]

I'm a control freak and think a short, fast labour would scare the hell out of me. Is it difficult to stay present in a short, fast labour?

I wouldn't say it is hard to stay present, everything is so intense you can't really escape, everything is pulling you kicking and screaming into reality! More accurately I would say it is hard to stay focused on whatever techniques you are using to deal with the contractions. From what I read normally you get into a rhythm, then as the contractions step up you step up and match them, but when it is really fast you don't really have that ability to 'build up' your response and you kind of get thrown in at the deep end.

Recently I was talking to the midwife/educator at my hospital and when I said about my first labour she looked at me with pity! She said she thought 2 hours wasn't the easy way to do it. I kind of wondered that but I had never had any one else say it.

[Liz]

Depends what you mean by 'staying present'? I was busy texting my doula and talking to my midwife on the phone, we were trying to work out if they were established contractions LOL. Looks like they were! I didn't get into a 'zone' tho. I had a shower, got out and timed a couple of contractions, walked around the house going 'holy crap, this feels really fast', yelled at DH cos he hadn't put plastic sheets under the pool LOL, got on the phone to my midwife and decided she should make her way here, after that phone call I thought ok.. chill.. just stop and concentrate on these contractions. Then I started pushing.. I was in denial at that point LOL and held back a couple of pushes.. then I couldn't help it. I really liked that it was quick, beats a long tiring labour! We sat and watched the rest of the tv show we were watching when all was done and dusted LOL. That felt pretty weird.. was watching it with a big belly one minute.. then a few hours later I was watching it with baby in my arms!

I will add tho... that short labour would have been a NIGHTMARE if I had been trying to get to a hospital! It would have been a side of the road birth, and that would just be awful. I wouldnt' have been able to organise my kids and get to hospital in the time it took for us to realise this was really it and her being born. So it worked out ideally for me because everyone was rushing to me instead of me rushing to hospital

[Glass half full]

Mine was slow and steady. My waters started leaking about 7 hours before contractions started, so I had that time to prepare myself and get excited that things were happening. I could always talk between my contractions up until pushing. I feel as though my labour was perfect for me, I would have had a hard time handling it if contractions were more intense and on top of each other from the start. At one point at home I got in the bath and contractions got further apart so I got out! I didn't feel like I needed the break and didn't want to slow things down. From first contraction the labour was 11 hours and I stayed home for 6 of those. Pushing was around 20 mins, I'd do it again in a heartbeat

[Sunny Love]

What an interesting thread to read through
I've had both kinds of births, DD was slow and exhausted me. Her labour was only 6 hours though DS was very thick and fast and only a 2 hour labour. I really enjoyed his birth, actually preferred it more. In saying that though, with DD I suffered birth trauma and I think it affected the way I compare her birth to his

[Lily Dust]

Thick and fast. Wasnt sure I was in labour then bammo yep struggling to walk

I am glad it was thick and fast but it was unexpected iykwim. I had so many plans for the 12-14 hours and never used any of them!! Basically I went to see the midwife to confirm I was beginning to labour (no bag, just me) and was sent immediately to the next town to birth. Told I would labour in a private room but when I got there had progressed a bit quicker than they expected and went straight to the birthing room. Told I wasnt ready to push and I assured them I WAS! (and I was). Total of 7.5 hours later I held my baby girl *cluck cluck*

[~Hestia~]

I've been trying to think how I can answer Moo's birth was 22 hours and I've always said I would've been happy with the last 5 hours knocked off it!

Up until my waters broke it was slow and steady. I started having very regular contractions at 7pm and managed to stay home for about 10 hours quite happily. When I got to hospital I was 8cms at 5am, still very comfortable with the building up of contractions. Yes it was painful but it really was a gradual thing at that point, still talking and joking between contractions.

My waters broke at 10am and that's when it became thick and slow ITMS After this my contractions were one on top of the other until I had Moo 7 hours later at 5pm, I had no urge to push either so the last 2 hours were all pushing. That whole time I couldn't speak. So while I could've handled a couple of hours like that, it went on far too long and I was absolutely exhausted and shocked by the time he came into the world!

So I'm hoping this time around it's a little bit quicker!

[Cassius2]

DD1s birth was 9 hours from first contraction to her being placed on my chest. it was, to me, totally exhausting! i found that it was about 5 hours too long hahaha. but then it was an overnight birth and i think that actually made it more tiring as i missed a night of sleep ITMS. contractions with her birth started a few hours after my waters broke, so they came on instantly fast and quite intense (2 minutes from the get-go). transition was really scary IMHO. but i was totally unsupported and didnt really know where I was at as no one was reminding me of the stages.

DD2s birth was only 1.5 hours of real labour. i had been having mild, intermittent BH with the occasional contraction throughout the day, but when my waters broke at 3pm then i INSTANTLY had the 'woooaaaahhh....i'm in LABOUR' moment. thankfully i had all my calmbirth training kick in and was able to keep present after the first big contraction and although the birth was super fast, it felt measured and paced and well, just right ITMS. my only regret is that it was so joyful and fun that i wish that it had of lasted a bit longer . even with it being so fast i was able to fully chat and laugh with the midwives in between contractions and during the pushing (or rather breathing out!) stage i just chatted with the midwives and the baby and DH. it all felt very relaxed even though that stage was only 9 minutes.

so all in all? I am super happy with thick and fast! that said, i wouldnt want to do it without total support and my calmbirth!!! but that would be the same for a long labour or a short one.

and, (i know, i am rambling!) what i really enjoyed about the thick and fast one was that i wasnt totally shagged afterwards. i had enough energy to really engage with the experience and just gaze and gaze at my new baby . i think it also really helped that she was born during the daylight hours...i would beg the universe to let that happen again!

[*TripleJ*]

with DS it was slow abd steady except for near the end it just felt like forever took 45 mins of pushing ouchies

with DD it was slow and steady till they broke my waters then bam full on but it was only a few pushes and she was out

definately prefer DD's birth but im not going back again

[sloane]

i'm not sure how to categorise mine - i was induced & from the time i had an ARM (and on the drip soon after) till DS was born was probably around 10 hours. which isn't really short but it was intense for nearly the whole time. i think because DS clearly wasn't ready at all (i was induced because of GD & them worrying about my BP) that it was really intense. i had back labour for much of it & at one point they turned my drip off completely because there was no break between contractions & that was about 5 hours before he was actually born.

for me, i'd just prefer to experience going into labour spontaneously & my body preparing itself rather than it being started artificially.