Conference moira::parenting

    Tracy,
    
    I am probably the exception that proves the rule.  Carrie's labor (#2)
    was twice as long as Lolita's (#1).  Atlhi's was the shortest (#3)
    
    I had Carrie and Atlehi at home, so figuring the hospital wasn't a
    factor for me.  
    
    What was different with #2?  I knew what I was experiencing and it made
    it easier to relax, in fact I may have gotten too relaxed, with how
    long Carrie took.  
    
    Because I knew what was going on, I could be pushier about what felt
    good, and what didn't and what positions worked for me.  I had enough
    questions and was able to get my Dr to write a labor plan and orders
    that fit my needs should I have found it necessary to transfer to the
    hospital.  With number three it was even easier to be the "patient from
    hell" with the "OB from hell" on demanding that our family needs be
    met as well.  
    
    meg

    
    	Are you sure you want to know ? 8-)
    
    	First Labor: Water broke 4 days before my due date, delivery
    	             was induced via pitocin 24 hours after my water
    		     broke.  Labor was 37 hours, pushing was 2-4
    		     hours (they made me stop twice), and a 
    		     vacuum extractor was used in the end.
    
    
    	Second Labor: Nine days late, I labored overnight for three
    		      nights in a row, but labor stopped every morning
    		      when I got up.  I was 5cm dilated and 80%
    		      effaced when labor really got going.  Contractions
    		      started at 5 minutes apart (BTW, doctor said to
    		      call when they were 7 minutes apart for an hour).
    		      Rushed to hospital, labored for 17 hours (with
    		      pitocin assistance after 8 hours), then delivered
    		      Andrew via C-section.  I never dilated beyond 7 cm,
    		      which is believed to be due to the fact that Andrew	
    		      was very big, had a big head, and was looking up.
    		      I don't think he ever dropped (couldn't fit ;-) ),
    		      so gravity didn't do what it tends to do.
    
    	karen
    
    	

Well, I guess I more than prove the theory :o)   Good luck! I hope it goes
like my second one!

Length of labor 
	1st child - 7 hours
	2nd child - 47 minutes

Contraction spacing for the first contractions
	1st child - 2 minutes apart, 1 minute long
	2nd child - about the same (when I finally felt them with the
			help of pitocin.  They were 3-6 minutes apart
			when I wasn't feeling them)

Length of time pushing
	1st child - 3 hours
	2nd child - 3 pushes

Medication requested
	1st child - Demerol (I think it was - just to take the edge off)
	2nd child - Nothing for pain, pitocin to start the pain :o)

Episiotomies.
	1st child - 2 and then tore anyways (4th degree lacerations)
	2nd child - None.

Emotional state.
	1st child - Nervous, tense and scared
	2nd child - Calm but impatient (they told me I would go early
					and I went to 40 weeks)

Recup Time.
	1st child - approx 2 months before I felt totally "better" 
			I was kept in the hospital for 4 days for anemia
			9 layers of stitches for the 4th degree lacerations.

	2nd child - Could have gone home an hour after having her
			I felt great! 

With my first, he was in distress and they didn't tell me until after he
was born.  The midwife was terse and non-communicative on what was going on
and what would be coming next.  Looking back, it was probably due to
the baby being in distress however her attitude made me more tense.  I had
only seen this midwife once during my pregnancy as there were 8 midwives
in my practice.

The second time, much of my calm and impatient state most likely was 
being able to pick the date for having the baby, knowing and having more
trust in my midwife.  I didn't have to worry many things associated with
getting to the hospital once you are in labor since I was induced.  I was
5 cm and 100% at 40 weeks and they decided on induction to make sure I
made it to the hospital.  The midwife had told me at 32 weeks that with
my previous record I would deliver this baby in 40 minutes.  I guess if
my first hadn't been in distress they guessed my labor would have been
about 3-4 hours instead of 7.

    Hi,
    
    	I pretty much follow the rule as well.
    
    1st:  1 day late, contractions started slow and gradually around
    3:30am about 20 minutes apart, and I was able to sleep through them 
    until I realized what they were are 6:30am.  Labored easily all day and
    got to the hospital at 4:00pm contractions 5 minutes apart and pretty
    painful at that time I was 4 cm dialated.  The doctor came in and broke
    my water and within an hour I was fully dialated and ready to push.
    Three hours of pushing and a two cut episiotomy, one to the side and
    one down and Melissa was born after 17 hours of total labor.  It took a
    good week before I could sit without my donut and I suffered from
    hyper-extended hips so it was a good three to four weeks before I
    walked normally.
    
    2nd (born 25 months after 1st):
    
    I went to bed a 11:00 and when I rolled over at 11:45 my water broke. 
    I called the Dr. and even though there were no contractions, they
    wanted me to come in for a look.  By the time that my parents got to
    the house at around 12:30 the contractions were 4 minutes apart and I
    was already doing my heavy breathing.  We got to the hospital at
    1:00am, and I was 4 cm dialated.  I turned down the epideral because I 
    was afraid of the needle (stupidest thing I have ever done in my 
    life!!!!!)and opted for a shot of demoral.  I DID NOTHING except slow 
    down my contractions to 5 minutes apart, but they were extremely
    intense and lasted a good 90 to 120 seconds each time.  I thought the
    internals were much more painful (considering they didn't bother me at
    all with my first), but that very well could have been the nurse.  By
    7:30am I was begging for the epideral, but it was too late I was
    already 7 cm.  Half hour later I was pushing and 15 minutes after that
    Steven was born.  I did have an episiotomy and I did tear on top of
    that, but I could sit down without the help of anything that evening. 
    By the next day I felt awesome and was out Christmas shopping two days
    after I got home because I was bored stiff and felt great.
    
    So, the second was half the time of the first, but the labor was much
    more intense.  I think in was the same labor as the first just smashed
    into half the time.  Recovery on the other hand was a breeze.
    
    Good luck with your little ones!!!
    
    Andrea
    miute

    You guys do realize that I CANNOT next unseen through these stories,
    yet I'm reading them with terrified anticipation. I'm due in 8 weeks.
    Gee, two months sounds a lot longer than 8 weeks doesn't it?? 
    Apparently I'm going to live through this and as I keep
    reading....people go back for more????? I think I'll be sewing up that
    issue really soon after birth. I guess if I just relax and deal with
    the pain that is OBVIOUSLY going to accompany this birth, i'll be ok.
    I'm thinking I might just be able to handle this situation. Today I
    think this....May 14th I'm not so sure I'll have the same thoughts. 
    

    
    Don't we all just love to tell our stories, so here I go.
    Fast labors run in my family, but I didn't follow along on the
    first one, so I made up for it on the second.
    
    1st:  Anna was born 2 days before her due date. Woke up about
    2:30 with "diarreha cramps". After 2 trips to the bathroom (about
    15 minutes apart) I figured out what was happening. Couldn't sleep
    so sat up and read and timed the contractions. Very irregular in
    time and lenth. Spent the morning over the neighbors walking around
    her picnic table while she and my husband times the contractions. 
    Finally went to the hospital around 2pm. They would have sent me home
    but I was dehydrated and had a fever. Around 6:30 pm was only at 6cm
    so they broke my water. At 8:30pm I got 2mg of Stadol (a demoral type
    medication). I have not idea what went on the next two hours. I also
    have no idea how long I pushed. Anna was born at 12:29am. Total labor
    was 22 hours. I was never real sore, but was sluggish for a good 2-3
    days.
    
    2nd:  Lara was 2 weeks late. Had an internal at 4pm at the doctor's and
    was told if I didn't go on my own they would induce. I was already 4cm
    dialated. Woke up at 5:30am with those "diarreha cramps" again. This
    time I knew what was happening. Woke the husband and said we would have
    to go soon. Went to take a shower and was floored by a contraction.
    Skipped the shower, called the doctor, and then dropped Anna off at the
    babysitters around 6:30am. Got to the hospital at 6:50am. Probably had
    6 contractions between the car and the maternity ward. They checked me
    and I was only at 5cm. They had to wait for the doctor before they
    could give me anything. Doctor arrived at 7:30am and I begged for some
    drugs. Nope, I was at 9cm. Three pushes and one very bruised child
    emerged at 7:59am. Total labor 2.5 hours. 45 minutes later I walked to
    my room and thought about going home but Lara was pretty congested from
    the merconium. 
    
    Fast labor is real intense, but with no drugs, a full nights sleep, and
    not being exhausted by hours of labor it was definitely the better of
    the two labors. I am now labeled as having had dysfunctional labor and
    if I was to have another they would probably induce me.
    
    Patty

    Yes, we do love to share our stories; especially when they have happy
    endings!
    
    Length of Labor
    	1st Child - 5 hours
    	2nd Child - 3 hours
    
    Contraction spacing
    	1st Child - started at 3 minutes apart for 1 minute and quickly
    		    moved to 2 minutes apart for 30-45 seconds
    	2nd Child - about the same
    
    Length of time pushing
    	1st Child - 3-4 pushes
    	2nd Child - 2-3 pushes
    
    Medication requested/received
    	1st Child - requested anything; given nothing - things happened too
    		    quickly.
    	2nd Child - requested epidural; too late for that, but they did
    		    give me demoral (sp?), i think. (didn't really help
    		    with the pain, just my attitude changed. 
    
    Episiotomies
    	1st Child - none  (son was 8 lbs, 3 ozs)
    	2nd Child - none  (dauther was 7 lbs, 13 ozs)
    
    Emotional state
    	1st Child - scared, nevrous, tense; had to be given oxygen cuz I
    		    guess I didn't do the breathing very well.  ;-)
        2nd Child - now i knew WHY to be scared, nervous, tense (once the
    		    labor started.
    
    Recup time
    	1st Child - about ~2 months due to results of intense pushing (i
   		    wanted that kid out!)
        2nd Child - i could have gone home the next day
    
    Both kids were born 2 days early.  I definitely felt that once the
    labor started with my 2nd child that I was more scared because the
    whole laboring process came back to me - yikes!  I'm a wimp when it
    comes to pain.  I did find that I was more in touch with everything
    that was going on around me with my 2nd child than with my first.
    My doctor says I was made to have babies.  Don't know about that!
    I just think my higher power knows I'm a wimp.  ;-)
    
    Best wishes for a short, painless labor and a healthy baby!
    
    /Karen

    I followed the rule, as well.
    
    My first was born 15 days before her due date.  I had 6 hours of labor
    which included 1/2 hour of pushing (although I never felt the urge). 
    We left for the hospital pretty much right away as my contractions
    started out at 5 minutes apart and we live 1 hour from the hospital.
    The contractions were painful but bearable, although I did have a shot
    of numerphan and I felt pretty good after that.  Right after my
    daughter was born I felt so good that I told my husband that I'd do it
    again, anytime.  Although, for the next week my back hurt quite a bit
    from the intensity of the pushing.  The worst part of the recovery was
    from the episiotomy and I didn't learn about Milk of Magnesia until my
    2nd was born 8^)
    
    When daughter number 2 was born she was 6 days early, and I had a 3
    hour labor.  I spent an hour at home and then the same hour trip into
    the hospital. This labor was much more intense - she wanted out!
    First, I had multiple contractions, just when one contraction started
    to subside another would come, there wasn't much let up.  The nurse
    tried to convince me to wait a bit for a shot of numerphan but I
    wouldn't hear of it, I wanted it.  She had been gone all of 30 seconds
    when I had to send my husband after her, I know knew what the urge to
    push felt like.  This kid also felt like she was stretching out in
    order to make her way out, pressure in my chest as well as below.  Another
    episiotomy and 2 pushes later she was out.  Within 5 minutes I did
    start to get a migraine but that was because my blood pressure was 153/120 
    (normally it's 102/60) but as soon as it started to come down it went
    away.  I felt great almost right away.  It was a much easier
    recuperation than with my first.  
    
    Good luck to you.
    
    /Susan

Our first son was a normal birth, labor when from morning to 9pm.  He was
one week early.

Second one started mid-afternoon, and finished 5:30pm.  We didn't know if
it was time, so we went to the hospital with the firstborn in tow.  At one
point, I even said, "shouldn't I just drop him off with Uncle, and return?"
When they finally let me go, I was told not to hurry, have some dinner, etc.
45-60 minutes later, the nurses are frantic, "where WERE you?"  My wife
had been told not to wait for me, but she was stubborn.  15 minutes later,
second son comes out.  Our little cannon ball!  He was 1 1/2 weeks late.

I think 2nd babies are generally easier.  You know what to expect, in both
birth, and when you bring them home.  Of course, the 1st wants just a little
more attention that you think you can give...  ;-)

Charlie

    
    	Waaaah!
    
    	Where do I sign up ?  I'll be happy with less than 10 hours.
    
    	Really.  I'm not asking for much.
    
    

re .10:

    I hear ya.  We calculated that I had more labor time for my first child
    than my mom had for all 6 of hers combined (and I ended up with a C-section
    to boot).

		cheryl

    
    1st baby (boy): Labor pains (back labor) started at 9pm on Thursday
    and he was born 10:00pm Friday (2 hours before leap year).
    He was 14 days overdue.  He weighed 9lbs 15oz. and was 22 1/2 inches
    long.  They needed a vacuum extractor to get him out.  I had a
    much needed epidural.  I had an episiotomy and tore afterwards.
    I didn't leave the hospital until Monday nite (I lost a lot of blood
    and kept passing out).  The baby stayed in the hospital (advanced care
    nursery) until Wednesday afternoon.  It took me a good 2 weeks to
    re-cooperate.
    
    (My 2 children are 16 1/2 months apart.)
    
    2nd baby (boy):  He was 16 days overdue.  I went into the hospital
    at 7am and they started the pitocin at 9:00am.  Nothing was happening.
    They kept cranking up the doseage.  The dtr. said that if I don't start
    labor soon, I will have to be sent home and would have to come back
    the next day.  I said, 'In your dreams.  I'm not moving until this
    kid comes out!'.  So, he broke my water and they gave me the highest
    doseage of pitocin that they could.  I was so upset that I wasn't going
    into labor that I think I put myself into labor!  Hard labor started
    at 2pm and he was born at 5:54pm.  I did have an epidural but the
    baby came out 1/2 hour later.  If I knew that then I would have
    declined having the epidural.  The delivery was a breeze.  I didn't
    have an episiotomy but I did tear.  (I recovered much faster than
    with the 1st baby when they gave me an episiotomy)  
    He weighed in at 9lbs 11oz and was 22 inches long (I only gained
    16 lbs during my pregnancy so the dtr said these huge babies must
    be heriditary).  I had him on a Friday nite (5:54pm) and was home
    on Saturday nite vacuuming the living room.
    
    
    FWIW!

Hi Tracey!

My first labor was 4 hours. I figured I'd probably end up having my second baby
in the car on the way to the hospital, but I, too, was an exception to the
rule.

With my first, I decided to go to the hospital because I lost my plug and my 
OB told me to go to the hospital (no real contractions at that point). I was 
6 cm dilated when I got to the hospital so I couldn't have any medication, 
even if I wanted it.  Only pushed about 20 minutes.  Had an episiotomy and 
recovery took probably about a month.  I was probably more nervous the 1st
time around.

With my second, I went to the hospital late in the evening because again, 
I was told to - I had bad back pains all evening that wouldn't go away.  I 
don't know if it was labor or what.  At the hospital, we were told that I was 
probably in early labor.  I couldn't sleep because of the pain, so they gave 
me something for it, but I don't remember what.  That either slowed my labor, or
it prevented it from progressing, so they broke my water.  Nothing.  Then they 
put me on pitocin.  Arghh!!  Avoid that drug at all costs.  Sheer hell!  I was 
begging for an epidural and was told I could have one, but later told the only
anesthesiologist on duty was busy with a C-section delivery.  The actual birth
happened extremely quickly after I reached 10 cm dialation, (one or two pushes),
maybe 1 minute, but to get to that point took about 10 hrs. total.  Total
recovery time was much shorter with my second, less than a week, I think.

As for emotional state - there was the possibility that the baby was in
distress, or that something was wrong during my 2nd delivery, which didn't make
me any calmer.  Had it been a more normal birth, I think I would have been
more relaxed.

Good luck!

- Lori

    History of five labors:
    
    	1st - Born one day early 
    
    Labor was for 8 hours and the last hour I had a saddleblock and
    wasn't able to push so the nurse had to straddle my chest and push down
    on my stomach while the doctor used forceps to get her out - awful but
    I had her in Panama and they wanted her out now.  Stayed in the
    hospital for five days and had major headaches for six weeks.  This was
    twenty two years ago.
    
    	2nd - born four days late
    
    Labor was only 45 minutes but I was already 5cm dilated and totally
    effaced when I got to the hospital.  I was just having some pressure
    when I woke up and thought I should go in and have it check out.  She
    was born with only medication to numb me for the episiotomy(?).  Stayed
    in the hospital three days but could have gone home that day.  This was
    twenty years ago.
    
    	3rd - born four days late
    
    Labor was four hours, they broke my water at 4cm and she was born one
    hour after that.  Medication was the same as number two.  I wanted to
    go home that day with her but had to stay for two days.  This was 18
    years ago.
    
    
    	4th - born on her due date
    
    My water broke at 7:30 and labor did not start until around 3:00 in the
    afternoon.  She was born at 5:50.  Medication this time was nubane
    (ggod stuff).  This was six and a half years ago.
    
    	5th - born 11 days late and induced
    
    This was my only labor that was induced.  They started pitocin at
    9:00am but labor didn't start until around 2:30PM.  The contractions
    came fast and furious and he was born at 4:05PM.  If I had to have the
    contractions I was having for hours I would have gone insane, there was
    never any let up on them.  This was four and a half years ago.
    
    
    Good luck......Vickie