This may be a silly question and ive gone anon on it as i feel like i should know but..here goes anyway. When someone says there labour was eg 5 hours, when are they starting from??
My contractions started about 6 in the morn, then my waters broke at 8 that night, then it was full on from about 9 then i had bub at 5 the next morn, so my question again is, when do i start from??
Labour is described in different stages. When the first contractions start that is stage 1. When the cervics is fully dilated and it is time to push it is stage 2. Delivering the placenta is stage 3.
Medical staff time labour from the point when your contractions become 10 mins apart and last for about 20-30 seconds. There is the expectation that when you reach that point, you are about 5cm dilated.
Me,I time my labours from the point where I know it is the real thing. My contractions are regular and the only place I can be comfortably is the toilet! I've learned this over 4 labours already and am currently expecting my 5th baby anytime.
If your waters break and there are no contractions, they still don't consider you to be in labour as your waters can 'slow leak' for a few days prior to bubs arrival. I learnt that one the hard way with #4. If you have a flood break of the waters, then the midwife team usually likes you to go in straight away for monitoring and prevention of infection etc.
for me i had contractions and dialated for weeks with both so i didnt count that, i had my waters broken for me and when the contractions hit they were regular and ouchies straight away so i count it from then.
The four stages of the childbirth process are based on changes in the uterus and cervix as labor progresses. The beginning and end of each stage are described below:
First Stage of Labor
Begins at the onset of labor and ends when the cervix is 100 percent effaced and completely dilated to 10 centimeters.
Average length ranges for a first-time mother is from ten-to-fourteen hours and shorter for subsequent births.
Second Stage of Labor
Begins when the cervix is completely effaced and dilated and ends with the birth of the baby.
Average length for a first time mother ranges from 1 to-2 hours and shorter for subsequent births.
Third Stage of Labor
Begins with the birth of the baby and ends with the delivery of the placenta.
Average length for all vaginal deliveries ranges from five-to-fifteen minutes.
Fourth Stage of Labor
Begins with delivery of the placenta and ends one-to-two hours after delivery.
PLEASE NOTE THIS IS THE ANSWER GIVEN TO ME OFF A WEBSITE I USED WHEN I WAS PREGNANT THAT WAS SUGGESTED BY MY MIDWIFE
Good question. I have found that mums often time it from the first signs of labour, whereas midwives time it from what they call active labour - ie regular, increasing contractions. So that means for me, I would say my labour started 2am on a Friday morning, but it was irregular and at times stopped or slowed down. At 9am Saturday they put a drip in and it intensified everything. My daughter was born 7pm Saturday, so I would say I was in labour 40 hours, but the midwife would say from 9am Saturday (ie 10 hours). Hope that helps!
sadly it is such a broard term. generally you take it from stages. from memory there are 3 stages. stage one is the misalanius(sp) braxton hick and plug loss, stage 2 is dialation and stage 3 is pushing.
For me with my son (he was my natural one) stage 1 was 2-3 weeks stage 2 was 3-4 days and stage 3 was 15mins.
you can not take into account waters breaking as sometimes that just doesnt move things along. with my daughter my waters broke that night and I had to be induced as I wasnt dialating.
I think personally most people go from when they went into hospital or when they remember feel ing the contractions.
Any contributed content above is the subjective opinion of that member or external author, and not of Minti.com Pty Ltd. If you are searching for health related advice we strongly suggest you seek professional medical support. View our Terms of Service for more details.
