How long were you in labor with your first baby?

[K1990]

So my best friend in 22 weeks pregnant and due in the middle of Feburary but wants me to be there for the birth.  I live 45 minutes to an hour away depending on traffic.  How long did you labor with your first baby?  I don't want to miss it and she is worried I might.  If I am at work it maybe closer to 2 hours since I will have to have the parent of the kids I'm watching come home from work so I can leave.  Was your first labor fast?

[njrohe]

Hahaha!! Don't worry.  You won't miss it.  The average 1st labor is about 14 hours.  A fast first labor is about 7 hours.  There are a lucky few that can pop a baby out in 3 hours or less, but that is very very rare.

If you count from my first contraction, my labor lasted 26 hours.  If you cound only active labor, it was about 19 hours.

[K1990]

Wow. Okay so I should be able to make it in plenty of time. lol

[ashiepooh]

So for me, I'm a rare person that njrohe is talking about LOL...From my first contraction, which is actually when my water broke 36 MINUTES!  LOL  No joke either, barely made it to the hospital, but that's me.  I've only met two other who were anywhere close to me and thats at 1 hour 30 minutes.


But after that it was a 20 minute one for my son, and this one i'm expected to go under 10...  :)  

I don't think you'll miss it though!  I actually think the average first labor is 5 hours.  But everyone is different!

[ashiepooh]

It really depends on how close and intense her contractions are when it starts!

[Linzola1]

I was induced so from my fiest contraction 36 hours! You should be fine unless she can pop the baby out like ashiepooh. (BTW I totally envy the fact that you did that!hehe

[ashiepooh]

Linzola1~ I really thought it would have been like 5 hours or so, my sister was 10 hours...Ahaha and my dad told me that my brothers, sister and I were 36-48 hours.  Oh yeah I was the 48 hours one!!!  :)  

[rachie204]

i went very fast with my first, my contractions started at 7:00 one minute apart and I delivered my 9lb 4.8oz son 4 hours later....but most women are in labor much longer than that.  There is a good chance you will make it in plenty of time.

[abbysmommy4]

My first was pretty quick, my water broke but labor wouldn't start so the induced me and maybe 3 hours later I had him.  Again, everyone is different.  You never can tell.

[CYW]

i was induced so it was planned..kinda a good thing...didnt have to worry about my parents not making it in time etc and whatnot.. i was really glad my mom was there..she knew exactly what was going on and thought i handled it very well...dr broke my water at 1230ishpm...i walked and nothing happened...i was put on pitocin at 4ishpm...830 the epidural was being done, 9:05 or so it was working..i slept for a lil...30 mins at the most where the pressure got intense..the nurse didnt want to check me.. finally at 11pm she went to do a catheter and couldnt, she got another nurse and the nurse asked if she had checked me.. i went from 3cm 75% at 9 to 10cm 100% effaced in 2 hours... i figure i was fully dilated prior but she insisted on me not having dilated...i was 2cm for about 3 weeks prior to the baby..1120pm i was asked to give small pushes to crown the baby..1140 we went to the delivery room and 1146pm he was born...so...technically it took me 7h46mins...my mom had her first contraction at 315pm and 9:03 pm i was born...

[kjbutcher]

I knew I was in labor 27 hrs before the baby was born.  If I really wanted someone there who I knew may miss it I would have probably let them know about 9 hrs before birth which is when I knew it was a definate that it was it.  I did wait too long to go to the hospital so by the time I called people and went myself, everyone got there about 15 mins after he was born.  I left immediately after the call and they all got dressed, took showers...  so My son was born right after I got to the hospital, so everyone was late.  I wanted none of them in the room with me, and they were all there by the time we were ready to see them.  So basically, if she calls you at the first sign of labor to give you the heads up and then again as it gets more painful you should be just fine.  I would said the docs want you at the hospital at 5 mins apart 1 min long and for 1 hr, so I would say maybe at 8 mins apart she should call you and you should be able to make it there just as she is ready to leave for the hospital.  Even if she calls you when they hit 5 mins apart and 1 minute long she still has 1 hr she has to wait at home before she can even leave for the hospital.  Then once she leaves it will take at least one hr to get there, check in, and get to her room, so I dont think you will miss a thing.  When people say they are late to the hospital, it is not because they have no warning.  It is just because they wait too long.  She will have plenty of warnings and I am sure she will give you plenty of time to get there.  I would tell her not to worry!  Enjoy the experience!

[lamb18]

My labor from the time of induction at 6 am lasted until 8:37pm. My water was broken at around 8:30am and about an hour after that, I got hit hard with contractions. So, about 13.5 hours from the time of induction and about 11 hours with painful contractions.

[baby796607]

i was in labor around 8hrs before my son was born.. i was induced at 730, they broke my water 745 and started the pitocin.. i got my FIRST epidural at 905 ha, im a wimp.. was complete by 1.. but he was turned the wrong way and and did not want to move at all.. and was born at 343

[casandbaby]

I was in labor for 45 hours, he was a stubborn baby LoL he was ten days late and the pitosin didn't work quite the way they wanted. I'm sure you'll make it in time =]

[baby_edgar]

my contractions started on the monday at about 9:30am, they were 10mins apart but only lasting 20 - 30 seconds. they stoped that night at 9:30am and my water broke at 5am on the tuesday morning. my contractions started up again and by 1:30pm they were lasting 1 1/2 minutes and has between a minute or 2 between them. i didnt have my daughter until 5:13am on wednesday morning!

[NicMom]

5 hours for me, the nurse only gave me the epi because they wanted me to shut up because it was the middle of the night. Soon as I had it I started pushing. I guess everyone has their own story I don't know that you could promise to be there 100% unless you lived next door.
To put your friend at ease I would tell her that you will be there. I just hope for your sake she doesn't have multiple false alarms at odd hours that send you racing to the hospital (I know we had 3 ;-) )

[aliciaandtrue]

15 and a half hours til they finally did a C-Section and my son weighed 9LBS 12OZ thanks god for a C-Section.

[asher01]

with my first my son.. i was expecting an all day thing... well they broke my water at 11 am and started pitocin. i got an epideral around 1pm. i was 5 cm at that time and i fell asleep. my mom and fiance went down to get food at the cafeteria and they woke me up to check me and i was 10 cm within 15 mins of them leaving the room. i had to keep calling them cause i was so scared they were gonna miss it. they came in and i was pushing already. he was born at 2:49pm. same thing happened with my daughter. she was born in less than 3 hours. but thank god my water didn't break at home either time. i was induced both times. i had an hour drive to the hospital too so thats the scary part.

[darcy92681]

Then I guess I'm the true exception :) I was induced and my daughter was born in 8 minutes. No word of a lie. My doctor's to this day still can't believe it!
However after the hellish pregnancy I had God had mercy on my delievery. :)

[ashiepooh]

Why were you induce DARCY?  sorry bout the caos there...  Mine was 36 mins from time when waterbroke and first contraction just after, but what was going on in your pregnancy to be induced?

[justice6920]

I was induced with my first and got to the hospital about 8am and they hooked me up to an iv with pitocin and this was doing absolutely nothing LOL we were playing card games...... the dr broke my water at 3pm and i had my little girl at 5:34pm...... so my labor was actually 2 1/2 hours with my first

[holspowell]

12 hours with my first, then delivered by Emergency C-section

[JoyRenee]

Unless she labors mostly at home, you should get there in plenty of time. There are women who do have their babies FAST and others who are waiting for hours and hours.

Be prepared to wait with her for hours, even through the night. Bring a book, magazines, journal, something to do! Because if she gets drugs she will probably sleep through a lot of the labor and you might get bored. Bring yourself some snacks, too, but for heaven's sake, don't eat them in front of her! She probably won't get to eat anything for HOURS.

[GRose]

From the first contraction my labor was 51 hours, from the time my water broke labor was still another 26 hours. You should be fine.

Joy is right DO NOT EAT IN FRONT OF HER. My mom and sister brought Mc Donalds and fresh popped pop corn into the delivery room, I could have killed them. All I was allowed was ice chips.
My family brought movies for us to watch but half the time I was telling them to turn it down because the noise was bugging me.

[darcy92681]

I was induced 8 weeks early because I had diabetes, preclampsia, and toxemia. My blood pressure was so high they were afraid of seizures. It wasn't pleasant, but God brought me a beautiful baby girl to love.
Baylee was born 8 minutes after induction. My water broke shortly after the pitocin was administered. Everything happened after induction. And to be honest I don't think I ever had a contraction. I just had alot of pressure in my bum. :) The anistegiologist showed up 45 minutes after she was born. A bit to late. Lucky for him I had very little pain.