Birth & Beginnings: childbirth conversations : Your labor was how long?

Birth & Beginnings: childbirth conversations

Hello mothers and mothers-to-be! This blog focuses on pregnancy, childbirth, children, and parenting. Along with providing helpful information and resources, it is also a place to discuss choices and trends in these areas. The blog will inform and encourage mothers as we share and learn from each other. It is not a place to say that one opinion is better than another; instead it is a forum for camaraderie and for sharing personal experiences. So feel free to read, respond, and absorb information on a daily basis as together we traverse this world of motherhood.

Laura Tolman, CCE, LSP

Laura Tolman is a local certified childbirth educator and labor support professional. She also works as a postpartum doula. She and her husband are long time Alaskans and are the parents and forming relationships with families while learning about other cultures. In her free time Laura enjoys writing freelance articles, poetry, and the performing arts. Her favorite pastime is being with family and coaxing uproarious laughter out of her young son.

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Your labor was how long?

Posted by mamas

Posted: April 2, 2009 - 11:34 pm

Comments (0) |

There is no telling how long it will be. As a doula, I have attended births lasting only an hour all the way through to 40 plus hours. Of course it is next to impossible for many woman to know exactly when they went into labor because the contractions kept coming on and off and eventually stayed steady. I have even known of some women who simply wake up and they were having their baby, without labor.

Every woman is different and each body is different. Since labor is thought to start when a change in hormones occurs, it can be difficult to peg down the exact start time. The most difficult concern that the laboring mom faces, is the question of "how long will it take"? The best advice that I can offer is to not think that way if possible. When you find yourself thinking that, change to "just stay in this moment". If you lose your concept of time and hide the clocks, it may help as well.

However, if it has been a long labor, it is important to rest as much as possible. Don't over expend yourself. Relaxation is key to a much easier labor. In my own experience, I had a full day of labor with my son at 12 hours, and only 3 hours with my daughter. So there is quite a difference from birth to birth typically. But there are women who seem to have births that follow similar sequence of events and timelines. Overall, it is best to simply take it moment by moment as it will not last forever.

How long was your labor or your family members' labor?

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