Childbirth

How Long Will Labor Last?

Every woman and every pregnancy is different. Answering this question can be very difficult with most women if this is their first child labor lasts around 12 to 24 hours and subsequent births are normally faster and labor lasts around 6 to 8 hours. However, remember these are only estimates and labor may be quite a bit shorter or longer depending on several factors.

There have been cases of women with their first child being in labor for days from the early stage of labor to the actual delivery. This does not mean that she had painful and unbearable contractions the entire time, but that her body was preparing for delivery and the contractions could have been as far apart as once per hour in the beginning.

Knowing when you are in labor is very important, but it does not mean you must rush to the hospital with the very first sign. Most women experience labor pains in their lower back when real labor starts. These contractions can be very mild at first and you will be able to go about your normal routine, as the contractions progress however, you will not be able to move or even talk very much. You should start timing when the contractions are this strong. Once they are around 5 minutes apart you should head to your birthing center.

Another sign is that you may feel your baby has dropped lower into your abdomen. You will have less pressure on your diaphragm and will be able to breathe easier.

The mucous plug may begin to release. Some women do not even notice this, however, quite a few do. It is just a plug that is in the opening of the cervix to protect the baby from infection during pregnancy, when labor begins the mucous plug begins to be released and your cervix begins to dilate.

As your cervix begins to dilate it will also thin called effacement, you will not be able to notice this. Your doctor can let you know if you have started effacement with an exam.

Another sign that a few women experience is what is commonly called nesting. This is when you begin to feel you have a great amount of energy and you must clean your entire home quickly. Many old wives tales concur this is a sign of labor when the mother to be starts cleaning her house top to bottom to be ready for her new baby.