“Oh man, that’s great, I’m jealous”
“So lucky! My labor is 24 hours”
These are some of the responses I often hear when I mention precipitous birth, which is when the baby is born in less than 3 hours of labor.
It may sound like “living the dream” to not labor for so long, but many people who have experienced this type of labor often wish their labor had been longer! Why?
1. Emotional – it can be very overwhelming and shocking standing in the kitchen making a sandwich one minute, and pushing a baby the next. Having clearly defined stages of labor that build upon each other, helps you mentally prepare for labor. After all, actually having a baby was an abstract concept for the past 9 months…
2. Physical – the creation of a “textbook” is gradually developed over time. This helps you with endurance, as you produce more endorphins to help you cope with the contractions. When your uterus must have the power to expel a baby in a shorter period of time, the intensity of the contractions is greater. It’s like all the sensations of a 12-hour labor boiled down and concentrated in one hour.
3. Timing and location – A rapid birth can cause alarm and disorientation when you plan to give birth in a hospital or birth center, or you plan to give birth at home and your midwife does not arrive in time.
I actually published this post before on my Instagram, and received a lot of DMs from moms who went through a quick birth and ended up with pelvic floor issues, worse tearing, etc.
So what should you do if this happens?
You and your supporter should try to stay calm. If you feel the urge to push, don’t worry about your earlier plans to work from home for a while. Don’t worry about the 4-1-1 rule where your contractions must last at least an hour. If you feel like you need to push, it’s time to go! Head to the birth location, but also call 911 in case they need to meet you in the middle. Don’t go crazy. Either you go to the hospital, or first responders get to you. (We’d all rather drive the car yourself, than get into a car accident. ) And you’ll have wild stories for life! 😃
