36 hours in labor--is this normal?

[Deleted]

Feb 19, 2015 18:49:30 GMT Dawn R said:

I have heard many hospitals use the 12 or 24 hour rule but I think that is because you are in a hospital which is all germy and filled with bacteria and you have most likely had multiple intrusions by various people into your personal spaces. Birthing centers and home births generally allow more time.

Sorry to bump an old post.  Just weighing in as 4 time out-of-hospital birther.  Dpaddy is entirely correct.  Especially if she wasn't having any manual checks for dilation the risk of infection was really low.  Also - if she was at home, there's the fact that her body is used to her home space bacteria.  A birth center birth would likely have a shorter window than a home birth for time elapsed once the water is broken, but longer than a hospital setting.  I'm also thinking this was her first birth?  Usually subsequent labors are shorter - not always, but usually.

My first labor was more than 50 hours, but my water was broken less than 2 before DS9 was born.  Baby was in no distress the entire duration of labor - until the last 3 pushes.  Turns out he pinched the cord on the way out.  Most of you know the story.  Second labor was 5 hours, 3rd labor was 2.5 hrs, and 4th was around the 5 hr mark again - but he was BIG (10lbs 10oz).  All born at home...well, except for number 4 - born at the hotel (I wouldn't have made it home by the time we decided it was actually labor - AND we wouldn't have had a midwife as none of them would have made it - a MW friend was in the area near our hotel & made it just in time).  Again - most of you know that story.  He was a week late, to the day, and since I had absolutely NO signs of impending labor whatsoever said "Sure!  Let's go to the conference anyway, we can always come home.  So grateful we packed the birthing supplies "Just in case"  It actually was kind of nice.  Big breakfast bar downstairs, DH took the kids down every morning, brought food back up for me, we'd packed dinner stuff for the crock pot, and had lunchmeat for sandwiches.  All I had to do was snuggle in w/the baby. 

I sprung a small amniotic fluid leak a bit less than 2 weeks before #2 was born.  My midwife issued strict orders for me not to leave the house.  She wouldn't even let me come to her house for a prenatal visit (home office), but instead came to me.  Said I was under no circumstances to use a bathroom that wasn't my own.  She also had me taking garlic, echinacea, & C several times per day to boost my immune system.  When he was born she said that she hadn't wanted to tell me, but if I hadn't gone into labor that day she was going to suggest inducing. 

I remember the family dynamic you mentioned before - must've been weird getting only the snippets you did.