Births that are sprints rather than marathons: My precipitous (rapid) labor experiences - preparation and recovery
My firstborn a few days after he made his rapid entrance into the world
Above is a picture of my first son a few days after he’d made his rapid entrance into the world. When I woke up and my water broke the night he was born, I thought I had plenty of time before he would actually arrive. Things soon escalated dramatically, however, and I shifted to getting my things together in order to head the hospital. I was quite concerned, thinking that maybe the "natural" birth I had been aiming for wasn't for me if this was the kind of pain I was experiencing at the start! Little did I know then that it was not the start at all - but almost the end of the birth process and I would be holding my son in little over an hour.
Since then I have had another precipitous labor, otherwise known as an extremely rapid labor. I was a little more prepared the second time around, but even still, we only made it to the hospital with 20 minutes to spare!
I'd vaguely heard about precipitous or rapid births when I was pregnant with my first son, but I'd never really considered that it might happen to me. I assumed my labor would be on the longer side, and it would be more like a marathon rather than a 100 metre dash!
So, if you're pregnant for the first time, or have had a precipitous labor before, then don't freak out, read on, and let's get you prepared for all possibilities.
What is a precipitous labor?
Birth within 3 hours of the onset of regular contractions.
If you know anything about childbirth, you'll know that compared to the normal length of labour (up to around 30 h (or more) for a first-time mum, or up to 15h (or more) for subsequent births) this is really really fast!
It occurs quite rarely: most report that between 0.1% and 3% of births are precipitous (which is why I wasn't particularly concerned about it when I was pregnant with my first), but one group of scientists found that it occurred 14% of births that they studied.
Rapid labors are more likely to occur when:
Here’s a little chart I created, to put the length of a precipitous birth into perspective
It's not the mother's first birth.
You've already had a precipitous labor, which is why I thought it may happen with my second son (and it did).
The baby is smaller than average in size.
The mother has high blood pressure.
The mother has an abnormally "smooth" birth canal, resulting in less resistance (of course they don't (can't?) check for this during pregnancy, so there's no way of you knowing that).
The mother has abnormally strong uterine and abdominal contractions (again, isn’t routinely tested for and probably no way of knowing if this is what will happen during labor).
My precipitous birth stories and what you might be able to look out for
First baby (36 weeks and 2 days when he was born)
How was the pregnancy?
Completely normal, but apparently I had been having some "contractions" from about 33 weeks (they were not painful and I couldn't feel them; they were only detected once I started getting fetal non-stress tests from 30 weeks). The doctor had suggested that I take it easy (not bed-rest though) and take extra magnesium supplements.
The labor - a brief rundown
I had no idea when I woke up with a jolt of adrenaline at midnight that I would be holding my baby in just over 3 hours.
It felt like my whole belly jumped, and I woke up with the need to pee. On the way to the bathroom I felt a gush of liquid drop out of me and realised that my water had broken (through my pyjama pants and all over the bathroom floor).
I wasn't in any pain, so after a bit of umming and ahhing and googling, my husband and I decided to go back to sleep and maybe go to the hospital in the morning.
I tried to go back to sleep, but couldn't because I started feeling some period-type pains and was full of adrenaline.
By about 2 am we decided to get ready to go to the hospital.
That's when things really picked up rapidly - the mild pains turned into forceful contractions that were coming in quick succession. I tried timing them a bit, but they were occurring once every couple of minutes and I couldn't be distracted during them.
By the time we got to the hospital (around 2:40am), I was in so much pain that I had to keep stopping to sit on the benches that lined the corridors on the way to the maternity ward.
We got to the examination room, and I felt like I needed to pee so I tried to do that before the midwife checked me out.
As I sat on the toilet I felt the overwhelming urge to push my baby out (if you've had a natural birth before, you'll know this feeling, and you'll know that it's almost impossible to suppress it once you get the urge!).
The midwife examined me and confirmed that I was fully dilated and the baby would be arriving shortly.
Sure enough, after 3 pushes (with me positioned on all-fours) he arrived. A mere 3 hours and 17 minutes after my water broke, and probably less than 2 hours after regular painful contractions.
Were there any warning signs (earlier in the day)?
A slight amount of (pink) spotting mid-afternoon.
No pain.
An intuitive feeling that I needed to get things in order before the baby arrived.
Second baby (37 weeks and 2 days when he was born)
How was the pregnancy?
Completely normal. No issues except a small amount of cramping and spotting at around 10 weeks (it completely freaked me out at the time, but there were no issues in the end).
The labor - a brief rundown
Again, it was a middle of the night kind of deal.
I woke up at around 11:30 pm with some mild cramps down one side of my belly (again, nothing more than mild period pains).
You'd think that I would've been on high alert after my previous son's birth, but no, I still thought that they might just be gas pains.
I tossed and turned but couldn't get back to sleep.
At around 12:30 am, I got up and started timing the "pains" (AKA contractions).
I went to the toilet (and pooped, sorry TMI) (but my water didn't break then).
I continued timing - the "contractions" were getting more frequent (about once every 10 minutes).
I woke up my husband, we got our friend to come over (to look after our other son), and I gathered my things.
It started getting much more painful.
Contractions were now less than 5 minutes apart and were getting stronger.
My water started breaking on the toilet.
As we arrived at the hospital, my water "finished" breaking - yes, with a gush of liquid all over the Uber seat!
Once we reached the maternity ward (probably around 2:45am), I felt the urge to push.
My baby arrived at 3:02 am (this time, again around 2.5 h after the onset of regular painful contractions, and only 20 minutes after my water finished breaking).
Were there any warning signs (earlier in the day)?
No - I did mention to my husband that I felt a sort of heaviness in my belly, but I didn't really think that meant that baby would arrive that night!
Upsides to having a precipitous labor
Short labour = less pain?
“After I had my first son and explained my rapid birth story, another mother commented: “Wow sounds like an easy birth!” I took immediate offence to this - “easy” was not the right word. Quick? Yes. Unexpected? Yes. Scary? Also yes. Easy? No.”
I may not have felt them for such a long period of time, but I felt the full pain and force of every single contraction.
There was no slow build-up where I gradually realised I was in labor and that my baby would be coming. No contractions building in intensity. It went from a small amount of pain to excruciating pain within about half an hour in both cases. There was no time for pain relief, so I ended up having completely natural births.
Downsides to having a precipitous labor
For the baby:
There can be injury to the baby's head or brain due to the rapid transition through the birth canal.
Fast and strong contractions may reduce the baby's oxygen supply.
There is a risk of injury to the baby if they are pushed out too rapidly and unexpectedly and then fall to the floor (or toilet bowl).
Risk of delivery in an unsterile environment (such as inside a car or a bathroom, if you don't make it to the intended place of birth) might lead to infection.
A birthing environment that is too hot or cold (again, if it's not in the intended place) might cause the baby to experience hyperthermia or hypothermia.
For the mother:
A uterus that contracts with unusual vigour during the labor, can lack muscle tone afterwards which can lead to haemorrhaging (this happened to a certain extent with my second son - the doctors were worried that I was bleeding too much and that my uterus wasn't contracting in the way that it should after the birth).
Increased risk of vaginal wall tearing and laceration of the cervix and vagina (this happened with my first son - I ended up with a second degree tear).
Retention of placental fragments.
Risk of infection from an unsterilised form of delivery (if you don't make it to the intended place of birth).
Induction of fear and stress during labor. Things rapidly convert from relatively pain-free and manageable to extremely painful along with the overwhelming urge to push the baby out!
Deep emotional upheaval in the minutes, days, and months in the birth (more on this further on). This may not be easy for other mothers to understand if they haven't experienced a precipitous labor themselves.
How you can prepare for a precipitous labor
Although it is rare, if you are pregnant for the first time then you should keep in mind that it could happen to you, and consider preparing accordingly. If you have had a previous precipitous labor, then you should definitely be prepared for another one!
Basic preparations
Read up about the stages of labor and delivery and what you can expect at each stage. You may also consider attending a childbirth preparation class. The book The Birth Partner explains the birth process very nicely. Although it is called, The Birth Partner, I think this book is equally relevant for the mother herself. But of course, you can easily find information online or in any pregnancy book.
If you're not squeamish or easily scared, listen to or read about other people's birth stories (I liked listening to The Birth Hour Podcast. It's full of mother's telling their birth stories - all different types (from sprints to marathons and everything else in between, one mother per episode)
When you're nearing the end of your pregnancy, make sure you have a plan in place for how you're going to get to the hospital (day or night). And the quickest route depending on the time of day. I would also add that it’s important to not only know the route to the hospital, but also the route to the birthing ward (and know which entrances are open at which times).
Pack your hospital bag with you and take it with you wherever you go (within reason).
If you are ever alone, keep your phone with you.
Trust your instincts: if you think labor is happening, then time your contractions and if they start getting close head to the hospital without delay. If you're unsure, you can also call your hospital and ask them what they think.
Consider doing these extra preparations if you've had a previous precipitous labor
If it’s happened before then it’s likely to happen again (not always, but still - if you’ve had one before, get prepared for another!).
Towards the end of your pregnancy make sure you are never far from the hospital or your home.
Try not to go anywhere alone (within reason).
Keep your mobile (cell) phone within reach at all times (yes, take it with you to the toilet!).
Put together an emergency birth kit or labor pack and have that with you at all times. Essentially prepare for a home or on-the-road birth (let's hope it doesn't come to this, and I don't mean to scare anyone, but if you're prepared and you find yourself in that situation, then you'll be much better off).
You can make your own or you can buy pre-made ones (such as the one here).
I’ve made a pdf checklist of what to include in your emergency birth kit.
Surviving a precipitous labor
First, if you have any inkling that things are progressing quickly (your water breaks, your contractions seem to come out of nowhere and increase in pain and force very quickly) then get to the hospital.
Of course, as I've alluded to (especially if it's the first time) there's no real way of predicting whether you're going to have a precipitous labor. So, you need to trust your instincts!
If you need to: call an ambulance.
Breathe, breathe, breathe - this is much easier said than done, but try to stay calm or at least, try not to freak out! If you feel like your contractions are suddenly very forceful, then lean on your breathing techniques to get through them.
"If possible, lay down on your left side, lying on the left side increases the blood flow to your baby and can slow contractions."
Emotional recovery after precipitous labor
Of course there’s also the physical recovery that comes along with any birth - but more on that in another post.
After each of my precipitous labors (especially the first one) I think I was in a state of shock for quite a few days.
Due to the rapid nature of this type of labor, there is no time to process things as you go. I think I was in a kind of disbelief after my first son was born: I had gone from being pregnant to holding my baby so quickly and so suddenly, that for the first couple of days it was like it hadn't even happened.
I experienced a lot of things after my first birth that I think my rapid labor experience contributed to (at least in part):
Afterbirth flutterings and phantom kicks as if I was still pregnant
I had to remind myself to feed and look after my son because I'd barely registered that I was no longer pregnant
I couldn't sleep at all for the first 40 hours after the birth
I had hallucinatory nightmares imagining that I'd left him in a dangerous place (like on the edge of a couch)
The most important thing to do after your precipitous labor is to reflect on your experience in some way.
You can determine how best to do this. It may involve:
Communicating your birth experience in some way:
Perhaps privately (write, or make an audio or video recording of yourself).
But you could also share this experience: a trusted friend, or someone who has also been through a precipitous labor, or a psychologist.
Reading or listening to other women's precipitous labor stories.
Simply thinking through what happened and how it happened.
Letting your thoughts and emotions regarding the birth of your baby come out in some other way: movement, painting, poetry, music and so on.
You may want to do this over a period of time and in multiple ways.
I think, after getting through a precipitous labor, one of the central challenges is in dealing with the emotional upheaval. It is very common for women who have had precipitous births to feel alone in their experiences, and to wonder why they just don’t feel like it was the “easy” experience that other’s may imagine it to be.
I hope this article has provided some guidance on not only what to look out for, but also how to recover from this type of experience.
Tell me, if you’ve given birth before: was your labor a marathon or a sprint? Or something in between?
If you’ve had a precipitous labor before: how did you look after yourself in the recovery process?
If you’re pregnant for the first time: Have you considered the prospect of having a rapid birth?
Leave your comments below, I’d love to chat!
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