# What is the usual protocol if you've had a previous precipitous birth?



## Hollin (Jun 26, 2005)

I just had my 2nd baby a few days ago and he was born at 37 weeks. I went from 4 cm with very mild contractions to holding baby in my arms in less than 90 minutes and I'm wondering if I'm now considered "high risk" or anything if I have more babies. I would worry that a midwife wouldn't make it on time, but then I'd worry that at a hospital they might want to induce me at 37 weeks which I wouldn't want either. Do they usually want to induce moms that have had a previous precipitous birth? A planned UC is not something I see myself doing. Just wondering what to expect if I ever decide to have another.


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## annekh23 (Nov 1, 2008)

I have had one precipitate birth, followed by a fairly fast one, but baby was malpositioned, so 4 hours total with over 2 hours of pushing due to an OP baby is indicitative of the likelyhood of future fast labours, first having been 90mins.

With my 2nd, born in the UK, I was planning an homebirth, midwife mentioned nothing about the speed of the first, but I did have to get checked out at the hospital and the midwife there did say "have you got an appointment to discuss induction", I asked why and she said because of your previous fast labour, I said I hadn't and wasn't interested, end of discussion.

This time I'm in the US, with midwives who work as a team of two, we've discussed that if it happens that the one that lives further away is oncall, that if there are any concerns at all about traffic or anything, that she'll call the other midwife. I figure if it's fast enough that the baby does get here before the midwife, then there also isn't that much chance things are going to go wrong, it's not quite the same as planning to UC, the midwife would get there pretty quickly afterwards and would be able to check us both over, deal with any bleeding etc.

I don't think a doctor would consider you high risk, they'd probably offer induction.


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## MegBoz (Jul 8, 2008)

Congrats!!
I have read on the boards before of docs wanting to induce for previous fast labor. I doubt they'd want to do it at 37 weeks though - particularly with that new research published a few weeks ago that states that every extra week is advantageous to the baby.

Since your baby wasn't premature, I don't think you'd be considered high-risk just for a fast labor.


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## happyCOmama (Jun 23, 2008)

I've had two quick births (4 hours for the first, 45 minutes for the second) and I'm pregnant with #3. We're planning to deliver at a nearby birthing center (20 minutes away) and I've come to terms with the thought that we might not make it. The midwives have equipped me with a basic birthing kit for my car and have assured me that usually very fast deliveries happen because everything is just fine.

I've also heard, though, that the third delivery can be totally different from the first two... so maybe I'll have a longer labor.

But there's never been any label of high risk.

HTH


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## FiveLittleMonkeys (Jan 21, 2009)

My last birth was less than an hour at 38 weeks. I am currently doing dual care with a hospital and a homebirth midwife (last was born at home) and at my last OB appointment, I was offered an induction at 37 weeks. We politely declined. I'm sure I'll get another offer of induction next week.









I'm hoping that soon I will be able to drop the dual care. We are prepared for the very real possibility that our midwife won't make it for the birth. We're kind of the mindset that if things are progressing that rapidly, that all is going well.


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## Rikki (Aug 7, 2002)

My labors have halved each other... I'm freaking out a little about this one, as it means it may be only 11 minutes.









My first was 8 hours. 2nd was 3.5 hours. 3rd was 1h23min. 4th was 45 min. 5th was 23 min. This was from 0cm-10cm and out.

None were induced due to precipitous labor, unfortunately. I had OBs who didn't believe that I had fast labors after baby #3. Now, luckily, I do... but even then, she's not going to push induction until 40 weeks, and that's only because I'm a T1 diabetic.

My 4th was induced for post-dates. My 5th was induced due to PIH at 32 weeks (she has Langerhans' Cell Histiocytosis, which causes the mom to get PIH early, so I don't count that one as a real induction...)

Since this OB is saying that she won't force induction until 40 weeks, I'm kinda planning an emergency UC, which is fine by me.


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## mommyfied (Jun 25, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *FiveLittleMonkeys*
We're kind of the mindset that if things are progressing that rapidly, that all is going well.

I feel this way too. I don't see what would make it high risk?? IMO adding induction is adding risk that wasn't there in the first place.

I don't dilate before I go into labor but it goes fast from there. I just had a planned homebirth and the MW arrived 10 min after the birth but I had prepared myself for the possibility. For me it was WAY better than stressing about getting to the hospital or delivering on the side of the road. My MW actually would have made it if she'd left the first time I called her but I think she was in denial because I was so calm. If I were planning a hospital birth I'd just head straight there on the first contraction and hopefully the stress of not wanting to birth in the car would keep my cervix from dilating. Home birth is easier so I'm definitely opting for it from here on out. And next time my MW will come the first time I call her.


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## wbg (Mar 28, 2008)

I think the protocol depends on the HCP. My first labour was 8 hours, 2nd, 4hrs, 3rd, 2 hours. OB wanted to induce so I switched to HB. Funnily enough, baby no 4 took around 5- 6 hours so I was expecting it to be much shorter but I had a slower start!


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## snowmom5 (May 8, 2008)

Dumb question: is the purpose of inducing only to prevent a situation in which you don't make it to the hospital in time?


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## annekh23 (Nov 1, 2008)

yup


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## Ruthla (Jun 2, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *snowmom5* 
Dumb question: is the purpose of inducing only to prevent a situation in which you don't make it to the hospital in time?









Yup!

To the OP: I've heard midwives say, to moms of prior fast labors "call me when you get a feeling that you might go into labor." Lots of moms get that "gut feeling" or *knowing* a few hours before the first contraction.


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## snowmom5 (May 8, 2008)

Thanks Ruth! Interestingly, I get a very physical feeling, last time it lasted about 36 hours before I went into labor, the time before that was only about 18 hours since it was following a membrane sweep. It's a very menstrual-crampy feeling (not contractions), sort of a burning low around the belly. I was so sure I was going into labor last time that I had the babysitter stay overnight. But I was the girl who cried wolf - it wasn't until the following night that I went into labor (and thus had to wake up the sitter in the middle of the night). People thought I was nuts when I told them I would be going into labor soon. But because I wasn't having regular, time-able contractions, the ob said to go ahead and continue my heparin shots. grrr. Maybe they'll believe me this time.


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## lisa_nc (Jul 25, 2008)

I would educate yourself and get an emergency birth kit just in case. I precip, but my midwife tells me she has never missed a placenta.


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## sdejje (Nov 26, 2008)

Yes, they will want to induce you. Don't fall for it. I had two fast labors (1 hr 15 minutes and just under 1 hr) so my midwives were freaking out that I wouldn't make it to the hospital on time and really pushed strongly for induction. I refused the induction for that reason, but ended up having my water break as I was walking into their office for my 41 week check up. They INSISTED on inducing me when I hadn't gone into labor within a few hours. The induced labor took eleven hours and was very hard on my baby.

I'm planning a home birth with a midwife who won't freak out if my water breaks this time, and if baby arrives before my midwife, we'll catch the baby. Like a pp stated, if all is going fast, it probably means that all is well.


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## devon (Jun 29, 2005)

I was offered an induction at 38.5 weeks with this baby. I couldn't believe it and was upset by it. I'm seeing a family practice dr as backup just in case (that's who said that if I was a normal, non HB patient they would offer the induction), but am planning a HB so it is not an issue.

My last was an unplanned HB because he came very quickly and it was fine. Scary at the time because we were not expecting it (first labor was 11 hours) and were at home alone. This time, I wouldn't be freaked because I know what to expect and what is happening.


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## pjs (Mar 30, 2005)

You'll possibly end up with an UNplanned UC. My 1st labor was 16 hours, my second 3 (we arrived at the birth center just in time for me to push him out 31 minutes later) and my last (an UNplanned UC, but planned hb) was 1.5 hours. DH caught the baby and my mw caught the placenta about 1/2 hr later.


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## storychick (Mar 14, 2006)

My MW just had me call her the instant I thought anything was happening. I was very glad to plan homebirths, though, because it was so much more relaxing to know that even if the midwife didn't make it, she was on her way, and we weren't scrambling trying to get anywhere. Much less panicky about the potential for an unplanned UC at home than in the car!

In the end, my third, which was the one we really worried about, we had more than enough time to get the kids out and the midwives in and even had a cup of tea together before baby. It was awesome.


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