WeMoms
12 Mar 2024

Giving birth: how long is labor?

Your waters broke, contractions are becoming regular and painful… Labor has begun! But how long will it last?

  • The average duration of labor for a first delivery is 12 hours, although it can last anywhere from 7 to 16 hours.
  • There are three phases of labor that vary in duration and intensity.
  • The latency phase is defined by contractions of low intensity every 5 to 30 minutes, lasting 30 to 45 seconds and ending when the cervix reaches 3 centimeters.
  • The active phase lasts from 3 to 6 hours, with longer and more painful contractions and a cervix that opens to 7 centimeters.
  • The transition phase lasts about 3 hours, with the cervix opening 1 centimeter every hour until reaching 10 centimeters, allowing the baby to come into the world.
M
Margo
16 Sep 2023

Has anyone had major diarrhea at 37 weeks and went into labor after? Every where I read it says it’s a sign of labor coming 24-48 hours?

4 comments
D
Danielle
yes i been having it for almost a week going on two but still pregnant 😩
16 Sep 2023

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M
Margo
How many weeks are you?
16 Sep 2023

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A
Alyssa
29 May 2023

15.5 hr after my membrane sweep i went into labor. after 14 hours of labor i started pushing and after 2 hours of pushing my son was born at 39weeks and 6 days 🫶🏼

4 comments
M
Mommato1
He’s so handsome 🤍 congratulations pretty you did amazing !!
29 May 2023

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H
Hannah
Oh my goodness so precious congratulations mama you did amazing ❤️
29 May 2023

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🎀
🎀✨𝒩𝒾𝓀𝓀𝒾
4 May 2023

Noah Scott Guller 💕 Born 05/03/23 6:19pm 7lbs 9oz 19.5in 24 hours of labor, 3 hours of hard labor & 15min of pushing. All that freaking out I did was absolutely for nothing, I’m in love with my boy 💕

12 comments
J
Jermerica
Congrats 💙
4 May 2023

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K
Kia
Congratulations ❤️
4 May 2023

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C
Chazcityy Lei
9 Apr 2023

52 hours of labor, 1 hour of pushing later, & here she is. Halo Lei Aurora Hi’ilani🌈

2 comments
C
Crystal
Congratulations
9 Apr 2023

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T
Tonya
Congratulations
9 Apr 2023

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L
Larissa
17 Mar 2023

My sweet girl decided to make today her day 💕 Harper Rae 6 lbs 3 oz 19 inches long 12:22 pm 03-16-23 10 hours of labor 😅❤️ 2 pushes 😍 Epidural of course 😰 Back Labor 🤬 39 weeks exactly 🥳

2 comments
M
Mc🌈👼🏽👶🏽🍼🤰♉👶🏽🤱🏼🩵🩷
Congratulations she's beautiful
17 Mar 2023

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S
Shaniyah
3 Nov 2022

Braxton Hicks contractions were in full affect early this morning around 4am. Boy were they painful and CLOSE!! Had a freakish amount of discharge and spotting earlier yesterday. This is NOT the duration of the contractions but it’s every time I got one. They continued until 6am but I gave up keeping track. 😩

11 comments
T
Tommy
This how I was last night
3 Nov 2022

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K
Kayyy
How you feeling now?
3 Nov 2022

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s
sarah
18 Jul 2022

Am so worried about labor. When I miscarried my twins last year, I went in labor for about 45-50 mins , does that make it difference when I have my baby in two months or I should expect 8-19 hrs of labor? Any body with the first experience labor? Am doing it naturally.

7 comments
R
Robin
I was in labor 12 hours with my son,
18 Jul 2022

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s
sarah
Oh my goodness .
18 Jul 2022

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T
Trinity
14 May 2022

After 17hrs of labor and around 30mins of pushing Baby boy made his arrival 5/12/22

8 comments
🎃
🎃👻Greycee🎃👻
Congratulations 🎉 he's perfect we'll done mommy 💙
14 May 2022

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R
Rene
Congratulations 🎉 👏
14 May 2022

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