Pregnancy & Childbirth

» frida_swerdloff - very fast labor

Loved your post! I'm a student midwife (changing careers after moving to NZ) and am writing a paper of precipitous births. I have 3 kids, 18,16 and 6, and had 6hr, 1.5 hrs, and 53 minutes births respectively. I had my 3rd one at home with a midwife. I had advised her of my very fast #2 and mentioned that my mother and grandma had given birth fast as well. She was at my house less than 20 minutes after I called her.

I do find these incredibly fast births intense, but never having had any pharmacological help with the pain, they are certainly doable. I remember with the last one, sitting in a tub outside my house, looking at the stars and literally feeling my baby descending and opening me up. I think, my endorphine levels were high sky because I continued to feel euphoric for days afterwards. I did make it from the outside into the bedroom just as I started to want to push. It took two pushes for her to shoot out. The kid practically had skid marks!

I LOVE fast birth, both as a mother as well as a midwife. Its an incredible rush. There are dangers, for sure, but with a bit of planning for the unthinkable, they are also a joyous ride. I didn't feel tired, for example, since the whole thing took an hour from waking up to "baby is out", I felt exhilarated and wanted to celebrate.

My advice for a mom that is anticipating fast birth... Birth at home, its the safest place!

-- posted by frida_swerdloff