Was your labor & delivery similar to your mother's?

[albuquerque]

I have almost 4 months to go, but I'm wondering if I can get any clues about what I can expect from L&D from my mother's experience. Do these things tend to run in families? Obviously if you and/or your mother had C sections, it's hard to compare, but in general, was your L&D experience similar to what your mother experienced? Or totally different?

[Sarah]

Totally different.

I was a very large overdue (42 weeks) baby, my mom was in labor for over 30 hours, and it ended in an unconscious "emergency" c section.

My labor was almost as long (28 hours) but my baby was born at 36 weeks, was small (6 lbs) and I had a vaginal birth.

But in both cases, our water broke before contrax started, which is relatively uncommon.

[IrishEyes]

Sort of, but not really.

I went into labor spontaneously on my due date, labored 12 hours (with 3 hours of pushing) nice 8 lb boy.

My mother was induced 15 days after her due date, labored 8 hours (with 1.5 hours of pushing) finally needed help with a forceps-like tool to get me out, a 6 lb 13 oz girl.

I guess the one thing in common is we had no problem progressing to 10cm on our own.

[LeighW]

Almost exactly the same. High blood pressure issues, large babies, water breaking before contractions began, failure to dilate, c-sections.

[bea_mama]

Completely different.

My mom had short labors and quick deliveries with all 4 of us. A few hours per child.

I had a very long labor and delivery with my DD (44 hours of labor).

Interesting, though, my older sister took after my mom - relatively quick labor/delivery with both of her boys.

ETA: Also, my mom and sister were both about a week early for their kids, I was a week late!

[Megande]

Completely different. I came on my due date and my mom was only in labor for about four hours total. I was an average sized 7 lb baby.

My baby was faced the wrong way, so I was in labor for 30 hours, pushed for 2 and a half hours, and finally had to have a c-section. My son was 9 lbs 9 ozs. The only similarity is that I gave birth on my due date as well.

[twinnyme]

Not at all similar. My mother had 3 vaginal deliveries and was never induced. I was induced and had a c-section.

[annielynn]

Not at all similar.

I was a 44 weeker. Mom was in labor for 7 hours, large baby, vaginal delivery.

Jack was a 39 weeker. Laborred for 16 hours, average size baby, c-section.

[Dreshny]

Nope.

My mom was in back labor for 36 hours (I was posterior), and had pitocin because she failed to progress. I was born at 42 weeks, and I was under 6 lbs.

My baby was born at 40 weeks exactly, he was a little over 7 lbs, and I was only in (painful) labor for 3 hours. My water broke 12 hours before he was born, but contractions didn't start until several hours later.

Only thing we had in common was that both births were vaginal and unmedicated.

[Abby'sMom]

L&D itself was very similar, yes, but my mom was three weeks early with each of my siblings and I; DD was 3 days early and only that via induction. (Though they said I would've gone that night anyway on my own - my water was leaking.)

[bamboo]

In some ways yes in some ways no. I was born ten days after my due date, while my daughter was born two weeks ahead of her due date. My mom didn't realize she was in labor until she got to the hospital and was told she was fully dilated, and her water broke after I was born. With my daughter, my water broke at the beginning of my labor, and I knew I was in labor the whole time.

The similarities were that we both were in labor a short time for first time moms, and neither of us experienced it as painful at all. My labor was more similar to her second labor experience with my sister- we both dilated very quickly towards the end (I went from 6cm to complete in about 15 minutes).

My midwives said that they see some connection between moms and daughters in how they labor, but there are a lot of other factors that can affect it.

[BTB]

My sister and I had labors very different from our mom's.

Despite a variety of circumstances - my sis, a healthy full-term baby, me, a preemie, and my brother, two weeks overdue in an older mother, my mom had fairly straightforward, average-length labors resulting in vaginal deliveries.

My sis and I both had l-o-n-g labors, I required Pitocin (it saved me from needing a c-section) but my sis had to go to section for failure to descend - no big surprise when her DD was 11 lbs, 4 oz (my DD was 6 lbs, 12 oz).

[solongtogo]

Can't speak for myself yet, but when my mother had both my sister and I, and when my sister had her two children, the labor lasted from 0-4 hours and delivery topped out at half an hour.

So far I'm following in my genetic footsteps of both my mom and sister by carrying small, so I'm hoping my L&D will be just as quick.

[taraw]

Yes, my pregnancy, labor and delivery were very similar to my mothers. My mom had very quick labors and fairly easy deliveries and so did I.

[albuquerque]

Thanks everybody for the responses. Looks like a lot of mixed answers. In some ways I'm hoping to avoid my mom's experience--she said the contractions were painful but nothing compared to the nausea which she said was more intense than she could ever have imagined nausea feeling, before or after, and since I was turned the wrong way they used forceps and she had some pretty hard core pain killers at the end that caused me not to breathe right away and her to be extremely groggy for the first 12 hours or so. On the other hand, she had a vaginal birth, so I hope that in that sense we'll be the same.

But it looks like even if there are some genetic predispositions, they aren't strong enough that you can really base any expectations on your mother's experience, right?

I'd still love to hear more stories, though!

[Lizzie Beth]

Ours were exactly the same, especially w/ regard to the onset of labor - same general symptoms, water broke the same way, similar laboring lengths, etc. Pregnancy symptoms and the way we carried were exactly the same. I think it does differ a bit at the point of medical intervention, because physician techniques were somewhat different in the 70's.

[moderngal]

mom and I had some differences, some similarities.
she had an easy pregnancy, but a long and traumatic delivery. I had a terrible pregnancy and an easy, but long delivery. But we both had big babies that love to sleep.

[Cohl]

Very much alike, down to the spacing of the contraxions. We both had quick, unmedicated deliveries with contactions right on top of each other.

[ButterflyJen]

The end result was very different, but in some ways, yes.

My mom had trouble dilating with me (her first) and they eventually had to knock her out and take me (though not C-section - forceps, I still don't get how that worked!). She made it past her due date, though, and I was kind of small (5 lbs, 13 oz).

With DD, I only made it to 38 weeks before they induced me. I did not dilate either. They finally had to do an emergency C-section (DD was not tolerating labor/the placenta wasn't handling it for her).

My mom's water broke on its own, mine did not.

[tray622]

Just like the pp's, my mom and I had simialr labors with different outcomes. We both had trouble dialating and for my my mom they did a c-section after 20 hours. I kept going and I delivered vaginally after 32 hours, although it was getting close to a c-section. When I was stalled for what seemed like the millionth time, the nurse even asked me how my moms labor was. I found that interesting. GOOD LUCK!

[KKay]

Not at all alike!

My mother had a very difficult labor and eventually had to have a C-section. Her experience traumatized her. She didn't want to have any other children after me. However, I think a lot of it had to do with how little communication there was between her and her doctor. He wasn't really interested in what she wanted from her birth experience. He was the doctor and she was the little women. :mad:

On the other hand, my L&D was relatively easy. I was in labor for 12 hours. My contractions weren't all that painful (more like really bad cramps). My doc listened to me and what I wanted. We were actually discussing world events and my DD nursery in between contractions! I pushed for about 30 minutes and had my DD in my arms. It actually wouldn't have been that long if the cord wasn't wrapped around her.

[miel]

Not at all...at least with me.

My mom is a childbirth champ. 4 babies. She just popped out the last 3.

I had a c-section and was induced. My mother was in labor for 3 days. She ridiculed me mercilessly for sleeping through labor because I got an epidural. Well, dang I had pitocin!

To be honest, it might have turned out the way I did--I was late and might have been in labor for a long time. But they just don't allow that anymore.

The last 3 for my mom were crazy fast. She was really in to natural childbirth thing. I said I wasn't going to do it to rebel but I honestly would have if I hadn't been induced.

[Winter Biscuit]

Not at all. My mom went into labor on her own and had 3 unmedicated vaginal births. I never went into labor, never dilated, never had a single contraction, etc. I had a scheduled c-section.

The only similarity is that I was late. My mom's original due date with me was December 18. I came on January 3.

My original due date for DD was December 6. She came on December 17. (I was hoping she'd come on Dec 18th because that's the day I was due :D - but we couldn't get a c-section scheduled that day.)

[Brady]

No. My mother was in labor over 24 hours with me (her first) and was 2 weeks early. With my younger brother she was 2 weeks late and ended up with a c-section.

I had my son vaginally after only about 4-5 hours of active labor and 2 hours of pushing, one day before my due date.

[twink]

Bumping for more stories.

[mamax2]

With my first DD, my labor was about as long as my Mom's, but much different. I think my Mom pushed for a really long time too and I only pushed for like 40 minutes. I ended up being a forceps delivery for my Mom (should have been a C-section though, but that's another story). My baby's delivery was unmedicated and pretty low intervention. My second baby was much shorter (6 hrs vs. 17 hrs).

[kat]

Well, my mother had six children and never had twins, and her kids were born in the 1950s (except me...I came much later), and so none of the deliveries were like mine. She was never induced (I was) and they didn't use epidurals in those days (she went sans drugs with baby #1 and mild pain meds for the rest).

One similarity to my birth: my DS (the first one born) was posterior, just like me. Unlike me, he turned as soon as he entered the pelvis.....I gave my mother a much more difficult time. :D

[cr8zyforaf]

Nope - very different from both my mom and sister. Both of them have extremely fast, painless labor - my mom said she didn't even know she was in labor with me and got to the hospital with barely enough time to change her clothes. My sister was the same way - her friend noticed her belly contracting but my sister said it just felt like gas pains...she got to the hospital, had to have her water broken (didn't have bloody show), got an epi and pushed for about 5 minutes. Also, for both of my mom's deliveries...they had to use forceps.

I on the other hand, had extremely painful contractions (ranging from 5 minutes apart to 12 minutes apart) for about 12 hours...finally went to the hospital after 12 hours even though the contractions were so far apart...was 4 cm dialated and the nurse made me walk around to keep things moving (I wanted an epidural but agreed to wait 30 minutes) - then my water broke and all he11 broke loose - contractions were PAINFUL and about 30-60 seconds apart...it took them over an hour to get me hooked up (had to do the IV)....after the epi, it took me 6 hours to get to the point that I could push..and I pushed for about 2.5-3 hours. DD came out after a very bad tear/cut due to the fact that the lost her heartbeat while they were trying to get her out of me without cutting.

My sister is due in August and the doctor told her based on her last delivery...the first sign of ANYTHING she needs to high tail it to the hospital.

[Winter Biscuit]

Nope. My mom had 3 vaginal births with no inductions or pain meds whatsoever. I had a c-section, and will most likely be having a repeat c/s with this next child.

The only similarity is my mom's EDD was December 18, and I didn't arrive until January 3. According to my mom's record, I was 16 days late. My DD was 11 days late, according to my medical record.

[meatpie]

Very much the same. For me.

My mom and I both had wonderful pregnancies first of all. No morning sickness, great energy, was walking through farmer's markets days before delivery, etc.

Labor was also very similar. Although I was induced, we both labored for 12 hours, I pushed out Jack in 25 minutes. With my mom's three kids:

No. 1. With my sister she labored for 12 hours, easy delivery
No. 2. My brother was HUGE, but six hour labor and short time pushing
No. 3. With me her water broke and I was born about 45 minutes later.

HOWEVER, my older sister has been completely different from us. Terribly sick for both pregnanices. Her first was 30 hours labor, a few HOURS pushing and she finally delivered with forceps. Second baby is due in September, but still same sickness and she's exhausted.

[Ole Miss Bride]

Dude, I wish. My mom had super-short labors with both me and my brother - like 5, 6 hours. She managed to push us both out with no problems, no meds - and my brother was breech and almost 10 pounds! The woman is out of control.

Anyway, my labor was approximately 337 years long, and it ended in a c-section because of a cord prolapse. Okay, so it was more like 37 hours, but still. I was all set to have this super-short labor just like my mom, but, um, no. Not so much.

-Betsy

[LILRTL]

Not even close. My mother's labor with my sister was 27 hours. With me, I was a c-section due to scar tissue. My labor was 5 hours 45 minutes.

[mel7dog]

My mom's first labor (with me) was 30+ hours and I was a few days past due. I labored for 40 hours before my c-section at 5 days past my EDD.

[neenbean]

I was born at HOME, vaginally, 43 weeks and 3 days gestation, weighing 7lbs, 8ozs after 36 hours of natural, unmedicated labor.

DD was born via c-section, 40 weeks and 3 days gestation, weighing 9lbs, 3 ozs after 60 hours of medically induced labor.

My hips have narrow placement for my build/bone structure and this seems to be the cause of my failure to progress (according to my new OB) and her reasoning for my repeat c-section planned for November.

[neenbean]

Dude, I wish.

I was all set to have this super-short labor just like my mom, but, um, no. Not so much.


COMPLETELY!!!!!!!

[Marie]

So my mom had a pretty short first labor - about 6 hours with 30 minutes of pushing - on her back with a spinal even! Discussing it with my doula last night she said we should really keep that in mind and watch how I'm progressing.

So for those who have been there...did your labor length mimic your mother's at all?

Thanks in advance!

[jdevaz]

Mine was eerily similar.
I was induced, but my mom went into labor naturally with me.
We both labored for about 12 hours - 2 hours of pushing and both ended up with emergency C-sections when the baby turned face down and we experienced horrible back labor.
My mother cried in the labor room because she said she felt as if she was reliving my birth.

[BethIrish]

I'm also really curious about this! And, if you don't mind me adding an additional question....Was your pregnancy as long/short as your Mom's pregnancy(ies)?

My Mom keeps telling me that neither she nor my Grandmother carried any of their babies the "full 9 months." Honestly, I'm chalking that up to the fact that they just didn't know as much as we do now. (I know about which day I O'd and also my first U/S showed the baby measuring a few days ahead.) But, it does have me kind of freaked out that I'll have a late October/early November baby!

[jdevaz]

I was born on my due date. My son came 5 days early (but I was induced).

[ajb524]

Very much the same.

The only difference is that I had DS a month early and I was born a week and a half late. We both had very similar labor's though. We both had very fast labor's. My mom didn't have any contractions before her water broke with me (neither did I or at least none that I recognized as being different from bh). She was actually at the doctor's office when her water broke and I was born within 5 hours. I beat my mom's record though. My water broke and DS was born 2 1/2 hours later :).

[cr8zyforaf]

Was your pregnancy as long/short as your Mom's pregnancy(ies)?

Nope here as well...both me and my sister were early by a few weeks. My sister was early with her daughter by 3 weeks and now they are telling her she will probably go early with her second (due August 5).

I delivered one day past my due date..and everyone kept telling me I wouldn't go full term..I did and those last few weeks were awful..I thought I would never pop that baby out.

[AlisonCO]

Was your pregnancy as long/short as your Mom's pregnancy(ies)?


I was 3 weeks late, my brother was 10 days late and my sister was about on time. My son was 1 week late and my daughter was 5 days late - so pretty similar.

Was your labor & delivery similar to your mother's

My mom had 3 c-sections because my brother and I were breech and they wouldn't do a vbac with my little sister. I had 2 vag deliveries, but DD was breech before we did the version so it almost ended in a c-section.

eta - one thing that was similar was how much weight my mom and I gained during pregnancy - ALOT! My mom was tiny before kids (105 pounds) and gained over 40 pounds with each of us. I gained 46 and 35 pounds with my kids, although I wasn't quite as small to begin with.

[kmmommy]

My L&D's have been completely different than my mom's.

She labored for 36 hours with me and got stuck at only 1 cm. She had to have a c-section. She also ended up with a c-section with my sister.

My labor with DS was 12 hours including 2.5 hours of pushing. My labor with DD was 3.5 hours with less than 1 minute of pushing.

[sem426]

very different here too.

mom's pg- I was 5 days early...my brother was several days early too....both born vaginally

For my pregnancy, I was induced at 41 weeks and ended up having DD via c/s

[albuquerque]

I started this thread months and months ago, and now I can come back and answer my own question!

Similarities:
--my mom and I both delivered vaginally, both had big babies (I was 8.5 lbs at birth, DD was 9 lbs even), both without any major complications
--both had relatively fast labors (my mom noticed she was in labor sometime after midnight and I was born at 11:30
--I was in labor for 6 hours before DD was born)
--Huuuuuuge episiotomies, which thankfully healed quickly without complications, in both cases

Differences:
--I am much bigger (taller and heavier) than my mom was. She was a green bean, about 5'4" and right around 100 lbs when she got pregnant with me. I'm 5'7" and I was more like 160 lbs before I got pregnant.
--my mom went into labor on her own, I was somewhere around a week overdue when I was born. With DD, I was induced, mostly due to the impatience of my doctor, at 2 days past my due date.
--my mom went essentially without drugs, except for a cervical block at the last minute because I was sunny side up and not coming out, and they needed to turn me. I was also born with forceps.
--In addition to my pitocin IV, I had an epidural. No forceps or vaccuums happily.

[Orange]

My mom and I had almost identical labor/deliveries:

For both, first baby was a full term girl. My mom had me in about 5 hours total. My DD was more like 11 hours, but that included 5 hours of pushing because she entered the birth canal in an odd way. I only had about 4 hours of active labor.

Second baby was a boy, 2 weeks early for both. 90 minute labor/delivery for both of us.

[linda_loo]

I was a week late, and was a twilight birth, she really doesn't know anything about it... so no chance on that being the same.

My first child was induced at 41 weeks (low AFI), just a couple hours of pitocin and pain-free.

My second child was induced at 41 weeks (low/no measurable AFI), 12 hours of pitocin and pain-full.

[MichelleRenee]

My mom and sister had almost identical L&D's for their first two children.

[solongtogo]

My pregnancy was exact opposite of both my sister and my mother, I was plagued by constant sickness the entire time, and they were not. Also they delivered their babies naturally, I had a csection due to breech baby.

[charissa]

I wish I knew... Mom barely remembers anything, the only thing we KNOW we had in common was that we both did it without the epidural, and bless her heart, she did it twice!

Both of our labors were pretty long, mine lasted nearly 12 hours at the hospital, but the pushing was about 15-20 mins. I think my Mom mentioned that her first (me) delivery was LOOONG, but the second (my sis) was short. So I guess I just got lucky. Both times she had an episiotomy, I on the other hand just ripped right in half (pushing wasn't for a long duration, so no stretching occured) - boo.

[Scooter]

I wish! My mom had easy pregnancies with no morning sickness, I was sick basically the whole time. She went into labor just before the due date, I was induced after the due date. She had a quick & easy labor with me, her first--4 or 5hrs after her water broke I was born. I was so ready for the same type of thing, but my labor was 12 days long and then 24 more hours of pitocin on top of that. Not exactly similar!!

[kimthebride]

My mom COMPLETELTY failed to mention to me that all 3 of her L&Ds were very fast.

So I had zero warning, and ended up having a L&D that lasted a total of 2 hours 45 minutes. Total. No time for drugs, I just made it to the hospital in time, and it was a little scary to have no warning that it would progress so quickly. I was a bit overwhelmed and shell-shocked.

My advice to preggos: ASK MOM ABOUT EVERYTHING L&D RELATED! :rolleyes:

[cartersmommy]

nothing like hers. at.all.

[hmbay]

DS#1--emergency c/s so doesn't count

DS#2--yes. her water broke so she went to the hospital and was having erratic contractions bouncing around for a few hours. They almost sent her home but then she went through transition and had me within under an hour. I think she said her whole labor was around 8 hours. With DS2 I also had the erratic bouncing around contractions (anywhere from 2-11 minutes between even up to transition), a transition of probably only 20 minutes and pushing for less than 10. All total it was under 9 hours of labor if you don't count the contractions and cramping about 30 hours before.

[jesvet]

No, thank goodness. She is the reason I was so scared of labor- she had severe morning sickness and back labor with both pregnancies, and I had neither.

[Sarah]

Nope. I was 10 days late when I was born. My kids were born at 36w1d and 39w3d. I was a c/s, both my kids were vaginal.

[elladee]

My brothers and I were all born around a week early. So was DD.

Other than that, my mother said she had very "average" labors and deliveries. Mine was super fast and easy.

[Soulmate]

Yes, but with different outcomes. My mom labored for 96 hours with my brother (her first) and he was taken with forceps when my mother was under general anesthetia (almost 40 years ago). This was due to her cervix not dialating. I labored for 22 hours and had a c-section due to my cervix not dialating beyond 9.5cm. My brother was late, DS was a few days early.

[Ferris]

Yes and No.

My mom dialated to 3cm 3 weeks early. I dialated to 2 cm 7 weeks early. We both had contractions for weeks (although I was given drugs to stop labor and but on bedrest, she was allowed to continue on as normal).

I delivered 3 weeks early, she delivered on her due date and 1 week late.

However, are actually labor was different. My water broke and I was given med to start contractions. Her water never broke and she labored for 2 hours with my sis and 1 with me. I labored for 6 hours.