What is going on with these marathon length births??

[picklepizzas]

Kennedy Morton just had her first baby...after 62 hours of labor (followed of course by medical intervention). What is going on with this crazy pattern for first time births with the fundies lately? When I read about Jill's labor I was shocked; I was dumbfounded to see Jessa follow in her footsteps a few months later. And now this?! (Wasnt Katie Mortons first labor also ridiculously long?) so to those who have had babies...is this in any way normal? Or safe? I'm having a hard time believing any midwife or Doctor would condone two-day-plus labors!

 

[Anonymousguest]

It's normal, and safe. Many hospital inductions take 2 days, I was in induced labor with my first for 50 some hours, ending in c/s. Pre, or prodromal labor can last for days. Many women start counting"labor" when they have the first contraction, but it's often not active labor yet. True active labor for days could be stressful for both mom and baby, and most Dr's wouldn't let it go that long if there was no progress. 

[Fundie Bunny]

Well, I doubt it is that uncommon. A not so close relative had a baby after 70 hours of active labor. I don't know if it was an induction, but I know it ended up with a vaginal birth. The child is quite fine and a couple of years old (or more,  i'm not even sure if I remember with kid is it) 

[DaisyD]

My first pregnancy I was in latent labor (contractions every 20 minutes with very little progress) for almost a week. I ended up being induced with both of mine. The first because a week is a long time even at 20 minutes in between and the second because my blood pressure was trying to become a problem. Once I was actually induced it was about 8 hours before I was pushing. I know sometimes babies come fast (my sil had one) but it's not like on TV. 

[akinom]

Yeah, the first stages of labour can last for days. There are limits to how long you should wait after the water breaks, but if the baby is monitored even active labour can be allowed to last surprisingly long.

[PsyD2013]

IIRC, from during Katie's first very long labor "Daddy" (not Katie Morton's husband) prayed for guidance on what should be done for Katie.  Thankfully the Lord moved Kennedy's headship to seek medical intervention for her.  I am truly surprised there is not a higher rate of infant/mother  mortality among fundies.  I know that birth is a natural process and home births can be safe, but so much can go wrong for both mom and baby.. 

[Funwithfundies]

I was induced with my first baby; he was born forty hours later, via emergency c-section.  Long labor followed by a c-section is incredibly draining - hope she's doing OK.

[fundiefan]

I know nothing about labor since I've never had a baby. But I can guarantee you, I would have no qualms about  a c-section long before 62 hours have passed. I hold no ideals about what labor or birth should be and I also would not go through hell for any reason or natural birth or ideals or anything else. Women have been having babies since the dawn of time, and they've suffered and died and had ideals to fulfill about birth. Of course, many have been just fine after lengthy labor; that's not my point. My point is, I don't have any interest in pain and exhaustion for days for any reason when there are alternatives I believe to be absolutely acceptable. 

[HermioneSparrow]

54 minutes ago, fundiefan said:

I know nothing about labor since I've never had a baby. But I can guarantee you, I would have no qualms about  a c-section long before 62 hours have passed. I hold no ideals about what labor or birth should be and I also would not go through hell for any reason or natural birth or ideals or anything else. Women have been having babies since the dawn of time, and they've suffered and died and had ideals to fulfill about birth. Of course, many have been just fine after lengthy labor; that's not my point. My point is, I don't have any interest in pain and exhaustion for days for any reason when there are alternatives I believe to be absolutely acceptable. 

I agree. I know fundies only purpose is to go natural and suffer cause the bible says so and they're godly mommies and wives but surprisingly there's a lot of judgement coming from the rest of the world. Vaginal births without painkillers and no c-sections are more accepted which is ridiculous cause women should do whatever the heck they want as long as they're properly monitored by a medical staff. My mum (Chief of nurses at her hospital) always says to me that it baffles her how many women choose to suffer instead of going for the painless or quicker labor choices since we are so advanced on technology and medical care, vaginal births with painkillers and c-sections are perfectly safe choices. And if I ever have a kid I will definitely do that, I'm not suffering... Sorry but we're not in the middle ages. Of course if someone wants to go natural, go for it. Choosing what you want when you're having a child is OKAY, scheduled c-sections, vaginal births, painkillers or not... As long as it is monitored by a medical staff, It's okay! 

[elliha]

My sister had two days of painful labor at home before going to the hospital and more or less beg to be admitted. It still took another 24 hours for her baby to be born so this could be completely normal. 

I think that one should do what suits that person when it comes to giving birth but it is good to have at least some kind of idea of what you should do if option number 1 does not work. For example, I have several friends who have wanted a vaginal birth and either wanted to not use painkillers and needed to but also the other way around, that their labor were too fast to get much painkillers or the epidural didn't work. I also have a friend who had a planned c-section and went into labor at the same time as a big traffic accident and there were no operating theaters available so she had to give birth vaginally despite having two traumatic previous births. We only have one hospital in our town and the next one was too far away to safely transfer my friend. Her third birth thankfully turned out to be perfectly normal and she said it turned out to be healing instead of terrifying.

[fundiefan]

It is absolutely a choice, but I think in too many cases choices are made for non-reasons. There is no ideal; there is no 'godly' way, right way, best way, etc.

We've evolved far past the times of letting nature take its course 'no matter what'. Technology, medicine, knowledge and experience are all there for the ultimate goal of safe deliveries. Shunning it all for some idealized reason just seems dangerous to me. Of course, if that's what you choose, more power to you and I would never say it's wrong. I just say that it boggles my mind and is not something I would ever do.

 

[polecat]

Labor can definitely take a while. I was induced and went from not quite a cm. to 10 in eight hours, and the doctor and nurses were all thoroughly impressed (they were also thoroughly impressed with my four hours of pushing, but that's another story). My mom had fast natural labor (precipitous labor, I believe hers was called, because hers was SO fast). I've heard of the first stage of labor lasting for several days. Now, once the water has broken, doctors don't usually want to wait too long to deliver. I have one friend who went 48 hous with a broken amniotic sac, and she was by far the exception (she did end up delivering naturally and to a healthy baby). 

[nickelodeon]

I think a lot of these people mark the start of labor at the last Mexican dish they eat before giving birth, which gives an inflated sense of how long they're actually laboring.

[smittykins]

I never had kids myself; had I ever gotten pregnant, I would've been high risk six ways from Sunday and most likely needed a C-section.  I have the utmost respect for women who have done it naturally, but I don't do pain well AT ALL(I literally almost passed out getting my ears pierced).

I'm reminded of the Jeff Foxworthy talking about his wife's labor with their first child "Honey, I don't remember them bringing the Jaws of Life in..."

[RosyDaisy]

My sister wanted and got a regular OB visits, hospital birth with epidural. When confronted by natural childbirth and midwife advocates, she told them to fuck off.

[feministxtian]

I'm firmly in the no painkillers camp when it comes to childbirth...BUT...my longest labor was about 8 hours (from water breaking w/o contractions to birth) and my shortest active labor was 94 minutes. My babies were all born during the "natural childbirth" era (1980's). 

HOWEVER...over 24 hours of labor of any sort would have sent me looking for the nearest epidural. 

[Dandruff]

Who knows what some of these fundie moms would choose if they weren't in total submission to their husbands.  I think the biblical statement that women's pain in labor would be increased is often taken as a directive to not allow pain relief.  Priscilla Waller's video about her 26 hour home labor with 10+ lb, first child, Paul had me staring at the screen bug-eyed.  In contrast, and apparently an exception, was Whitney Bates' hospital birth of Bradley with epidural.  I'm guessing the same was done for Kaci.  IIRC, Zach didn't want to see her suffering unnecessarily (I hope his parents weren't trying to discourage it).  Such a normal caring reaction from a husband...and I'm sure it invited some criticism.

[LittleSpouseOnThePrairie]

I am having a baby at the end of October, and still really struggling on epidural or not. I'm not afraid of needles or anything regarding that, but my biggest fear is it slowing down my labor, and also the horrific headache it can cause. I hate headaches so I'd rather do labor without pain management than push with a splitting headache that can potentially last a couple days. Has anyone else heard about the epidural headache? Maybe I'm overly paranoid?

[SolomonFundy]

Long labors aren't uncommon at all, and in the case of first-time mothers, they can go even longer. You may have a case of observational bias. That, and people tend to comment on unusually long or fast births when posting about a new baby, but don't specify when the labor was "normal" by their standards. There are a lot of birth announcements and stories that don't include delivery time details, or where the only remarks amount to "things went smoothly", which could mean just about anything. 

I think that some women (in and out of fundy circles) participate in a certain degree of bragging about the length of time spent in labor. Since suffering is biblically encouraged, a long and painful labor is seen as a sign of Godliness.

In Kennedy's case, my heart broke a little. She announced her pregnancy something like 52 days after their wedding, and registered for a book set titled "How to Make A Baby", or something similar. Her innocence and naivety on what pregnancy and childbirth really meant was probably shattered yesterday. The comment on instagram about her emotional and physical exhaustion was telling.  Katie's first birth was probably even more traumatic, and the most she ever said about it (in the infamous post-birth video) was that she just did what God designed her to do.  I have to say, I'm extremely happy to see that so many of the women in the family have posted comments about how proud they are of her, and how brave she is. Not a back-handed remark about "real" childbirth anywhere. 

[1CrazyMama]

I was induced with my first and got an epidural after about 4 hours. I immediately dilated more (for many women, being able to relax actually helps the process move faster) and had no headache. I ended up with a c-section due to heart rate issues, and 3 total c sections and a hysterectomy, all with epidural, and I have never had an epidural headache and I am prone to migraines.

[Coconut Flan]

47 minutes ago, Dandruff said:

IIRC, Zach didn't want to see her suffering unnecessarily (I hope his parents weren't trying to discourage it). 

Whitney was shown talking to Kelly about the epidural and Kelly assured her that it was fine to get one and something like she wished she'd begun getting epidurals sooner.  Gil and Kelly seem to have no problem with pain relief in labor.  Erin planned to get an epidural but her rapid labor didn't allow it. 

[DaisyD]

24 minutes ago, LittleSpouseOnThePrairie said:

I am having a baby at the end of October, and still really struggling on epidural or not. I'm not afraid of needles or anything regarding that, but my biggest fear is it slowing down my labor, and also the horrific headache it can cause. I hate headaches so I'd rather do labor without pain management than push with a splitting headache that can potentially last a couple days. Has anyone else heard about the epidural headache? Maybe I'm overly paranoid?

Everyone's experience is different, but I will tell you mine. I had an epidural with both of my labors and one of my deliveries.

For my first I wanted the anesthesiologist to meet me in my room. I had no interest in feeling it at all. I started on it in the morning and even had to get a second dose before they shut it off for pushing. I don't believe that it slowed down my labor at all. I had been stuck for a week already and as soon as they broke my water the boy's head finally made contact with my cervix and got the show going.

With my second I wanted to try to do it without. It had been a much easier pregnancy so I had the energy to try. My doctor induced me in the morning with gel (my blood pressure had been steadily rising for several weeks) and I was able to walk around and go to the bathroom and whatnot. When I wasn't progressing the way she wanted she said it was time for Pitocin. I was NOT going to do that stuff without an epidural so I got one. This time I begged my nurse to leave it on while I pushed and it was a much more pleasant experience all around. I was perfectly able to push my daughter out. I even pushed harder with her because I was more engaged in what was going on instead of blind with pain.

Both deliveries took about the same amount of time even though the epidural were different. I didn't get a headache either. As with any procedure there are risks. You have to decide if those risks are worth it.

PS. I was very adamant that a c-section be an absolute last resort both times. It wasn't because of any ideals. I could not imagine trying to figure out how to care for a newborn while also recovering from major surgery. My ultimate respect to those women that make it through that.

[Escapefromfundiedom]

1 hour ago, LittleSpouseOnThePrairie said:

I am having a baby at the end of October, and still really struggling on epidural or not. I'm not afraid of needles or anything regarding that, but my biggest fear is it slowing down my labor, and also the horrific headache it can cause. I hate headaches so I'd rather do labor without pain management than push with a splitting headache that can potentially last a couple days. Has anyone else heard about the epidural headache? Maybe I'm overly paranoid?

Epidural headaches are a very real thing. I worked in a large obstetrics practice before my kids were born and it was definitely something moms complained of (that hospital had a 95% epidural rate for vaginal deliveries). Not everyone...not even a majority, but it does happen. I believe it's related to the injection causing CSF to leak, reducing pressure around the brain.

Standard disclaimer: YMMV - opinions below based off of my personal experience with birth.

I've had four kids and opted against pain meds in all but my first birth and I have never had an epidural. First birth I had a dose of a drug called fentanyl, which helped (boy was I relaxed!!) but also sucked (I could still feel pain...and my daughter was delivered shortly after, high as a kite). My labors were 13, 12, 3 and 4-5 hrs respectively. But my mom had very long labors with her first three and my sister also had lengthy labors with her two kids. It's not uncommon.

Do your research and figure out what's best for you, your partner and what you want out of your birth. Obviously, things happen and you should not get too attached to a birth "plan" - but if you are considering a drug free birth (or decide you really want it), I would encourage you to carefully frame the way you think about the labor process, so you don't see yourself as "suffering." There are no medals for doing it without drugs, but most moms who have low intervention births will tell you the recovery is better and faster and it *can* be (I say "can" not "should" or "will") very beautiful and empowering.

No matter what you choose, best wishes for a safe and healthy delivery. :-)

[teachergirl]

Just my two cents....had epidurals for both. First one wore off and it threw me off with how intense it was and how painful it was. The second one worked perfectly and I  was so much more relaxed and in the moment for the second. You do what is best for you.  I think that with labor, you can't know how it will be until it is happening. You have a plan and then you have every right to change that plan. Best wishes for a quick delivery and healthy baby and mama!

[elliha]

2 hours ago, LittleSpouseOnThePrairie said:

I am having a baby at the end of October, and still really struggling on epidural or not. I'm not afraid of needles or anything regarding that, but my biggest fear is it slowing down my labor, and also the horrific headache it can cause. I hate headaches so I'd rather do labor without pain management than push with a splitting headache that can potentially last a couple days. Has anyone else heard about the epidural headache? Maybe I'm overly paranoid?

If you do go without prepare yourself with some kind of breathing and mental technique. Be prepared that it might not help 100% but most people I know who have done so have been helped by it in particular if they went natural and often even if they did have some kind of pain relief. Giving birth is hard! 

I used this one: https://www.amazon.com/Confident-Birth-Susanna-Heli/dp/1780660405. It is very popular here in Sweden but I don't think it is that common elsewhere. It covers breathing and different mental techniques. I felt it helped a lot and it can be used with pain relief too, it is not just for natural birthers. 

I had nitrous gas so mine first birth was not natural but no epidural despite it being an induction. I liked it but I felt that I was not that far from being able to do it without pain relief so I am aiming for that this time (I am due 18 July). I see no problem in using pain relief but I am curious, what will it be like and how will I cope? It is not like I am ever going to do anything extreme so natural birth might be my thing.