how long do early labour contractions last?
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How to know you're in early labor. You'll experience mild to moderate contractions that last 30 to 45 seconds, though they can be shorter, and might be regular or irregular. They may be spaced around 20 minutes apart and become progressively closer together, but not necessarily in a consistent pattern.
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Your cervix needs to open about 10cm for your baby to pass through it. This is what's called being fully dilated. In a 1st labour, the time from the start of established labour to being fully dilated is usually 8 to 12 hours.
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If you have given birth before, call when the contractions are every 5-7 minutes apart, lasting 45-60 seconds. Labor is often more intense and faster with subsequent pregnancies and after you break your bag of water. In active labor, your contractions will be every 2-3 minutes apart.
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When you feel your contractions every 5 minutes and they last 30 to 40 seconds, your cervix will estimate 4 to 5 centimeters dilation. As time goes on, contractions get stronger every 3 or 4 minutes and last close to 45 seconds each. At this moment your cervix is 6 centimeters dilated.
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Contractions help push your baby out. When you're in true labor, your contractions last about 30 to 70 seconds and come about 5 to 10 minutes apart. They're so strong that you can't walk or talk during them.
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The first stage is the longest part of labor and can last up to 20 hours. It begins when your cervix starts to open (dilate) and ends when it is completely open (fully dilated) at 10 centimeters. When the cervix dilates from 0 to 3 or 4 centimeters, contractions get stronger as time progresses.
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These mild contractions generally don't cause actual pain, but feel more like a hardening or tightening of the uterus. Braxton Hicks usually last for 30 seconds to 2 minutes and begin in the second trimester, around 20 weeks. However, they may come earlier (and be more intense) if you've been pregnant before.
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While most labors stretch several long hours, some women experience a “precipitous labor” that only lasts two or three hours. Fast labor seems great at first glance (fewer contractions and less pain!) but it could actually come with a host of worrisome side effects ranging from emotional trauma to baby head injury.
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Active labor: Contractions become increasingly more intense, frequent and longer, lasting around 40 to 60 seconds each. Transitional labor: Contractions suddenly pick up in intensity and frequency, with each lasting about 60 to 90 seconds and coming about two to three minutes apart.
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As labor progresses, they get more intense and last longer. For example, they may start off lasting a few seconds and occurring 10 minutes apart, but every hour they get closer and closer together and last longer. On average, a real contraction lasts from 30 seconds to one minute each.
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Braxton Hicks contractions are unpredictable. They may last less than 30 seconds or up to 2 minutes. True labor contractions last between 30 to less than 90 seconds and become longer over time.
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For most first-time moms, early labor lasts about 6 to 12 hours. You can spend this time at home or wherever you're most comfortable. During early labor: You may feel mild contractions that come every 5 to 15 minutes and last 60 to 90 seconds.
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After your water breaks, contractions usually follow within 12 to 24 hours, if they're not underway already. However, in some cases, women have their water break before their bodies are ready to start the labour process.
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Braxton Hicks vs. They usually last about 15 to 30 seconds (but sometimes as long as two minutes), and they should subside when you change positions. Real labor contractions are relatively regular and grow stronger, longer and closer together as you near labor.
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If you're a first-time mum, active labour may take about eight hours. This is an average, though, and it could be much shorter or longer than that. It's unlikely to last more than 18 hours. Once your cervix has dilated to 10cm, it could take you an hour or two hours of pushing before your baby is born.
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Women who have already had a baby average 8 hours in this phase. Once your cervix is 3 or 4 cm dilated, you move into phase 2, called active labor. The contractions are stronger and occur more often.
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Labor contractions can start any time after your membranes rupture. Most women go into labor within 12 hours after the membranes rupture. About 1 in 10 women do not go into labor on their own after a day or so.