Share
Home › Experts › Precipitous Labor ›

Precipitous Labor

QUESTION

Dear Midwife,
I've had fast labor before 2 1/2 hours from when I woke up barely cramping to the three pushes till he was born.

I live over an hour from the hospital and afraid I wont make it. What can be done to make sure I make it in time.

ANSWER

It sounds like if you left for the hospital immediately, you would be there with an hour and a half to spare if this pregnancy goes like your last one. But since you can't count on that (either way, it may be a longer or shorter labor), you should mention your concern to your midwife or doctor and see what they suggest.

-- Cynthia, CNM. PhD.

Cynthia Flynn

Cynthia Flynn, CNM. PhD, is the General Director of the Family Health and Birth Center which provides prenatal, birth, postnatal, gynecological and primary health care to underserved women and their families in Washington, D.C. Recently Cynthia served as Associate Professor of Nursing at Seattle University. There she not only taught, but remained in full scope clinical midwifery practice at Valley Medical Center where she cared for pregnant and birthing women, and practices well-woman gynecology, family planning, and treatment of sexually transmitted diseases.

Cynthia founded Columbia Women's Clinic and Birth Center, where she took care of pregnant women and infants up to two weeks of age and attended both birth center and hospital births. Before Cynthia earned her CNM, she worked as a registered nurse in labor and delivery and postpartum and is a certified Doula and Doula trainer.