Correlation between regular exercise and length of labor... Give your two cents :-)

Okay, so I've heard that the more one exercises, the shorter labor is. I'm not sure if it's true, but all I know is that I didn't regularly exercise with my first pregnancy and I was in labor for 20 hours (pushed for 2 1/2 hours).

Did you exercise while you were pregnant?

How long was labor for you in total?

For how long did you push?

Thanks!!!

(if there really is a correlation, then I'm going to be SURE to exercise more when I get pregnant again!)

Re: Correlation between regular exercise and length of labor... Give your two cents :-)

Did you exercise when you were pregnant?
no

How long was labor in total?
20 hours

For how long did you push?
2 1/2 hours

Re: Correlation between regular exercise and length of labor... Give your two cents :-)

3 babies and I see no correlation here.

Baby#1:
*Did you exercise while you were pregnant?
no

*How long was labor for you in total?
12 hours

*For how long did you push?
2 hours



Baby#2:
*Did you exercise while you were pregnant?
no

*How long was labor for you in total?
3 hours long (from first cramp till I was holding my daughter in my arms)

*For how long did you push?
probably 2 minutes


baby#3:
*Did you exercise while you were pregnant?
no

*How long was labor for you in total?
9 hours

*For how long did you push?
no real pushes. They were begging me not to push because the doctor was on her way. She was born before the doctor got to the room all while I was trying to hold back pushes.

Re: Correlation between regular exercise and length of labor... Give your two cents :-)

*Did you exercise while you were pregnant?
yes till about 33/34 weeks

*How long was labor for you in total?
about 12 hours

*For how long did you push?
1.5 hours

Re: Correlation between regular exercise and length of labor... Give your two cents :-)

I didn't exercise at all but remained active at work (it was a busy time of year for us and I worked a few days past my due date).

They began my induction at ~8:00pm and DD was born at 2:30am the next day. So from start to finish it was 6.5 hours.

I pushed for at least an hour, probably 1.5 hours (this was due to the fact that they gave me Demerol so I had no control over my body, I'm certain that if I didn't have it I wouldn't have needed to push for so long b/c I could concentrate better).

Re: Correlation between regular exercise and length of labor... Give your two cents :-)

No correlation here what so ever!!!

Labor 17 hours (ending in c/s)

I did yoga and took spin classes throughout my 2nd trimester with dd.

Re: Correlation between regular exercise and length of labor... Give your two cents :-)

i exercised almost EVERY day of my 1st pregnancy and thought i was going to be a champ in labor and push out DD in record time! nope, not so. labor wasn't too long but ended up with a C in the end, so go figure.

Re: Correlation between regular exercise and length of labor... Give your two cents :-)

Did you exercise while you were pregnant?
No

How long was labor for you in total?
Um I went in at 11 and he came at 8, but I wasn't in pain until about 4. So I don't think I was in active labor till 4.

For how long did you push?
20 min. 8 pushes.

Re: Correlation between regular exercise and length of labor... Give your two cents :-)

Yes. IMO I definitely think that exercising helped with my labor. I worked out up to the week before I delivered (and I only stopped because the gym shut down for renovation). I would do weights 2-3x week, elliptical or treadmill 5x week for 30mins. My final month I just did a slow walk on the treadmill because the pressure was too much.

BTW...I am a HUGE believer that squats throughout the pregnancy helped me with labor.

Did you exercise while you were pregnant? YES

How long was labor for you in total? 2:45am got my first contraction they were 8-10mins apart. 4:45am called doc because I saw blood and they were getting stronger (sorry TMI). Called back at 5:45am because they were 3-4mins apart and got to hospital at 7am. I had DS at 1:04pm. So labor was 10hrs 19mins. And it did not feel that long at all. Literally felt like a couple of hours.

For how long did you push? 34mins

This is my first child too. I'm not sure if that is rare but I was very lucky and fortune that I had such an easy labor. Which is why I credit it to exercising.

Good Luck!

Re: Correlation between regular exercise and length of labor... Give your two cents :-)

didnt exercise at all, labor was 6 hours, I pushed for 2 hours but that was bc of the epidural.....I couldnt push effectively with it.

Re: Correlation between regular exercise and length of labor... Give your two cents :-)

Did you exercise when you were pregnant?
I went for walks every day, probably about 2 miles.

How long was labor in total?
7 hours

For how long did you push?
40 minutes

Re: Correlation between regular exercise and length of labor... Give your two cents :-)

Did you exercise when you were pregnant?
no

How long was labor in total?
54 hours- induction- 6 hours of hard labor once my water broke

For how long did you push?
2 hours

Re: Correlation between regular exercise and length of labor... Give your two cents :-)

Yes, I excercised regularly through out pregnancy up until week 37 (I went the full 40 weeks and had DS 1 day before my due date).

I started feeling back pain at about 7:30 8pm. By 10 we were in the car and I was having contractions every 2-3 min and strong. By 12:40am I was stuck at 8cm and baby's heart rate dropped so I had an emergency cs. So, no pushing and about 4.5-5 hours labor.

As another marker I'll add that when I got to the hospital and in a room to be checked, it was about 10:45-11 and I was 2cm, but I went from 2cm to 8cm in about 1.75 hrs.

Re: Correlation between regular exercise and length of labor... Give your two cents :-)

Did you exercise when you were pregnant?
yes

How long was labor in total?
my water broke at 10pm, didn't start feeling any "contractions" till around 5/6am, but they we're that bad untill I guess around 10am ish. I had her at 12:50pm

For how long did you push?
45 minutes

ETA: I worked out until the day my water broke. She was 2 weeks early

Message edited 6/11/2009 8:35:03 AM.

Re: Correlation between regular exercise and length of labor... Give your two cents :-)

I don't buy it - I walked 3-4 miles a day during my pregnant with Alex, as I'm doing this pregnancy.

I labored with her for 15 hours and ended up with an emergency c-section because of fetal distress - she was facing the wrong way and couldn't come out on her own.

ETA - I DO think exercise helped with my c-section recover, tremendously, and that's why I'm doing it again this time.

Message edited 6/11/2009 8:41:56 AM.

Re: Correlation between regular exercise and length of labor... Give your two cents :-)

Did you exercise while you were pregnant?
No

How long was labor for you in total?
26 hours

For how long did you push?
6 hours... I wish I was kidding. It was a nightmare.

Re: Correlation between regular exercise and length of labor... Give your two cents :-)

Did you exercise while you were pregnant?
NO

How long was labor for you in total?
my water broke around 12:30pm, didnt have contractions I could feel until
5-6pm DD was born 10:21 that night.

For how long did you push?
20min maybe?

Re: Correlation between regular exercise and length of labor... Give your two cents :-)

Did you exercise while you were pregnant?
No, I couldn't. I was on bed rest.

How long was labor for you in total?
14 hours

For how long did you push?
2 hours

ETA: ended up with a c-section after pushing.

Message edited 6/11/2009 9:08:20 AM.

Re: Correlation between regular exercise and length of labor... Give your two cents :-)

Not an excersicer....do walk a lot in general, but not excercising
labor was 2.5 hours for my FIRST!!! ETA: pushed for 20 minutes out of the 2.5 hours

Message edited 6/11/2009 9:10:50 AM.

Re: Correlation between regular exercise and length of labor... Give your two cents :-)

Did you exercise while you were pregnant?

Up until 16 weeks, yes. Then I was diagnosed with previa until 25 weeks and couldn't, and never got back into it after I was cleared.

How long was labor for you in total?

From the very first contraction (which I really really didn't think was labor) until she was born, 16 hours. Active labor, probably about 4 hours.

For how long did you push?
Less than 10 minutes.

Re: Correlation between regular exercise and length of labor... Give your two cents :-)

Did you exercise when you were pregnant?
nope

How long was labor in total?
5 hours

For how long did you push?
30 minutes

Re: Correlation between regular exercise and length of labor... Give your two cents :-)

I did not excercise before or during pregnancy.

My labor was 5.5 hours

I pushed for 40 minutes

According to the nurse, I am made for pushing out babies....

Re: Correlation between regular exercise and length of labor... Give your two cents :-)

No correlation for me.

I didn't exercise at all (except walking, which I don't count b/c I worked in the city)

My labor was approximately 9 hours, but I slept through it, and I only pushed for 1 hour.

Also don't know how this would factor into an induction either, KWIM?

Re: Correlation between regular exercise and length of labor... Give your two cents :-)

I barely even walked during my pregnancy, so there was no regular exercise going on!

I was in labor for 7 hours
I pushed for 20 minutes

So I don't think there's a correlation!

Re: Correlation between regular exercise and length of labor... Give your two cents :-)

*Did you exercise while you were pregnant?
taught dance until the day before my induction (5 days past my due date)

*How long was labor for you in total?
from when they broke my water to when I was ready to push was 7.5 hours

*For how long did you push?
20 minutes- but I had help from the vaccuum extractoer because the cord was wrapped around DS's neck so I couldn't get him out on my own



ETS- I'm not sure that excersising determines labor length, but I do believe that regular excersise will help you recouperate faster. I was back at work teaching dance after only 3 weeks.

Message edited 6/11/2009 9:57:54 AM.