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What You Need to Know About Recovering from a Precipitous Labor

If you’re not familiar with the term precipitous labor, it means a labor that lasts less than 3 hours from the start of the first contraction until the baby is born.

It is sometimes referred to as a precipitate birth or delivery, rapid labor, fast labor or a plain, old speedy delivery. While many women who have NOT experienced a precipitous labor might think this sounds like a blessing, it’s not all it’s chalked up to be. For more information on that, you can read my post Precipitous Labor: The Traumatic Truth About a Speedy Delivery.

It’s common to experience a precipitous labor for a second or subsequent delivery, but having one with a first child is pretty rare (like 3% rare). The time frame for recovering from a precipitous labor, however, isn’t different from any other postpartum recovery.

Here’s some important information that moms need to know about recovering from a precipitous labor.

What you Need to Know About Recovering from a Precipitous Labor — *This post contains affiliate and/or paid links which means that if you click on one of these links and buy a product, I may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you. Rest assured that I only recommend products that I love from companies that I trust. Furthermore, I am not a medical professional and nothing in this post should be taken as medical advice. I am simply a mother who has been there and lived to tell the tale.

Recovering from a precipitous labor is… well… precipitous.

That’s right, a fast labor usually means a fast recovery as well. But don’t start hating on us precipitous laborers just yet. While laboring quickly generally means less physical trauma and fatigue, it’s not without it’s own set of dangers as well.

Example 1: Tearing

The whole point of moving slowly through the different phases of labor is to help our bodies stretch and prepare for the giant watermelon we’re about to push out of it.

But with a precipitous labor, our body has less time to warm up for the big push and can result in some pretty bad tearing. Usually there isn’t time for an episiotomy, so the degree and direction of tearing can be unpredictable.

Recovering from a precipitous labor can often mean stitches down below. This makes for a very uncomfortable postpartum recovery period (speaking from experience). There are several different home remedies available, but ice will become your best friend.

Here’s a quick and easy tutorial from Swaddles n’ Bottles for DIY “padsicles” to help reduce swelling and pain.

Example 2: Overdoing it

We’re all supermoms and the faster we can get out of bed after giving birth and back to our regular routine – the stronger we are, right?

Not necessarily…

We may feel GREAT immediately after a short labor, but that doesn’t mean that our bodies have completely healed. Recovering from a precipitous labor takes just as long as recovering from a non-precipitous labor. The first few hours, days, even weeks after giving birth are essential to the healing process and should never be rushed.

There are several parts of the postpartum recovery period that do NOT occur precipitously.

Uterine Contractions

The uterus needs to shrink back down to it’s normal size and that process can take up to 6 weeks or more. As the uterus contracts back to it’s normal size, some women experience cramping (similar to menstrual cramps), especially while breastfeeding. However, some women do not feel any cramping or discomfort at all.

Everyone experiences it differently, but for me, it was severely worse than the labor pains, and got more intense after each delivery. I was given drugs for the pain, but since I was breastfeeding, I turned to essential oils and heat (both heat bags and stick-on heat pads) to help me get through it instead.

Whether you feel it or not, the uterus is still contracting and will need plenty of time to shrink back down.

Strengthen Your Pelvic Floor Muscles with Perifit — .

Skin to Skin Contact

Stay in bed with that baby! It might be tempting to get up and do things because you feel great but the skin to skin contact in the first 24-48 hours is essential to bonding, breastfeeding success and can help ease symptoms of the baby blues and postpartum depression.

Regardless of where you spend those first few hours after birth, whether it’s a hospital, birth center or in your own home, just stay in the bed and hold that baby for as long as you can. Skin to skin bonding is an important, but often skipped part, of recovering from a precipitous labor.

Don’t underestimate the benefits of skin to skin contact for both mom and baby.

Breastfeeding with Postpartum Depression — .

Blood Pressure

Just like during pregnancy, a postpartum spike in blood pressure can be dangerous. Roughly 24 hours after giving birth to my second child, I experienced something I had NEVER experienced before in my entire life – high blood pressure. I had resumed all my normal activities less than 12 hours after giving birth to her and because of that, my body didn’t have time to heal. In addition to the high blood pressure, I developed a fever, severe headache, nausea, swollen hands and feet, blurred vision and dizzy spells.

It’s called postpartum preeclampsia and it’s rare for women who did not experience preeclampsia while pregnant. Thankfully, some rest helped my blood pressure regulate and I didn’t develop any further complications or need medication but it can become quite serious if left untreated.

Physical symptoms are our body’s way of telling us to slow down and take it easy.

The Baby Blues

Those hormones will be in full swing after giving birth. Recovering from a precipitous labor needs to occur mentally and hormonally as well. For months your body has been working hard to maintain two humans and now it has to adjust back down to one. The baby blues affect nearly 80% of all mothers postpartum, so it’s something to prepare for after giving birth, whether or not you’ve had a precipitous labor.

Hormonal imbalances, unfortunately, don’t often work themselves out precipitously…

6 Warning Signs That it's More Than The Baby Blues — .

Postpartum Depression

Let me be clear when I say that there is no known link between precipitous labor and postpartum depression. Many believe that a traumatic labor can lead to postpartum depression but precipitous labor is not always a traumatic experience. In fact, many women who have one really DO feel lucky and blessed that they were spared a long labor and delivery.

In my own, personal postpartum depression story, I talk about how I rushed through my recovery with my second child and eventually wound up getting postpartum depression. I can’t say for certain that it had anything at all to do with my mental state, but I DO regret rushing my postpartum recovery period.

Whether your precipitous labor experience was traumatic or not, make sure to know the warning signs of postpartum depression in order to be prepared.

13 Things About Postpartum Depression All New Moms Need to Know — .

Everything happens so quickly when it comes to having kids.

There are moments and memories that we can hold onto and savor each second of – and there are some that we have no control over. While we may not be able to choose whether or not we have a precipitous labor, we CAN choose not to rush our recovery. Just like anything with motherhood, remember to take care of yourself and give yourself enough space and time to heal. A mother’s physical and mental wellness should always be high on the list of priorities.

Precipitous Labor: The Traumatic Truth about a Speedy Delivery

I was blessed with having fast labors.

Or so I am told…

Each of my three children was born in less than 3 hours from the start of the first contraction. It’s called a precipitous labor and it only occurs in 3% of births. It might seem like a small number but it’s hard to predict who will have one, and if you’re unprepared for it, it can lead to a very traumatic experience.

Here’s what you should know about the trauma of a precipitous labor.

The Physical Trauma

While precipitous births are generally good for the baby, they can be extremely traumatizing for moms. Labor itself tends to begin without warning and goes from a 0 to 10 in a matter of minutes. The phases of labor that we learn about in preparation for giving birth are early labor, active labor and transition.

Women who experience a precipitous labor either do not feel their early labor at all or have an extremely short early labor stage.

In my case, I simply did not feel my early labor contractions. I know this to be a fact because when my water broke with my first child, I went to the hospital assuming I would need to be induced, since contractions had not started. It was there that they told me I was already 5 cm dilated and having contractions every 5 minutes but I did not feel a single one.

Due to the nearly non-existent early labor stage, most women having a precipitous labor won’t feel the first contraction until they enter the transition phase. Instead of slowly adjusting to a gradual increase in pain, they are completely blindsided by the pain. During transition, the contractions can be very close together, making it difficult to catch your breath in between in order to prepare for the next one.

But the worst trauma of all when dealing with a precipitous labor, is the impossibility of trying NOT to push while the baby’s head is crowning and so desperately wants out! Often, doctors and midwives are surprised by precipitous labors, considering how rare they are (especially among first time moms). Many times, the labor and delivery staff are unprepared or waiting for the doctor to get there. They will tell you to blow out through your mouth in an effort to halt labor, but anyone who has given birth knows this is a futile attempt. Doing this can cause damage to the birth canal or pelvic floor muscles and can lead to infections, bleeding and tearing.

So instead of experiencing the immediate relief that comes with finally delivering a baby, you’re forced to wait in an unnecessary amount of pain, because no one believed you when you said you felt like pushing.

The Psychological Trauma

During labor

I can almost guarantee you that when you have a precipitous labor – no one will believe you. It’s extremely frustrating to be made to feel like you are overreacting. Since precipitous labors are quite rare, it’s understandable that no one would assume you’re having one until it’s too late. But as a women in labor, especially if it’s your first time, it can be frightening and isolating to go through this alone.

If you’re concerned about having to advocate for yourself during a precipitous labor, consider hiring a doula. The job of a doula is to empower and support a laboring mother. So when you say you’re in pain, or feel the urge to push, a doula will believe you if no one else will.

Often, women who have a precipitous labor are left feeling like they had no voice and no control during their labor. In the long run, these feelings can have a dire effect on a new mother’s mental health.

Immediately following labor

After the 2 hour and 43 minute delivery of my first child, to say that I was traumatized would be an understatement. Immediately after birth, I experienced a surge of adrenaline that caused my entire body to tremor and shake so badly that I couldn’t even hold my new baby.

Being in a state of shock following a precipitous labor is completely understandable. Your body and mind have not had time to adjust to the incredible miracle that it’s just performed. You may also feel a sense of sadness or loss for the labor experience that you imagined you would have. If you created a birth plan, chances are that your precipitous labor threw all that right out the window.

Weeks, months and years later

I had nightmares for weeks afterwards, re-living every painful and panic stricken moment. PTSD is a more accurate diagnosis.

It’s hard to predict how much a precipitous labor will affect your mental health until long afterwards. Many women who suffer from postpartum depression or anxiety find that it began with their precipitous labor. This may not always be evident however, and it’s only after discussing things with a therapist that they see it to be true.

Future Pregnancies

In general, consecutive labors tend to be faster than the first – which is scary when your first was less than 3 hours. My second child was born in 2 hours and 4 minutes from the start of the first contraction and baby number three made her appearance in 1 hour and 34 minutes.

Women who were overly traumatized following their precipitous labor may feel less inclined to have another child altogether. And those who do often take additional and sometimes extreme steps to ensure they have a better experience. Some may opt for a home birth, to be induced or choose an elective c-section. They may become extremely anxious as their due date nears and make several trips to the doctor with false alarms.

What’s important to do, as a woman expecting a precipitous labor, is to demand the care and attention you need. Find a doctor who understands your condition and come up with a game plan together (including a back-up plan). Hire a doula or have a backup list of support people. Keep close to home or where you plan to deliver. Being prepared for a precipitous labor is an advantage with subsequent pregnancies that you don’t get the first time.

How to Prepare for Another Baby after Postpartum Depression — .

I personally dislike being told that I am “lucky” to have had such short labors. I am thankful that my children were born healthy and without complications. I am grateful that I was able to deliver them naturally, without drugs as I had planned. I believe all women who give birth, whether they labor for days on end, or only for a matter of minutes, whether they’ve had c-sections, epidurals or water births – deserve all the credit that is due to them. Giving birth in itself is a blessing – no matter how you do it.