Is labor hereditary?

[Anonymous]

I think there is some link expecially with baby position. I mean surely my pelvis chould be shaped like my mom's I imagine.

In DH's aunts case all of her babies were born sunny side up (as was she). Something to do with the pelvis I would imagine, that is the way the babies needed to be to get out.

My labor was very similar to my mom's and all of my sisters (all around 20 hours, less than an hour of pushing, and no meds so similar cirucmstances)

[Anonymous]

Can only speak for my family, but my sister and I have delivered six children between us (all vaginal deliveries), and they were very quick and relatively easy. The longest labor was my first, when I went to the hospital as soon as I felt contractions, and was holding my baby 6 hours later. I hope it's hereditary, since I'm expecting my third in a few months!

[Anonymous]

NP here - what about timing of delivery? My mom and sister both delivered their kids two weeks early, and I kind of wonder if that is any indication of when I deliver.

[Anonymous]

My guess is that if you were to take a population sample and do a regression, you would find some statistically significant correlation between a mother's pregnancy symptoms, labor experience, and length of postpartum infertility for her daughter. However, it's not something I'd bet on. If your mom had precipitous labors, then I'd prepare for that as a possibility, but I wouldn't count on it.

Does your midwife or OB have a one pager on emergency home deliveries? If so, keep one copy of that on the fridge and another copy in the glove compartment. Otherwise, just prepare for a minimum of 16 hours of active labor (the average for FTMs).

[Anonymous]

My mom was induced, and I likely will not be, so I don't know what to expect, plus we have very different body shapes.

[Anonymous]

Yes, labor is hereditary. You get it from your children.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yes, labor is hereditary. You get it from your children.

Ha!

[Anonymous]

My birth experiences weren't directly comparable with my mothers. She had an epidural with her first (me) and I was born a month early after the doctor broke her water during an internal exam and came in 17 hours. I weighed 6lbs or so. My first took more than 48 hours, but he was 9lbs and poorly positioned for the first 30 or more hours.

However, we both got bad stretch marks, which I'm sure are genetic.

BUT, on the positive side, neither of us tore and I think that's genetic too. That's despite me delivering an almost 12lb baby with a 16" head, so those stretch marks were worth it.

[Anonymous]

Oh, also another similarity was with when we deliver (except for my mother's first child - me - where labor was artificially started accidentally) both my kids and my mothers next two children were born right on time on or within one day of due date.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My mom was induced, and I likely will not be, so I don't know what to expect, plus we have very different body shapes.

Interestingly my mother's and my first were identical even though I was induced and she was not. Inexperienced nurses telling us to shut up and wait til morning, an urgent need to 'poop', a mad scramble for a doctor and a few short pushes. Eery.

[Anonymous]

My mom had a slow labor with me, and I had a fast labor. My sister also had a very fast labor.

[Anonymous]

My mom and sister had precipitous labor, mine was 30 hours.

If you want a good labor experience, my best advice is to get a doula!

[Anonymous]

My mother's labor issues were mine too, but my mother's sisters had very different experiences. So ?

Specifically, my mother needed progesterone injections to stop premature labor and prevent early birth.
Unfortunately my doctor and I overlooked this with my first and he was born premature at 32 weeks.
I had progesterone injections with my second and the minute the last injection lost its effect I went into labor.

As a biologist, I am convinced that labor and birth are affected by genetic AND environmental characteristics. So people will observe a family resemblance more often in cases of abnormal birth, where the genetic predispositions are so strong that they override most environmental pressures.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:NP here - what about timing of delivery? My mom and sister both delivered their kids two weeks early, and I kind of wonder if that is any indication of when I deliver.

I asked my OB the same thing because my first two were both at 39 weeks, and my sister's four kids were all 36-38 weeks. But my OB said it's not something you can be predisposed to. I'm not sure I believe it though... seems odd that out of 6 kids, all would come before 40 weeks with no inductions or c-sections.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:NP here - what about timing of delivery? My mom and sister both delivered their kids two weeks early, and I kind of wonder if that is any indication of when I deliver.

I asked my OB the same thing because my first two were both at 39 weeks, and my sister's four kids were all 36-38 weeks. But my OB said it's not something you can be predisposed to. I'm not sure I believe it though... seems odd that out of 6 kids, all would come before 40 weeks with no inductions or c-sections.

Well, roughly 50% (more, counting preemies) would be born before 40 weeks, and the rest after, statistically speaking, if 40 weeks is the average. So that doesn't seem unlikely to me at all that those six could come before 40 weeks.