This is a question that no one will be able to answer, and it often distresses people. Many people believe that a quick birth is a better birth, but it doesn’t have to be. First, the most current studies show that the time of labor should be counted from the active phase. This is because it is very normal for the latent phase to take longer, sometimes days, without any risk to mother or baby. From the active phase, it generally takes less time because dilation is almost complete and oxytocin leads the process, making contractions more regular and stronger. But let’s remember that childbirth is an emotional process too, so it also takes time to accept that we have no control and that the hours don’t say much. It takes time to dive into the unknown and realize that you will soon meet your baby. It takes time to accept that not everything is going according to your birth plan. It lasts the baby’s time, looking for the best way to get out, and getting settled inside the vaginal canal. Birth time lasts, where the only thing that matters is what is happening at that moment, in your body, in your head. And that, incredible as it may seem, when you don’t look at the clock, it can feel like it has gone by fast. It lasts as long as it has to. And that’s what matters least. 💜