Active labor lasts from roughly how many minutes to how many hours for multiparas?

• A. 5 minutes to 1 hour
• B. 15 minutes to 1 hour
• C. 20 minutes to 3 hours
• D. 4-6 hours

Answer: (C)

Active labor is the phase when contractions become regular and stronger and the cervix dilates more rapidly toward full dilation. For someone who has given birth before, this phase tends to be shorter because the birth canal has already stretched from prior experience. A practical range to remember is about 20 minutes up to 3 hours, which covers both very rapid progressions and longer, yet still active, labor. The other ranges don’t fit typical multiparous experience: a few minutes to an hour is usually too short to achieve meaningful dilation, while 4–6 hours would extend into a lengthier active phase or beyond what’s typical for a multipara.