OBJECTIVE:

To describe the labor curve in a sample of primiparous and multiparous patients, with and without conduction of labor.

MATERIALS AND METHODS:

Descriptive, retrospective, case series, single-center study in nulliparous and multiparous patients with full-term pregnancy, at the Hospital de la Mujer Ciudad de México of the Ministry of Health. The variables parity, age, body mass index, delivery of labor, obstetric analgesia, obstetric forceps, weight and Apgar of the newborn were analyzed.

RESULTS:

540 files were reviewed, 304 of nulliparous and 236 multiparous patients. In nulliparous patients with conduction of labor, the total duration was 15 hours and 9 minutes; from 6 centimeters of dilation it was 2 hours and 46 minutes. In nulliparous women without conduction of labor, the total duration was 9 hours and 42 minutes; from 6 centimeters of dilation it was 2 hours and 25 minutes. In multiparous patients with conduction of labor, the total duration was 15 hours and 29 minutes; from 6 centimeters of dilation it was 1 hour and 47 minutes; in multiparous women without conduction of labor the duration was 7 hours and 9 minutes; from 6 centimeters of dilation it was 1 hour and 40 minutes.

CONCLUSIONS:

We describe a labor curve with an upward sloping morphology and an acceleration of the dilation speed from 6 cm, both in nulliparous and multiparous patients, regardless of conduction with oxytocin. Our results suggest that the pattern of progression of labor in local clinical practice differs significantly from the Friedman curve.