I've heard of labor lasting 36 hours or more. I guess the opted not to go with a cesarean.
Yeah, I've heard of long labors, some of them lasting even two days, but those were extraordinary cases.
I suspect however my own family was pretty "average," and it's big enough to be a representative sample.
I have all the baby books, of course, and my parents kept meticulous notes on all of us.
Eight infants, longest labor eight and a half hours, shortest labor twenty-five minutes; that was I, the seventh.
Eight infants, longest delay in scheduled time of birth, eleven days, most premature appearance can't be determined, because my younger brother was delivered by artificial means, and was yanked out five weeks ahead of time. Only one of the eight arrived exactly on time; that was I.
Eight infants, the "average" weight which was distorted, again with my younger brother who was naturally pretty small, but usually in the seven-pounds-something. There was one, the late one, who came in at nine and a half pounds. I guess the ideal weight for an infant is 8 pounds, 2 ounces, and my mother did have one of those. That was I.
I can't see where the royal family doesn't get just as good pre-natal care as my mother did, but apparently they don't. It must be due to this "free medical care for all" thing they have over there.