The social expectation is usually that 'fast labours are good'. For women who experience them, their feelings often are that the labour was intense, painful, and in some cases traumatic. Some have likened their labour to 'being hit by a bus!' Others reflect on it as the only good aspect being that it was fast, because they could not have endured it any longer.
Fast labours can leave the woman feeling shocked and bewildered, shaking and overwhelmed, as she comes to terms with what has happened. She may not wish to hold her baby straight away, and this is quite normal, not being reflective of her 'mothering', only that she is trying to 'catch up' and integrate the fact that her baby is here.
When your body is performing a task in 3 hours (that should normally take 12), it means that the dilation and pushing out of the baby can be magnified, and extremely painful. In addition to this, the baby is usually born before the woman even has a chance to get used to the idea of actually being in labour, let alone giving birth. Often the stress of it all can impede her natural release of endorphins that are meant to help her deal with the pain, intensifying the experience.
For women who had an average length labour, with a gradual build up first time around, a fast and furious second labour can be unexpected, and difficult to come to terms with. Many are reluctant to repeat the experience with baby number 3 (if that was planned), and need to psychologically prepare themselves, in case the fast labour scenario is repeated.
Having experienced a previous fast labour can increase your chances of the next one being similar, but this is not a guarantee. A subsequent labour can be more drawn out, usually meaning many 'false starts' in the hospital, before the real labour starts.