By and large, how much faster is a 2nd labour?

[minouminou]

with DS it was 31 hours from 1st contraction, although established labour was 18 hours
soooooooooo....straw poll from you guys, what were your labour lengths in 2nd (and subsequent) births?
I know it's variable, but i just wanna get a picture of a ball park figure of a rule of thumb of an inkling
as it were!
Many thanks, look forward to hearing your stories and figures.

[DontNeedAnything]

about the same 1st and 2nd.

Although 2nd was slower than I think it should have been as DD3s cord was acting as a bungee and she was being pulled back up after every contraction rather than sitting nicely on my cervix helping it to dilate.

[mummy2t]

ds1 4 hours. ds2 1 hour 23 mins. from 1st constractions.
they say second bubba's are always quicker, was the case with me but not always . good luck xxx

[ellenjames]

dd ist labour 10 hours
ds 2nd labour 1hr 30 mins, but they're all different! am pregnant again but dont think i will be as quick third time around!

[minouminou]

yeah, i just read your account in the other thread, mummy2t - sounds like a dream!

[mummy2t]

it was, i never thought childbirth could be so perfect!! 6months on and we are thinking about trying for number 3. although this time i might try for a homebirth. it is a wonderful thing. when i was pregnant with ds1 i was terrified of the birth and thought i'd have every drug going but i was honestly surprised at how ok it was.i had peth and gas and air. with ds2 i had nothing ( until the stitches, lol )
they say number 3 can go either way, fast or slow so i might not be so lucky next time.

[sweetkitty]

DD1 4h20m
DD2 2h30m
DD3 1h30m

DD2 waters didn't go naturally so it slowed things down

[franke]

dc1 - god knows how long - hours and hours, ended up with a cs
dc2 - around 13 hours from the very first twinges
dc3 - just under 5 hours from the very first twinges

[minouminou]

ok, so so far it's looking like #2 is a half to a third as long, barring any complications
right, thanks, ladies
any more?

[Dannat]

Sorry, but with DD, the full labour from first twinges to holding her was 8 hours.

With DS the whole thing again from first twinges to holding him was actually 25 hours. DD's birth was pretty textbook actually, but with DS, I had epidural, spinal block and forceps, partly because DS wouldn't engage at any stage of the labour and partly because I was exhausted.

Sorry!

[minouminou]

s'alright dannat...no need to apologise
like i said, barring complications, and your second seems to have been somewhat troublesome
hope it worked out well in the end

[Dannat]

Sorry, obviously didn't read your last post properly . Generally there were no problems, but he just didn't want to come out! He was 12 days late too so should have given me some idea of what was in store...

[HotTrouserCough]

dd1-4 hours 30(i am told)

dd2-50 mins from 1st twinge

[Dannat]

I am at all your quick second labours!

[Jivegirl]

DD1: 14 hrs from waters breaking (8 hrs 'proper' labour). VERY painful, traumatic, ventouse, lots of drugs, genuinely thought I was dying. Nearly put me off having a second.

DD2: walked into hospital at 7:30am, having had a few cramps at home . Waited at desk to be checked in whilst staff finished team meeting. Delivered healthy baby at 8:02am. Looked on my notes afterwards to see second stage was 4 mins Was quite honestly the best experience of my life.

And I had been in tears to the midwife and consultant begging for a section because I was so scared of going through it all again

I still smile every time I think about how great 2nd time was compared to 1st!!

[MKG]

Both were between 3-4 hours. the first was an induction so I knew it was coming, the second was a shock and I laid in bed for an hour in disbelief at how fast it was.

[Mamazon]

my first was 74 hours.

second was about 3 hours.

[ThatBigGermanPrison]

Don't get your hopes up, but ...

Ds1 42 hours, waters breaking to birth. Ds2 5.5 hours from first gas and air (am wimp, not brave) to birth. Labour was established an hour after I started gas and air, I screamed at the midwife every time she tried to tell me what I was and was not feeling. Wish I had had the courage in first labour.

I also told her to shut the fuck up when she told me to keep the noise down. She did, too.

[ChasingSquirrels]

dc1 - 2 hrs
dc2 - 15 mins

[UmSami]

Chasing squirrels, oh my God! 15 mins!
Am pregnant with 2nd myself so just being nosey...cant add anything constructive, sorry...BUT 15 mins! WOW! V. Jealous!...Congrats

[Thankyouandgoodnight]

1st was 11 hours from first twinge to delivering

2nd was braxtons for 5 hours, then realised it was actually labour as they got more frequent to about 2 mins apart (still not painful). Established labour 2 hours.

My friend - 1st labour 36 hours. 2nd - 3 hours.

[Thankyouandgoodnight]

1st was 11 hours from first twinge to delivering

2nd was braxtons for 5 hours, then realised it was actually labour as they got more frequent to about 2 mins apart (still not painful). Established labour 2 hours (no pain!).

My friend - 1st labour 36 hours. 2nd - 3 hours.

[Truffy18]

DS - 9 hours.
DD - 90 minutes. Head almost completely out while I still had my knickers on and was stood up - hadn't even made it onto the bed to be examined! Midwife couldn't believe it. I'd only been admitted on labour ward 20 minutes before baby arrived. Second stage was 3 minutes on my notes. Loved the whole experience. Took longer to complete the paperwork than deliver the baby (as the midwife explained!)

[Tidgypuds]

DS - 17 hours from 1st contraction.
DD - 1 3/4 hours

[Ledodgy]

first: 19 hours established
second: 40 minutes established
third: 6 hours established

[Roboshua]

DS1 12 hrs from first contraction to birth.
8 actual labour.

DS2 4 hrs from first contraction to birth.
1and a half hours actual labour