ds1: waters went, then 30 mins to first contraction, then 1 hr to 2nd stage, then 1 hr pushing. So 2 hr labour.

ds2: waters went, then 10/15 mins to first contraction, 4/5 contractions and ds2 born within 15 mins. Didn't really have a pushing stage. So 15 min labour max.

Was ds2 more painful? I've got no idea really. I had gas and air with ds1, and it really hurt, both the contractions - which were almost continual, and the pushing. I didn't have any pain relief with ds2 (was unassisted as so quick), and again the contractions really hurt - but there were so few of them - close together but over v v quickly, and I didn't have a pushing stage - I just stod up, put my hand down to check and delivered him.

After pains with ds2 were horrendous though.

I have four too, and deffinatly think the faster the more intense but also over quicker just keep that in mind... last baby was bck 2 bck so i know that pain too horrible. but quite strangley i love it. ha and had all 4 without pain relief. hope it goes well. x

From first niggles to baby, ds was 4.5 hours and very intense and not that great, I got up and 5 mins later was having continual contractions. Dd (dc2) was 5 hours and not nearly as intense, had a bit of a warm up so to speak.

dd1 took about 5 hours and was fairly ok. Not too painful at all - I was infact looking forward to doing it again! dd2 in comparison was an hour in total and ridiculously intense and painful - I was in complete shock afterwards.

.Thanks all for your replies.. very interesting really..
I will just have to wait till Feb till I can comment on number 4.. I will be fine about it all until we go and have a look round the labour ward.. then as I did last time no doubt the colour will drain from my face as I remember everything!!! (MY DH thought I was going to pass out on the hospital visit I had with DS2!! when I remembered e3verything!!)
But thank you all once again. Will defo mention to the consultant re the quick 2nd stages.. just incase the MW on the day doesnt speak English!!..

My labours ( and I mean from first contraction) were DS1) under four hours, DS2 under two hours and DD just about an hour all told.

Mine were more intense each time but only because the first labour pain was already yell-inducing - there was no warn up to get me ready IYSWIM.

But having DD within and hour and being able to go home a few hours later made it worth it. I was just glad I lived a five minute drive from the hosp - as it was she was nearly born in the car park

My sisters had longer labours and i would never swop but there are negative including it all happening too quickly for any pain relief. I do just get a little at people who equate fast with easy. A quick birth can be intense and therefore tough but you have so much to do and it happens so quickly that there is less time to think about it. And thinking aboutthings is not my forte
I am not having any more but, prior to DD I confess I was not looking forward to it but would have been even more apprehensive about a long drawn out labour.

baby 1 was emergency section.
Baby 2 was 24 hour from start to finish but went 1-10cm in 15 minutes and only pushed for 20 minutes.
Baby 3 was 12 3/4 hour labour from start to finish. 1-10cm in minutes and 7 minutes of pushing.

My labour with DD2 was more intense than with DD, in part I think because it all happened very fast (so my body had less time to get used to it IYSWIM). DD1 was 2hrs 15, and DD2 was 1hr 45 so I do seem to shoot them out rapidly (and with some shouting )

My first two labours were very quick and fairly painless (as far as labour goes!) my third however went on forever i thought she was never going to come out, so i think it depends on loads of things.

My quickest labour (hour and a quarter) was induced with a drip and was the least painful of the three. The two spontaneous labours involved serious, constant pain, though, which I found much harder to cope with than the induced labour, where the pain was absent between contractions. I wonder what percentage of labours involve constant pain? I read several books and loads of magazines before I had my first and none of them even suggested there'd be no painfree intervals at all. In my fourth pregnancy now and hoping for a labour more like the third one again though induction is out.