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Childbirth

Please be honest with me...

39 replies

ElBombero · 06/08/2013 22:09

Is labouring really easier 2nd time round?

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RhinestoneCowgirl · 06/08/2013 22:10

It was for me, much quicker too.

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QuietNinjaTardis · 06/08/2013 22:10
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solarbright · 06/08/2013 22:12

It is for lots of people - it was quicker and much easier for me. But there's no guarantees with childbirth.

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FlatsInDagenham · 06/08/2013 22:12

Quicker yes, but just as painful.

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intheshed · 06/08/2013 22:12

I think it depends on your experience the first time round... for me I was less scared and felt more in control as I knew what to expect. Once things got going it was certainly quicker.

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notanyanymore · 06/08/2013 22:21

YY, absofuckinlutely! DD2 (had a CS the first time) was hell from start to finish, honestly I still cried about it whenever it got brought up, up until my midwife started talking about my birth plan for DD3 and then the floodgates well and truly opened and I finally faced up to it properly and kind of 'let go'.
But, DD3 was a dream. Student midwife checked me, then appologised and got the MW to check me again when I went in, I was 4cm but she'd doubted herself due to my vague 'oohs' at each contraction. Went straight to delivery and onto gas and air, and spent the labour watching films/chatting etc until they insisted the baby needed to be delivered or they'd ventouse me (I was scared of the delivery part due to previous birth so think I hadn't quite been on board with the pushing part) but gave a couple of pushes and out she popped! No stitches as there was just a slight graze, which caused me no probs after. After some skin to skin got straight into a lovely bath etc then back onto the maternity ward and back home the next morning.
Only probs I had was with afterpains, which I had no clue about and hurt more then the contractions had (prob because they hadn't really hurt, certainly not before the G&A kicked in anyway), but I think that might have been because she was actually my third baby IFYSWIM and apparently it is more common in 3rd's onwards.

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notanyanymore · 06/08/2013 22:21

oh and it was quicker for me too but still about 12 hours or so

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Flossie82 · 06/08/2013 22:22

Much much easier for me. 23 month age gap.

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poweredbytoast · 06/08/2013 22:44

All three of mine were equally long (12 ish hours) and equally painful, however by number three I'd got the hang of gas and air and was a lot more relaxed about the whole thing.

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Nomnew · 06/08/2013 22:48

Mine was a lot quicker by about 12 hours and drug free(unlike the first which ended up with epidural). Both probably equally painful at times but I was more resilient 2nd time round as it was quicker and I knew what to expect....

except for the ring of fire which I didn't have first time(due to epidural)- that was rather an eyewatering(understatement) surprise

After the first birth, I was thinking "never again". After the second I was thinking "that was fantastic, I'd love to do that again".

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wannabedomesticgoddess · 06/08/2013 22:49

I was induced the second time, but I found the whole experience much easier than with DD1. I knew what to expect, had better pain relief, and I could see the end, whereas with DD1 I was blinded by the pain and panicked a lot.

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Grittzio · 06/08/2013 22:50

Much much easier, 37 hour labour 1st time, 2 hours 2nd time but had done some hypnobirthing as very anxious after 1st, felt a lot more in control and didn't panic when contractions started, just got a hypno book and CD from Amazon.

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flatmum · 06/08/2013 22:54

I agree much quicker and easier in terms of pushing but just as if but more painful (maybe because quickest one?), thir birth was the best and not really tht painful

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IceAddict · 06/08/2013 23:00

Yes!! It was for me. 2nd labour much quicker and pushing was far more effective. Hope yours goes well

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AmandaPandtheTantrumofDoom · 06/08/2013 23:02

For me, yes. Quicker and more straightforward. Hard to compare pain as one was very drugged instrumental and the other completely unmedicated. I'd say that the second I got all the pain out of the way in the labour IYSWIM - far less pain in the days and weeks that followed (stuff like brusing, stitches, etc).

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Hashtagwhatever · 06/08/2013 23:06

My 2nd was so easy, easiest of the four.

No pain relief needed was that easy.

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SupermansBigRedPants · 06/08/2013 23:16

I spent my second labour chatting to leprechauns in their village aka high on gas and air, was induced but it was a really easy labour and I spent most of it talking shite amusing my birth partner and the midwife Grin same length of time around 5-6 hours. I'm weird tho I enjoy labour!

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NandH · 06/08/2013 23:45

Yes Grin well it was for me, 2nd labour was only 2 hours and ds 'popped' out with no tears and I had no pain releif and I can say it honestly was fine!

With dc1 labour was odd and I done what I wad told ad she was 2 months premature, it was awful,

Dc2, I was already 10cm when I got to hosp, I laboured on my knees bent over the back of the bed which totally took the strain off my back, id highly recommend doing this to anyone :)

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NaturalBaby · 06/08/2013 23:52

Not really for me, but I had a very thorough stretch and sweep with my 1st so things went pretty fast - 6 hrs from 1st contraction to baby out. 2nd baby was a longer build up and labour was about the same length but he flew out without pushing! I also had a nasty transition with ds2 but didn't notice it at all with ds1.

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ElBombero · 07/08/2013 08:12

Awww nomnew

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ElBombero · 07/08/2013 08:13

Grittizo just got that too so fingers crossed. Birth with DD1 was horrific

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ElBombero · 07/08/2013 08:16

This is all very reassuring!!! I'm shitting myself about it the labour a lot say its easier cos you know what to expect but that's what's making me anxious!!

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Icedink · 07/08/2013 08:38

Second time was so much easier, faster and less painful. I didn't realise I was in labour for quite a while and only called labour ward to shut dh up - up until that point I thought it was just braxton hicks but I was 5cm when the mw checked! It was actually a lovely experience and I stayed in control the whole time, it hurt but it was manageable which surprised me as with dc1 it felt like torture.

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lollylaughs · 07/08/2013 09:23

Second time much much easier. Had no pain relief, was all done and dusted in 90 minutes.

Having a newborn 2nd time round is much easier too....

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MyNameIsAnAnagram · 07/08/2013 09:30

Well we didn't make it as far as hospitalWink. Yes much easier and much quicker for me.

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