For those of you who have had easy labours, what do you mean? Please give me hope!

[Missingcaffeine]

My first labour was 17 hours long, natural delivery, used the pool and a bit of gas and air, and no complications.

I am now pregnant with my second and absolutely terrified about going through labour again.

I got to 7cm before going to the hospital with just TENS but the last 5 or 6 hours were contractions so painful they consumed me completely. I couldn't move, I couldn't think, I knew I was too distressed to even consider getting into position for an epidural and I just couldn't face anyone touching me. I was just in my zone, trying to get through each contraction with all the mental effort it took. I just don't think I can go through that pain again and remember thinking the whole way through how sad I felt as I didn't think I could ever give that baby a sibling. Well I did get pregnant again, and so here I am, 20 odd weeks away from having to do it again but just feeling like I can't but not really with a legitimate reason, as really I had a textbook 'easy birth'. I did have grade 2 tears, but that was nothing compared to the pain of the contractions.

[TheCatsMeow]

I can't answer as I had a difficult labour but have you considered an ELCS? I had a CS after going into labour and it was a lot easier than labour in my experience. I was very anxious beforehand and got it agreed if I didn't labour well I'd have a CS (I was frightened of forceps) and it was absolutely the right decision.

Hope someone else can answer your questions about easy labour, just thought I'd give you that experience in case you are interested

[museumum]

I was at home till 8cm with tens then the lovely blessed amazing warm birth pool with g&a took me through the remaining four hours.
Did you have a pool as an option? I found it quite possible to just block the world out, breathe my g&a and float. I didn't notice transition and had no real "pushing stage" just two contractions of pushing and he was out.

[dimots]

Second labours are usually much quicker, often less than half the time so that's a plus point. Stay off your back, as I'm sure you know lying on your back makes the pain much worse.

[gunting]

I used a tens machine and stayed home until 9cm.

Got to the hospital and DS was nearly born in the wheelchair they were carting me to delivery in. He was very heavy and in a good position so he just threw himself out.

Try a tens machine, stay upright, do the exercises on spinning babies if your LO isn't in the best position possible before labour and RELAX. Best of luck

[WhispersOfWickedness]

Yy to second labours often being a lot faster, with a much quicker pushing stage.
My first was 25 hours from first contraction to birth, so painful that I screamed for an epidural and thankfully got one fairly quickly Pushing stage was 1.5 hours. Narrowly avoided an instrumental birth.
My second was 2.5 hours from waters breaking, contractions started half an hour later, and I can honestly say that they were not painful, just uncomfortable and lots of pressure, I felt like I was going to explode, but not with pain. No pain relief needed (until I had stitches afterwards anyway ), pushing stage was listed as 4 minutes.
It could not have been a more different labour, please don't assume that it will be the same the second time around

[mineofuselessinformation]

My experience with my second labour was much better.
My personal take is that once your body has done it once, it kind of knows what to do the next time round, plus you have the experience from the last time to guide you too.
My first labour was horrible, over 24 hrs resulting in a back to back baby, with a syntocinon drip and a big episiotomy. Lots more I could say, but it won't add to what you're asking about.
The second was a stroll in the park in comparison - when I arrived I was 7cm (had managed with breathing up to that point), had some nice pethidine and gave birth 1hr and 40 mins later. Small tear (due to previous scar). We watched some fireworks from the window of my room that night (had booked a room) and just had some lovely bonding time.

[blondiebonce]

Water birth, contractions started at 6am, baby born at 1.20pm, but lost track of time (in a good way). A few complications after, but the actual event of labour was straight forward and mostly stress free. My friend was about an hour or so from the first contraction to baby being born. lucky cow

Good luck with everything! You could have 10 babies and each have a completely different birth. If you finally find a way to give birth completely stress and pain free please share!

[Alanna1]

In answer to your question, my first labour was (from waking up from sleep to having the baby in my hands) about 6 hours. I was even sent home from the hospital during this time on the basis I was hours from delivery - not an uncommon experience in first time mums!. My second was 4 hours (and we moved much more quickly and refused to leave the hospital - not that they suggested sending me home with the speed of my first baby). Mainly, I had only paracetemol for pain relief but once in hospital I had gas and air. I had some small tears which have healed easily - apparently not uncommon with fast labours. But really.... for YOU, chat to your midwife. Maybe you should consider an ELCS as others have suggested,but as much as anything else to chat through your fears.

[SquidgeyMidgey]

Dc1 was 4.5hrs all in, arrived at the hospital fully dilated, no tears no stitches. Dc2 was 2hrs, no tears or stitches. No intwrvention either time. Do I get the bucket fanny trophy? I think even when the pain is intense a shorter labour makes it easy because after 17 hours my ability to cope with pain would be screwed. You don't know how dc2 will arrive, statistically probably quicker and easier. Don't stress about what you can't control. Its only matural to worry aboug such a monumental ovcirrence but do try to relax and enjoy your precious bump.

[Dixiechick17]

My labour was straight forward, I wouldn't say "Easy", it still hurt, but I managed it without pain relief and it was just 5 hours and 17 minutes from the first contraction. I used a hypnobirthing cd in the weeks prior to labour and it helped keep me calm during so that I didn't panic when the pain ramped up, don't get me wrong, I had two times where I said "I can't do this anymore" and it didn't switch off the pain, it just kept me focused and calm. 17 hours with just a bit of gas and air is impressive! I said to my husband that had my labour been longer I don't think I would have managed it as well.

[SquidgeyMidgey]

Wow, sorry for the typos, I'm on my phone and not wearing my glasses...

[namechangedtoday15]

I think you have the advantage in a 2nd pregnancy of knowing however much it hurts, it'll be worth it. You know you're going home with a little bundle who will bring you so much joy

I agree that it's usually much quicker 2nd time around. I was in the bath until 11 pm, realised I was having contractions about midnight, got to hospital at 1 am and she was born at 3.02am.

Each contraction is one less to go through, one contraction closer to meeting your baby. Picture a chart in your head, tick off each contraction as "done". Good luck!

[SummerMonths]

My first labour took 72 hours and ended with forceps and massive bleeding, transfusions, huge tear.

Second labour I asked for an epidural the moment I arrived in hospital at 4cm. I spent the next six hours totally pain free reading the paper and playing trivial pursuit, was told I was ready to push and despite no sensation DC2 was born two mins later with no tear.

With DC3 I planned on another lovely early epidural but the whole labour took under an hour from first twinge. No tearing but gosh it was an intense 52 mins of my life.

[Lurkedforever1]

Mine was easy because it was quick. You know on soaps how people get a bit of a minor 'ow' moment then within an hour they're sat holding a baby? That was me. Minor sporadic pain a few hours before, not even paracetamol worthy. Followed by waters breaking and literally minutes of painful delivery, and it was all over. Granted it hurt like fuck and I didn't get chance for any pain relief, but for such a short time it's easy to deal with the pain, rather than with a longer birth.

Can't offer any advice though, I'm firmly of the opinion an easy birth is pure luck.

[duckbilled]

My second labour was much faster and easier (was induced with no epidural with first).
Got to birth center at 5cm, 5 hours of strong and painful contractions with gas and air, waters broke and three pushes later she was here.
It was actually a nice experience, I don't know if it was because my body had done it before? I do know that being able to walk around, use the sling, ball and shower in a relaxing private environment was amazing though.

[ISeeIt]

First and second were water births and 'easy' - second even more so. I think how you frame it mentally can definitely make a difference to the perception of pain. Because it wasn't the Unknown the second time around I didn't have the anxiety of not knowing what the sensations would entail and really experienced them as powerful rather than painful. Lots of that was probably because I wasn't as scared - and fear and tension are known to correlate with experience of pain. Have you considered hiring a doula? Have a look into it - it really is worth it. Being armed with all the info you need to make you comfortable and respected and having someone there to guard your space just automatically puts you in a much more relaxed position. In my experience anyway :-)

[Fourormore]

Mine have all been textbook easy but I've struggled a bit more with each one. I'm not fit at all though so I think my lack of muscle tone hasn't helped.
The time did decrease dramatically though - 28 hours the first time, 9 hours the second and 4 hours the third time. I'm also about 20 weeks away from doing it again and really quite scared. I'm just telling myself now that it is going to really bloody hurt, really bloody bad. And then it will be over and I won't ever have to do it again.

Get some decent painkillers in for the after pains, they're worse second time around.

[Missingcaffeine]

Thank you everyone!

It's amazing how different every person and every labour experience can be! You have given me hope. :)

I think if it's quicker that would definitely help. I like to think of myself as a very strong person, and would much prefer a natural birth if I can manage it again as I felt great (in comparison to late pregnancy) afterwards apart from a little sore down below. The hospital even tried to send me away at 7cm as they thought I was still in the very early stages as I was so calm. I spent the first 12 hours at home, very relaxed, I even went for coffee and cake in the morning with my NCT friends.

It was just the last 5 hours or so when the contractions got really strong. I used TENS and then the birthing pool which helped until about 8cm, with an absolutely amazing midwife encouraging me, but just the pain of the contractions was unbelievable but also went on for hours. Towards the end the only way I could cope was to get out of the pool, onto all 4's and just breathe my way through it without moving. I was in too much pain to even hold the gas and air.

I was very fit before pregnancy, exercising 4 times a week, and I even ran regularly until 24 weeks into that pregnancy, so I don't think that was a factor - but I was shaking from exhaustion and pain towards the end. I do want to believe I can do it again, and I am a believer of mind over matter and staying calm, in the end that is how I got through the first labour - just about. I just remember at the time truly thinking I couldn't possibly do it again. I realise that compared to people with much longer or complicated labours, I had it easy, it just sure didn't feel remotely easy!

[lanbro]

Dd1, waters broke at 5pm, sent home until contractions had started, went back at 8pm and baby born in pool at 11pm, only had some paracetamol at home and gas and air at hospital. Small tear needing 5 stitches.

Dd2, waters broke at 9pm, tried for another water birth but her heart rate was dropping so squeezed her out on a bed at 11pm no paracetamol but g & a. No tearing.

I once had gallstones and had my gallbladder removed. For me that pain was much worse than my contractions and the fact that the end was in sight helped me cope with the pain. I'm relieved to have had 2 relatively quick births with no complications, both were early too but it was probably the result of a compromised cervix following loop biopsies.

[wallywobbles]

Second birth. Hospital at midnight. Epidural. No contraction pain at all. Then 3 pushes and out she popped into my hands. Less pain than a bikini wax. Only downside is I still looked pregnant. And strong contractions when breast feeding as my uterus did its thing.

[alltouchedout]

My second was easy. I has diarrhea at about 6:30 am. From about 7:30 I started having period type pains. At 8 am ish I started real full on contractions. DS2 was born at 10.45am after 4 minutes of pushing. I'd spent labour mostly wandering from room to room or on all fours on my bed. I stood up to give birth, he was born in the caul, crowning didn't hurt, I never felt scared or exhausted or overwhelmed. Yes, contractions still hurt, but the pain didn't seem to matter, if that makes sense? The whole thing was bloody lovely.

[emsyj]

I think a lot of having an 'easy' birth is time. By that I mean, the longer it goes on, the harder I imagine it is to cope. I had an emcs first time, but an easy homebirth with gas and air and no tears second time - I think a big part of my ability to cope was the fact that my labour was quite short. My waters broke about 9.30pm, I had mild cramps until about midnight, stronger contractions for a while longer after that (timing unclear from midnight onwards!!) and then asked for gas and air, then I had 3 awful contractions that were just all-consuming, then the pushing phase started. I am sure that if I had been subjected to those all-consuming contractions for hours and hours, following days of latent labour, I would have been climbing the walls. As it was, everything moved along so quickly that I just about had time to think, 'Christ, this is awful' - and then it was over.
You could try being upright and mobile to try and speed things along - also, as others have said, it will probably be quicker this time anyway. I spend my labours walking and pacing, because that's what's cmfortable for me - I think it probably helped things move along.

[Totalshambles]

Your first sounds very similar to my first OP. Mine was about 15 hours - which included a prolonged pushing phase about 3 hours - was awful. Just gas and air. I dreaded doing it again despite the fact it wasn't really so bad compared to what many of my friends had been through (pretty textbook). Second time was 1.5 hours with baby born 20 mins after arriving at hospital. Very easy.

At the end of the day it's never going to be great so don't start trying to imagine some
Sort of beautiful pain free experience. But it's very very likely to be much better than first time Round. Painful yes, but much quicker!!