Childbirth and age gaps

[choockychoo]

Hi all
This is my first time posting so would love your story's if the same applys

I have a 14 year old and I am 6 weeks pregnant with my second child. It's a massive age gap I know

I've read a lot in here that childbirth the second time around is usually quicker as the body has done it before. I had to be induced with my first and was a 10 hour ordeal lol.

Wanted to know from mums with a big age gap like me if there second birth was quicker or not? I know all births are different but just curious

[choockychoo]

In guessing this is a very specialist subject

[Metalhead]

I can't really help as I "only" had a 5.5 year gap and an ELCS with DD2 but just didn't want your post to go unanswered!

Good luck with your pregnancy and birth, I hope everything goes smoothly.

[JellyWitch]

Likewise only a 5 year gap but it was flipping fast second time, having had a gruelling long assured labour with my first!

What does your midwife think! She (or he) will have seen a good variety of age gaps.

[IckleWicklePumperNickle]

8 year gap. Established stage for me was about the same with both.

[Buttonmoonb4tea]

Just under 8 years for me and same as PP, established labour was about the same. I had long slow Labour's with both. I've heard that the body takes longer to labour with longer age gaps, like having your first baby again . Hope this helps

[BadToTheBone]

Only 4 years between mine but 14 for both with second baby being smaller, so against the grain here. For every typical story you'll hear an atypical one too.

[westeringhome]

My kids are 20, 15 22months and 3 months, so I had a nearly 14yr age gap in the middle. I had to get induced with the first 3 and with dc1 it was failed ventouse, forceps, stitches from one end to the other etc, but the subsequent 3 times it certainly was quicker and easier. I would just say that after the 14yr gap my body was a bit slower to recover, presumably with being that bit older. Congrats on your pregnancy!

[choockychoo]

Thanks for the responses guys

[BowBelle81]

A friend had an 18 year gap and was very relieved that her second labour was a lot, lot better than the first - both quicker and less painful. But then another friend had a "WONDERFUL" (her words, definitely not mine!!) first labour and then a tricky second two years later. I think it's all luck of the draw. Good luck though! Hope elder sibling is excited and ready to be hands-on helpful 😊

[divadee]

I can let you know by the end of January!!! I am 32+5 and have a 19 year age gap between first and this one.

I am hoping it still means it's quicker and I am planning on a home birth so would be nice if quicker as I will have less pain relief options.

[manhowdy]

First labour 37 hours (epidural slowed it down).

Second labour 13 years later only 4 hours (no epidural).

[ZippyNeedsFeeding]

My first was born when I was 28, and my last when I was 38. The first labour was awful and quite long. The last was all done and dusted in under 2 hours. Because I was so much older, I found the last pregnancy quite hard, but the labour and delivery were fine (I was off my face on gas and air though, and had a weird idea that the cast and crew of Emmerdale were in the way and I had to push them out of the way before the baby could come out!)
There were three other babies born in between, but the first and last are very close and adore each other.