is there anything you can do to help prepare for a quick birth?

[mad4mybaby]

Ds was 4 hours and labour was very intense. Contractions were one on top of the other and was very scary. After he was born i went into shock. Had bad tear and felt like id been kicked in the arse by a horse. Felt like an old woman for a long time as every bone and muscle in my body ached (like flu).

I was speaking to MW the other week and she said that as ds was so quick it is very likely this one will be alot quicker as long as there are no complications. This time round i obv have a 2 yr old to deal with.

Are there anythings you can do to help your body get prepared? Just wondering if there was anything i couldve done to help with recovery. I was swimming 3 times a week. Ds was born at 38 weeks. Was taking raspberry leaf tablets from as early as what ever week it is, was eating healthily (along with cake naturally!).

Took various homepoathy things after and nothing helped. Also took arnica. Any suggestions i would be greatful

[Twinkie1]

A catchers mitt?

[mad4mybaby]

haha anybody?

[ChasingSquirrels]

ds1 was a 2 hr labour (37 wks), although I was fine after.
Didn't do anything as such to prepare for dc2, although did read up a bit about unassisted birth in case it came to that.

[SwampsterHasAWarmFuzzy]

I'd skip the raspberry leaf tea - doesn't sound like you need any help with the contractions.

[SwampsterHasAWarmFuzzy]

Do anything you can to relax - warm bath or even a birthing pool? I think one of the reasons those who are anti them disapprove is that they can slow down labour - ideal for you.

[SwampsterHasAWarmFuzzy]

I'm very btw. I've had two emergency CSs after long labours which went nowhere and ended with distressed babies (both fine once out). Will probably be having an elective this time round.

[hairtwiddler]

Can understand your worry. DD was born after four hours - also very intense delivery. Am not pg again, but sometimes worry about how i would cope with an even shorter labour. Family too far away to get here on time to look after DD, as DD was born at 36 weeks might not manage a home birth.
Hope someone comes along with wise advice and will be watching this thread.
Is your 2 year old aware of what might happen? Given you are prepared for a short labour this time you may not feel so shocked afterwards....

[ChasingSquirrels]

would add that afterpains are usually worse with subsequent babies, after dc2 I found them to be pretty painful (didn't need any after birth pain relief with ds1, but needed paracetmol for afterpains with ds2).

[majormoo]

I had a quick birth with my DD. Whole birth was a couple of hours-second stage 12 minutes. I also felt bruised and battered afterwards-had to stay in for 4 days!

However, with my son a couple of years later, my labour started very gradually and the whole thing was much easier to cope with. Recovery was fine. Think my notes said established labour was 3hrs45minutes, so although quite quick much longer than my DD's birth and better for it. So it does not always follow that the second birth will be faster.

[laura325630]

I had a 2 hour labour which shocked me with dd. I also took rasberry tea leaf tablets. I wouldnt take them next time. Good luck x

[emmabu]

Hi

Had a pretty long labour with the first, and and about 8 hours with the second so not sure if best to advise, but just from experience, I hope this might help:

Water- I got the birthing pool room at the hospital with the first, no luck with the second and do think comparing this with both labours, water can relax and slow it down, also the lovely crowning stage was more painful with the second (out of water and quicker) so also felt water must have had a cushioning effect as well.

Tens machine- With the first I was convinced it was just a distraction and pretty useless, however with the second I did think it really helped (like a counteraction in the way something like deep heat spray works) - I used it for the second both at home and in hospital- including during a half hour wait to just get into the hospital car park with full on contractions every 2 to 3 minutes! So if you are 'caught short', it is a self help alternative that may give you a bit of reassurance close to hand.

Raspeberry leaf tea- agree with the posts- I don't think you need it!

And- I felt like a destroyed woman after my first- torn, bruised and battered, exhausted after been up two nights with a 32 hour labour, and piles like a bunch of grapes- I feel this really added to the exhaustion and blues of the following weeks. But with second no tear, no piles, recovery much quicker- I think it will be the same for you.

Good luck!!

[SilkCutMama]

Reflexology - tis wonderful

[reban]

Hi i too have been worrying about this as mine have been increasingly faster.
DD1 10 hours
DS1 4 1/2 hours
ds2 3 hours (only this long because i had a full bladder when i arrived at hospital and had to empty it to push baby out!)
now due dc4 on 20/12 and have already discussed my concern about quicker labour with my midwife. She did suggest being prepared for a home birth which im really not keen on and neither is dp. I think planning is going to be the only thing i can do to ease worries. So that will be

1. bags packed for everyone.
   
2. mom and parent in laws on constant standby to have other children.
   
3. no disappearing dp at any point around due date (no xmas drinks ut for him )
   
4. as my labours have been quite intensive from the word go i do know very quickly that it is the real thing and not BH, so its going to be action stations at the first sign.
   
   I didnt do anything to physically prepare beforehand but i was lucky to have a lot of support afterwards which i think was essential.
   good luck when are you due?

[mummy2t]

i like you had a 4 hour labour first time round, had a bad tear but felt reasonably ok afterwards. i was also scared about a quick second labour. this timea set of for the hosiptal straight away. had first slight pain at 7.30pm, set of for hosiptal at 8pm, arrived at hospital at 8.30pm and ds2 was born at 8.53pm.
if i was to do it again, id prepare for a homebirth, unless i lived 20seconds from the hosiptal.
i was also worrying about ds1, ( 4years)
lucky for me it all went to plan. i put him to bed straight after 1st contraction, my mum came round to listen out for him. me, hubby and bubba arrived home at midnight and ds1 didnt even know we had been gone! perfect!
good luck anyway, relax and everything will work out xxx

[minouminou]

that sounds amazing mummy2t!

[mummy2t]

it was, i worried for the whole pregnancy about how the actually labour etc would effect ds1. he isnt used to people baby sitting etc. even though he goes to nursery. i used to laugh and joke saying " hopefully i will put Tom to bed, go to hospital, have baby, have a cup of tea and a bath and then come home" to my amazement this is what happened. after ds2 was born the midwife asked if i wanted a cup of tea and i burst out laughing, couldnt believe it was happening as i hoped it would.

[Wisknit]

What about planning for a homebirth?

My ds1 slept through ds2's birth. That way you wouldn't have to worry about having baby en route. Warm baths before 5 cm slow it down too. after that they speed stuff up but will help with pain relief.

With the aches and pains. There is a very good book by Janet Balaskas (in fact I think there are 2 out there) about active birth. Lots of brilliant advice on positioning and yoga based exercises you can do to get your body and self ready for the birth.

Hope this helps and everything goes well for you when you have the baby.

[mad4mybaby]

thanks all. Im due in november. I think ive decided if i go into labour at night will def try for home birth. will book in for one. Really worried though. MW are supportive of home birth which is good. Dont hink ds would wake up unless i was upstairs or any starts shouting!

[ChasingSquirrels]

my ds1 slept though the birth of ds2 (not that there was alot to sleep through), came in the next morning to find ds2 in moses basket next to my bed , then went to tell my mum (who had ended up staying the night) that ds2 had arrived, "what does he look like" my mum asked, "like a boy" ds1 replied.
Was lovely to just be at home.

[MKG]

I found the mental preparation was definitely lacking. After a 3 hour labor with ds2 I laid in the bed unable to hold him because I was in a state of shock. I kept saying, "I just came for a checkup".

[ImForeverBlowingBuble]

My 1st labour was 4 hours 30 and i felt like a horse kicked me.
My 2nd was classed as 50 mins from 1st twinge
resulting in an unassisted delivery with dp doing the catching.I was shaken and had insomnia but physically i felt great,literally like i hadnt had a baby.Even my tummy sprang back in 2 days.

Definately go for a home birth.

If i ever go for dc3 then i would get one booked asap.

[Heartmum2Jamie]

I have been following this thread with interest. I am 29 weeks pregnant with ds3. DS1 (7) arrived 8 days late after 11 1/2 hours. DS2 (4) arrived 2 days early just 1 hr & 29 minutes after being taken to a room to be examined before they sent me home (was in after tripping and landing on my bump) . I was a little shell shocked after the speedy arrival of ds2 but coped ok. Now I am obviously worried about this baby having the possibility of arriving even faster. I was found to be 7cm dilated both times when examined, so it seems I don't really notice contractions before then, or mistake them for BH. I am quite open to the idea of a homebirth, dh is dead set against it. I am secretly hoping that baby arrives too fast to do anything about it. The midwife said she won't take bets on 3rd babies, but that I should call an ambulance rather than try to make it to the hospital and risk giving birth in the car on the roadside as the hospital is a good 20 minutes away.