to ask about your second labour experiences.

[Favvi]

I was induced with DS and now I'm imminent with DD (36+4) so I'm hoping to get a better insight into what to expect. It'll take about an hour and a half to drive to the hospital (as long as traffic is good) and I'm terrified that I'll leave it too late - but I don't want to turn up and be told to go back home. Also, when I was induced, I had gas and air from the time they took my down for delivery so I was onto contracting for a few hours before I had gas and air - the internet says I could be labouring at home for hours before doing to the hospital and that sounds like torture. The NHS says to wait until contractions are five minutes apart, lasting for a minute each time for at least an hour - but that seems insanely regularly (I don't think I was ever contracting that regularly when I gave birth to DS).

It'd be really helpful to know thoughts on how long labour it likely to take and how quickly to leave for the hospital. How quickly did everyone progress with their second baby and how did you cope without any pain relief at home? How did you know it was labour or braxton hicks (I didn't have an BH in my first pregnancy)? Did your waters break (mine were broken for me last time)? Any tips would be really helpful.

No 2 labours are the same, but to share my experience:
First labour 18 hours from contractions starting to delivery. Stayed at home for the first 6 hours until my waters went, meconium was present so I was told to come in. Gas & air, to begin with. Pethidine when I was struggling.

Second labour, woke in the night with waters going. Contractions started straight away, strong and frequent so off to hospital we went. Delivered about 1.5 hours later, just gas and air.

I'm quick. First labour was 6 hours. Second was just under 3 hours!

I was able to labour at home for about 3 hours with my first. The pains weren't too bad and we only went into hospital when we did because I had a little bleed.

With my second they told me to come in as soon as labour started. Second babies do tend to be quicker so they said don't hang about.

I'm not having any more, but the midwife told me to have a home birth for any more babies lol.

My labour experiences were completely different.
With DD1, I was in labour for around 50 hours. Got to hospital at 7cm dilated (after being at home for best part of 2 days in labour). Was very lucky to have a water birth about 4/5 hours later. My waters didn't break either. I'm assuming they went in the birthing pool.
Because my first labour took so long, I was a bit blasé with my second labour. As it was, my waters went at 11pm, I called my parents to look after DD1 (I think my exact words were, there's no rush!). I got to hospital at 9cm dilated, started pushing straight away and DD2 was born just before 2am.
I always imagined that the water birth would be the 'ideal birth' but actually I was so exhausted from being awake for so long that in lots of ways, my DD2s birth was easier.

Just to buck the trend, my first labour was about six hours in total - homebirth with no drugs. Second labour was very slow to start, then after about eight hours at home some meconium dribbled out, so ended up going into hospital and being given 'something' to move things along as it was all going rather slowly. Baby arrived around five hours later I think, but it was all a bit of a blur!

First was 2 days on off contractions, back to back, epidural at the end

Second woke at 3am with cramps, had a nice leisurely bath and woke DH at 7, we got first son (18 mths) ready and dropped him off at my parents.

As soon as he was there, it was all systems go, nearly delivered in the car and just about got into hospital where he came out within 2/3 mins

Because of this, I was so scared of the same thing happening I insisted I stay in hospital when in labour with my third - that ended being a mix of the two, where on off contractions for two days ended with rocket delivery still on the ward without any relief!

I definitely recovered quicker physically without having had any pain relief with the second two (although I wish I'd had chance to have gas and air - I found it amazing when being stitched up)

Both my labours were quick.
First - woke up around 1:30am with mild contractions which quickly ramped up. Got to hospital about 4:30am and was 9.5cm.
Had an emc due to my dd's heart rate dropping and she was born at 5:55am.
For my son who is 3 weeks old, was booked in for a elc but he couldn't wait and was born the night before.
First pain about 6:30pm. Dropped my older daughter got to hospital at 8pm, was 8cm when checked at 8:30pm and he was born via EMC at 9:23pm. Got sterilised so I can't have anymore but I'd be terrified to have a third lol.

A bit late to the party here I know but I know that other mums will want to read these threads too to get some sort of reassurance or just comfort from other peoples experiences.

I'm a mummy of 2 beautiful little girls, both were fast established labours.

First DD was 3 days late, 4 1/2 hours established labour,

Second DD was 10 days early, 2 1/2 hours established labour.

Dc1 50h labour. Stopped dilating at 6cm, the midwives broke my water, struggled finding the heartbeat and finally figured out she was back to back. Consultant insisted I had an epidural and then I was induced. Super stressful.

Dc2 12h labour. No pain relief available and I screamed the hospital down in pain. I hsvr never experienced anything as painful. No idea what happened to my waters.

Best of luck. It's impossible to say how labour will proceed but I hope yours will be as good as possible.