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Original poster

First birth vs second birth

29 replies

winningeasy · 09/04/2023 09:26

My first birth was around 7 hours, about 6.5 of those hours were without pain relief then they gave me a spinal and took me to theatre at 10cm dilated and used ventouse to get DD out. There was meconium so they were being cautious

I wanted to get an idea of how long second births took vs first birth, as I am pregnant again and thinking of options and considering home birth

Thanks!

OP posts:
Kaibashira · 09/04/2023 09:33

Everyone is different obviously but I'll answer since the end of your labour sounds similar to mine (last minute epidural, ventouse, meconium).

Second labour: started having contractions at 10pm Saturday, unbearable by 6am Sunday, went into hospital, 7cm dilated, baby born without interventions at 10am. Stitched up and kicked out by 2pm.

I didn't consider home birth purely because my first birth made me cautious about how quickly things can go wrong. But also we have no car and there's no way I'm bussing it to hospital at the last minute...

MyOtherUsernameIsDave · 09/04/2023 09:34

12 hours first, 2 days with the second.

3ormoredogs · 09/04/2023 09:34

I’m one of the exceptions in that my second birth was much longer and harder.

5 hours and very straightforward vs about 12 hours with a very long pushing stage resulting in baby becoming distressed. DC2 was unexpectedly 2.5lbs heavier than DC1 though. I was glad to be in hospital as towards the end the button was pressed and I had teams of people there within seconds. I hadn’t expected it as I was told second labours are usually much easier and faster…DC1 pretty much shot out!

Luckily DC3 went back to 5 hours and didn’t follow the trend.

QforCucumber · 09/04/2023 09:35

First 2 days, spinal and forceps.

2nd 42 minutes 😂

MuMmaOf3littles · 09/04/2023 09:35

My 1st was 6hrs 30mins, arriving at the hospital 8cm dilated, straightforward birth but did end up with some tears and stitching.
My 2nd was 1hr 30 mins and a nice easy birth.
My 3rd I was induced on at 40+13w but again a really easy birth which lasted 1hr 27mins.
I'm now due baby #4 in July and I'm hoping I'll have a nice quick birth with him too.

WeedKnife · 09/04/2023 09:36

First - 13 hours, no pain relief ("you don't need it").
Second - 45 minutes but a planned home birth and the midwife arrived just in time!

Oysterbabe · 09/04/2023 09:36

My first was quite quick and straightforward.
My second, I started getting mild contractions at midnight, waters went at 1:30am, born at 4am.

fairgame84 · 09/04/2023 09:36

I got induced both times. 1st birth was 3 hours from waters breaking until baby, with one hour pushing.
2nd birth was 8 hours from waters breaking until baby but she was out in 4 pushes so less than 15 minutes.

NeonBoomerang · 09/04/2023 09:37

Both my labours were exactly the length despite being fifteen years apart and the second one being an induction.

halloumi1 · 09/04/2023 09:40

1st was 11 hours from waking up feeling first contractions to birth, 20 mins pushing. No pain relief or interventions, just some stitching for a 2nd degree. Had to stay overnight as there was meconium but all was fine.

2nd was just over 8 hours in total, 6 minutes pushing. Had ARM but no other interventions and no pain relief, again just some stitching for a 2nd degree. Had to stay overnight again as at time of birth, there wasn’t a Dr to discharge us apparently but out by lunch.

Both beautiful, lovely experiences!

apric0t · 09/04/2023 09:41

First 14 hours no pain relief, second 7 hours no pain relief, so the same but just half the time!

NewLifter · 09/04/2023 09:43

Number 1 - about 4 hours from established labour to birth (vacuum birth).
Number 2 - Documented as 30 minutes but I would say more like an hour.
Number 3 - Around 2 hours from established labour to birth.

It is quite rare to have a difficult 2nd birth after a relatively straightforward first birth. Remember, you are more likely to have a straightforward birth at home as issues are usually caused by being in hospital - induction, pain relief, being stuck on the bed, not allowed to eat, negative atmosphere etc.

TheGoogleMum · 09/04/2023 09:45

Second labour was much faster than first.
First one I had contractions but not enough dilation for a whole day. Once I was dilated enough for birth centre it was still around 6 hours till I gave birth i think.
2nd one once I got to hospital baby came in less than 2 hours

Hesma · 09/04/2023 09:46

1st - 1hr 39 mins, ventouse

2nd - 36 mins

UsernamePain · 09/04/2023 09:46

I had spinal and episiotomy with my first- had tried for a home birth but baby got stuck.
second was 20 mins from start to finish!

freyamay74 · 09/04/2023 09:49

First birth, 26 hours, little bit of gas and air towards end of first stage. 2 hours of pushing and no pain relief (wasn't allowed gas and air at this stage!) Hurt like fuck, especially the crowning bit. Second: 12 hours, but pushing stage was only 15 minutes. Still hurt like hell but at least it was quicker and I knew what to expect.

PuttingDownRoots · 09/04/2023 09:49

1st birth... mild contractions around lunchtime, becoming more regular n hospital before baby made a shock appearance when no one else was around at 7.30pm.

2nd birth... mild contractions again at lunch time, midwives were there by 2pm due to previous history... baby delivered by them properly in a more relaxed 2 pushes at 8pm.

Home birth was partly chosen as they were worried about me giving birth at the side of the road.

Isis1981uk · 09/04/2023 09:50

4.5 hours with the first, 2.5 hours with the second. But I'm not counting having contractions at home as they were manageable - just time spent in labour in hospital.

Geranium1984 · 09/04/2023 09:52

First - 36hrs, last 12hrs on epidural.
Second - about 8hrs from first sporadic contractions to birth. Actual 'active' labour about 45mins ... managed to get about 5 sucks of gas and air at the end thank god.

kernowpicklepie · 09/04/2023 09:53

First: 7 and a half hours from first contraction, no pain relief.

Second: hind waters with blood broke at 5am, very slow contractions for a few hours, fore waters broken by midwife and put on hormone drip at lowest setting. 1 hour of active labour and 10 minutes of pushing. No pain relief.
In total from the waters breaking it was 9 and a half hours.

Second was worst just because the contractions came on really strong and fast rather than naturally and I didn't feel prepared for it at all. Also, he was 5 weeks early and it was Christmas morning so I was really not prepared

MotherofBingo · 09/04/2023 10:07

My 1st was 4 hours from the first contraction with no pain relief but needed an episiotomy and forceps, my 2nd was an emergency c-section with no labour however I did have a home birth planned because I was told 2nd labour's do tend to be much quicker. My sisters labours actually halved in length each time.

Original poster
winningeasy · 09/04/2023 10:16

@NewLifter yes! This is what I am thinking. My labour was 7 hours despite having to transfer to hospital (had planned homebirth), them insisting on restrictive monitoring which I hated, making me read a long contract and signing, my midwife being a bit of knob, several vaginal examinations on my back, them attempting (and failing) three times to fit a monitor to babies head (on my back), giving me an injection to slow down contractions and several really annoying conversations (including one midwife asking me what I did for a job lol). Oh and it took 40 mins / 7 attempts to put in the spinal, only to give birth 5 contractions later...

If I am at home with a doula protecting my space then maybe things will be easier

OP posts:
fairtrauchled · 09/04/2023 10:39

1st was 2 hrs from waters breaking.No pain relief given as I was fully dilated by the time I arrived at the labour ward.

2nd was around 2 hrs but difficult to gauge as I'd been told to go in for an induction as my waters had broken 48hrs before but I wasn't in labour at all.When I was examined I was 4cm dilated but no pain or contractions and by the time they took me to the labour ward I was 8cm dilated again with no pain or contractions.DC2 was born 2 hrs after I arrived to be induced.Again no pain relief as I chose not to and it was fine.

Notellinganyone · 09/04/2023 10:42

Second birth was same length as first - 12 hours. I was expecting it to be shorter and easier but it wasn’t! Third was much quicker at 5 hours.

SkyeBlue28 · 09/04/2023 10:48

My first labour was 12 hours. I had an epidural for about 5 hours of it and it was a vacuum delivery.

My second one was 6 hours, gas and air for final hour of it, and baby was delivered without intervention, ie no vacuum or forceps.

I remember a midwife I saw for an antenatal appointment telling me that most of the time a second birth is easier than the first. I was worried about needing the vacuum again and she said that it’s not needed as much for a second delivery. Of course it’s not always the case and she was probably trying to make
me feel better!