2nd birth - Better? Worse? Same? Different?

[chocolatestar]

My first birth was okish, started early in the day, stayed at home until midnight, journey to the hosptial not nice, arrived at hospital fully dilated and they thought they baby was coming right away. He didn't. They broke my waters and then noticed he was back to back. Then I had four hours of agony, eventually had pain relief.

The last four hours were scary for me. I am just wondering what people experienced the second time round. Might it be faster? Similar?

No way of knowing I suppose but wanted to ask what others had experineced.

In summary faster, a lot more painful and the after contractions were a nightmare. Was less scared -although 1h 30 from start to finish doesn't give you much time to be scared. I stupidly packed the bag too late.. was 9 days overdue first time and 36 weeks second time.

I would focus on getting everything packed you're going to need it at some point. Also talk to your first child little and often to prepare them.

First birth pure hell. Walked around for over a year with PND staring at other mothers not understanding how they could possibly function with such an awful trauma secret (my labour was apparently text book according to my notes etc).

With my second birth I was running around staring at other mothers for almost a year wondering how they could look so normal after having been through such an amazing, life changing experience. How could they not be grinning from ear to ear every day? (labour also text book)

43mins from first contraction to afterbirth.....! :0

Second was a thousand times better.

First labour - back to back, hours of agonising contractions, made to feel a complete wimp, g&a didn't touch it, 3.5 hour pushing stage, put me off having any more for years.

Second labour (4 years later) - arrived at hospital pretty much fully dilated, having not believed the contractions were proper labour. DD born 20 minutes later. After pains were hell though.

To qualify that last sentence. After pains might not have been hell had the MW not refused to give me pain relief because I would "just throw it back up again"

First birth 12 hours, TENS, Fentanyl, 5 hours in tansition and 2nd stage.

Second birth - undetected breech! - 2.5 hours, a little gas and air - pretty easy!

my 2nd much better, much quicker, much less over medicalised and v dif from my first