Terrified about Labour no 2.........what was yours like - bigger babies/longer times?

[davidtennantsmistress]

DS was born (by the time I go in) 5.5 years ago,

Tore quite badly, espisotomy (sp) epidoodle, gas & air being inhaled like it was oxygen . Waters went at 9am (quite civilised on the loo, was 4 cm by 12 then 6 by 2 (ended up in hospital at this point as I was flooding pads with blood every half hour or so, 10cm at midnight & ds born 2.5 hours later with the vontouse thingy. took about an hour to re stitch me. :( and he was only 7lb! (oh and he was at 38+6

anyhow, no 2 is on it's way (20+5) so a bit of time yet, but am concerned it will be:-

a) the same awful experience
b) the MW's will be too busy to help (with DS was only me birthing at the time)
c) the baby will be about 9lb +
d) I go over/under by to much.

so questions are are 2nd's bigger/smaller/quicker/longer than your first?

I think my muscles are all ok again after DS.

Hm, due date is today and was convinced things were starting last night, turns out I just needed a load of poos. Still think something is going on, wish I felt more excited, enthusiastic about it though.

DTsmistress - hypnobirthing is a way of trying to self-hypnotise during labour. Costly but encourages positive thinking (well, did for my last birth), types of breathing and hypnosis/visualisation. I never quite made the hypnosis/visualisation but found the breathing and positive thinking made things go pretty well. Really need that positive thinking now (and about 40 pineapples).

I'm due today and also terrified of the pain, however this does put me at ease (well a bit at least!)

But I'm attached to a midwifery led unit, so I've seen the same midwife as my first baby, and who greets with a huge welcome each appointment - asks about my life and whom I am to text the moment I go into labour to make sure she's at the unit by the time I am...we live in hampshire countryside so it's not exactly on the doorstep.

The nurses in in the unit are also really caring and ask about my ds everytime I go too. I would recommend you research into this option as it will make you feel at ease if there's one near you - it's a small unit but I've never heard of it being too full. They're obviously keen to have natural births as you have to be shipped off if you require anything more than pethadine...I had a water birth and would love one second time around too.

Good luck and it does seem from everyone on here that it is easier second time around,

My first was ds, who weighed 3.8 kilos. Labour lasted 8 hrs, including 1 hr pushing stage. I had an episiotomy, it was pretty bad, it took ages to heal (Idon't remember how many stitches)

My second: DD, she weighed 3.2 kilos. Labour went on for 6 hrs, but wasn't at all painful until the last hr. She came out after 3 pushes, I think. No episiotomy, 1 stitch required. I was immediately fine.

My first was forceps delivery as she wa determined she was not coming out! 8lb6, i had to be sewn up and did not have good experience.
Second was totally different he was much quicker and yes he was a big boy 9lb11 but i was back at home less than 3 hours after birth, no tearing or anything.

lou how did you feel being home so quickly - think with DS I was very nieve and thought i'd be in & out in one day, (5 days later) however actually coming home with a brand new shiney baby I find quite daunting. is it normal to be out within a few hours these days. :(

My labour took 87 hours from the first contraction. It was quite painful from the start. I ended up having waters broken, syntocinon drip, an epidural and a few stitches. I now think I may have suffered a bit of post traumatic shock in the months after, very much questioning whether my body knew what it was doing with such a long labour and needing all that intervention. I still do wonder if my body will know what to do with labour, especially as we're now considering a second baby. A positive was that I didn't have forceps or ventouse, thanks to the mobile epidurals which wear off enough to provide a bit of sensation for pushing time. Also lots of pelvic floor exercises during pregrancy. Very nervous that it will be the same again second time around.

Any similar stories, faring a bit better second time around after a ridiculously long first labour, that might reassure?

Oh, and davidtennantsmistresss - how did you get on with your labour?