Did you dilate faster second time round?

[Stokey]

Had a very long drawn out first labour - my waters broke and I wasn't at all dilated so was sent home for 24 hrs and when I returned was still only 5cm, at which point was hooked up to sinotocin drip and induced. It still took another 16 hrs til DD was born, so 40 hours active labour.

Anyone had a similar experience with first labour, and found things did move quicker second time round? I hoped for a water birth first time but ended up having to be on the labour ward and hooked up to machines, and exhausted so ended up with epidural.

I'd like to try for a water birth again this time, but am worried am being unrealistic based on previous experience.

Yes much faster. MW explained it as follows . The cervix has to thin and also to dilate, and in a first labour the cervix cannot do both of these things at the same time. In subsequent labours it can. Anyway, that was how it was explained to me. HTH.

Oh yeah!! Contractions started about 8pm, baby arrived just before midnight. Shot out. Amazing.

DD1 was 8 hours - about 5 hours dilating.
DD2 was about 1 hour dilating then she popped out before I made it to hospital.

Thanks, good to know - fingers crossed i get lucky too....

DC1's birth was like you - waters broke, 12 hours later labour hadn't started properly, finally labour started but 8 hours later still only 3cm dilated, so they finally put me on epidural & syntocinon drip. Once drip in, went from 3 to 10cm in 2 hours and DC1 born after 30 mins of pushing. With DC2, waters broke, contractions started 30 mins later. By the time I got to hospital, I was 6-7cm dilated. DC2 born 2 hours later (3.5 hours from start to finish). Baby shot out in 3 pushes.

I was told that primps are expected to dilate at ½ cm per hour, and subsequent pgs are 1cm per hour.

No.

I am clinging desperately to this thread. Cannot face another 36 hour epic with 2.5 hours pushing....

first took 14 hours or so to dilate 4 to 10
2nd took 20 mins 4 to 10
3rd not sure but when i was checked i was 2-3cm and stretchy. 40 mins later, baby came!

My first was 16 hours. With my second it was about 5 hours- I left it til the last minute to go to hospital because I thought I'd be waiting ages.

Oooh yes. Both induced. From waters going (both spontaneous) to birth-
First- 11 hours
Second- 1 hour, and if they'd let me push when I wanted to, probably only 40 minutes!

DC1 induced: 1 pessary, born 24hrs later
DC2 spontaneous labour lasting 2.5hrs
DC3 spontaneous labour lasting 3.5hrs

There is definitely hope

Yes, 24hrs first time, 5 hours flash to bang second time he didn't touch the sides

DD1 induced after waters broke, cervix effaced but not dialated, and no contractions. Cervix did sod all for hours and then went from 3 to 10 in about 3 hours.

DD2 got to hospital and 4cm dialated, dd born still in her water an hour later. I didnt push, my body just shot her out. It was bizarre! Much much easier.

First time - induced. Took 24 hours to get to about 3 cm. Then started complain about pain and begged for epidural but they didn't even bother ptting my name on list as they said it was too early. After an hour or two of begging they finally deigned to put ne on the list at which point I started to push and they said it was too late they also said that I must have been in lots of pain to have gone from 3 to 10 in a couple of hours- like doh. Where were you when was screaming in agony and begging for pain relef - not checking or believing me.

Second time around - in hospital for an outpatient appointment when waters broke and contractions came thick and fast. Consultant tried to send me home to come back a few hours into labour. Midwives ignored him and sent me to maternity ward instead. Ds2 born about 20 mins later; never got around to having any checks for dilation rate as was ready to push before I even got to the maternity ward. Was getting porter to push me faster (was stuck in a wheelchair so didnt need to walk thank goodness) as I didn't want to have baby in the corridor or lift .

Consultant had been pretty rubbish whenever I saw him, the fact he couldn't see that I was in tje middle of a really heavy fast hitting labour when all the midwives around were digging out their emergency 'baby delivery in outpatient dept' kit and ordering the wheelchair and porter to be there right now kind of sums it up really.

Sorry op just realised that turned into a bit of a rant, guess it still rankles lots. But yes - second time around was significantly faster!

DS1 - 8hrs 10mins

DS2 - 3hrs 51mins

DD - 1hr 25 mins

My labours seem to get shorter the more I have.

ds - stayed at 5cm for 9 hours mostly in hosp pool, then another 19 hours with epidural and incresing syntocin to get me dilated.

dd - 4cm when arrived at hosp, pain similar to when i got epi with ds, got epidural, fully dilated in 6 hours. So much for the plan to stick in the pool and avoid epidural, but that was mainly SPD problems going faster before we went to the hospital.

Mine also seem to get shorter the more I have
Labour 1 7hrs
Labour 4 just over 1hr

Has anyone gone from having a labour where you dilatewell, then subsequent labours you dont??

OOh thanks everyone - there's hope for us joygirl...

We will be faster this time round.

I had a horrible, horrible stop start labour first time. Took days.

I had a very straightforward eight-hour labour and a home waterbirth second time.

Ok am a little scared now my 1st labour was less than 5hrs start to finish! The midwives couldn't believe it when the exmined me for the 1st time and I was fully dialeted. Now a little scared about how fast my 2nd labour will be luckily I already decided to have a home birth! Oh yeah and would have been quicker if I hadn't of cried for a half hour or so after they told me it was time to push! Crying cos the labour was too quick and did not have time to get used to it!