2nd timers : How did it compare to your first labour....Really?

[Littlerayofsunshine]

4.5weeks until EDD with DC2....

I hope its as straight-forward as DD's but maybe not as intense and speedy!

DD1 - 30 hours from first pain, 1 hour of pushing. Was exhausted by the end.

DD2 - 10 hours from first pain, 15 minutes of pushing.

Second labour was lovely, very relaxed and quite calm.

this is scary! My DC1 birth was 72 hrs from 1st contraction to him being yanked out with forceps by Obstetrician. DC2 due in 6 weeks, and I am fully expecting a nice 12-24 hr labour, so time to drop DS off at friends house, and head to the hospital in a leisurely fashion and get the drugs before the really painful bit starts! :o starting to worry it'll be a short labour now

Hmmm DD1 nothing happening at 11 days overdue so labour induced, STILL nothing happening, took doctors 12 hours of heartbeat monitoring to work out she was in distress, ended up emergency CS (about -5 minutes from knife to delivery from what I can remember) and turned out the cord was round her neck so just as well they got on with it.

DD2, Elective CS as I couldn't bear the thought of another situation like the first time. Absolutely bloody brilliant, everything so much better, less pain, quicker recovery, actually got to hold her before they rushed her off to the Paediatricians. May get shot down in flames for recommending an Elective, but honestly it was the best decision I ever made - even though she turned out to have such a tiny head I probably could've delivered her naturally just by sneezing

second birth was way more intense. The hospital told me I was not in labour properly yet and to stay at home. So I gave birth in bed with partner on phone to 999. First birth was a planned homebirth.

Much easier. I had an unexpected home birth as she came so quickly and the urge to push was overwhelming. My waters were bulging with every push and the midwives had to break them for me. Minutes later DD2 was born. I did have to be taken in to hospital to have the placenta removed manually (they tried with no anaesthetic first - it's put me off having another baby it was that awful) but eventually they gave me a spinal and got it out. After an overnight stay we were allowed home.

While it was 'easier' it was much more dramatic and scarring. The labour itself was great but after two vaginal unmedicated births (apart from gas and air) I felt like a failure having to have an epidural regardless.

I just found it less frightening, as you knew roughly what was coming next, and knew you had come through it all the first time! Not quite as long, but still hours rather than minutes. I found caring for a second baby much easier, as I was more relaxed, DD2 seemed to get into a routine much quicker than the first one. After DD1 I said Never again! - but the second one didnt seem so earth shattering - never did it again after the second time though!

dd 8 days overdue 12 hour labour , epidural, couple of pushes and she was out

ds 4 days early, born 2 hours after arriving at the hospital gas and air no pushing at all, he surfed out.

revolutionconfirmed as you say you had two natural births, don't beat yourself up about the spinal. The most important thing is your DC had a lovely entry into the world, and they are healthy and well.

ds was over 30 hours in arrival, failed ventouse and forceps delivery! then a miserable 5 days in hospital

ds2 was great different hospital born 12.30 am( just after midnight) just gas and air then home by 5.30 that afternoon enjoying a chinese!

DS - a week overdue, waters broke then nothing for about 30 hours, eventually went into labour just before I was due to be induced. 14 hours of labour before pushing him out. No pain relief (gas and air made me feel sick, didn't want epidural). Tearing, stitches, piles, exhausted for weeks and couldn't sit down happily for ages.

DD - induced a week early, spent two days lounging around in hospital waiting for the induction to work, then they put me on the drip and she shot out in 1 hour. Dilated from 5-10cm in 5mins. Extremely painful, but only really for those five minutes I felt fucking amazing afterwards. No tearing, no piles - I was up and about the next day feeling like I could take on the world.

Ds 39 weeks 16 hour labour, 2 hours pushing, ventouse and forceps and episiotmy.

Dd 37 weeks, 1 hour labour 15 mins pushing, no stitches or pain relief

Very nervous about dc3 due in July

1st was in slow labour for about a week. i knew it was 'the day' though, 24 hours later, after 1hour of ppushing my 9lb 5oz girl who'd been facing the wrong way was born by emcs

2nd. 24hours after 'i knew' it was the day (ok, not quite THE day) ds1 was born. felt totally different :(

3rd. slow labour for a week. thought cs scar splitting. a little bleeding. 45min drive to hospital, broke my waters (meconium :( ) just over 3 hours later. ds2 :D

waters broken for me all 3 times. 1st 2 same in duration. 3rd MUCH faster and more enjoyable

Completely different and the second time was LOADS easier:- DD1 9 hours long; 2nd stage was soooooooooo painful I vowed never to do it again...(famous lasst words)..quite a bad tear...DD2 5 hours long; (in hindsight: I didn't realise admit "it's happening!" until 1.5 hrs before she was born!), second stage was a doddle (considering this is childbirth we're talking about) and no tears, phew.

DD2 definitely much easier. Quicker, more efficient somehow. Still had stitches, worse ones if anything, but I slept through quite a proportion of the labour so I only felt as though I was in labour for around an hour and a half, maybe slightly less. I was nowhere near as tired because I'd slept for most of the night and the whole thing was much less effort.

The only thing I found was, and this might sound weird, it happened all so quickly - and I was over a week early - that it took a while to adjust that I actually had the baby, that it was all over and done with. In balance I'd say physically easier but maybe not emotionally.

Wow its amazing seeing the variations. I'm 36 weeks tomorrow, baby is very low, braxton hicks are frequent and very strong, (like with DD but even more so) at 34+4 i was 3/5th engaged. got a check up this thursday so wonder what it'll be then.

If 2nd labours are usually half the time, that means DC2 will be less than 2 hrs - eeek

Who knows. I have 4 weeks until EDD, who knows if it'll be early, on time or late again. I hope I dont go over. DD was 5days over. and I had 2 sweeps... But I think what got her moving was DTD the day before she was born

Hmmm....

My current situation is very much making me on edge, to the point where I can't think about it...? DP away until Oct, however can come to the birth when gets the phone call... only for a certain amount of hours. DD's drop off with G'parent and care etc.. then raising them both alone for the next 6months. i'll get through it.

I just somehow hope that it happens in the daytime again and not in the middle of the night. :(

With DD it literally just happened too. No waters breaking. I just got a back ache then full blown intense contractions. I just wonder how it will come about this time? thats the bit that worries me, if I will know right away, or waste time thinking "is it, isnt it?"

DD arrived in the back of a taxi at the hospital entrance.........45mins from waters breaking to birth. Previous labour with DS had been 2.5 hrs from waters breaking to birth.

DD1 - total labour 1.5 hours (was only in hospital because i was there to be induced, i thought i was constipated), easy easy birth. 8 pounds 9 oz

DD2 - 27 hours!!!!! nuff said!! 9 pounds 8 oz!

Well, my first birth was a long, slow, intervention special.

The second was over as soon as it started. DS2 was born in the loo.

Dd1 born at 38 wks - easy and shockingly quick labou! Started with waters breaking then progressed fast- baby arrived 10 mins, after arriving in delivery suite.

Ds1 born at 39 weeks - homebirth. 2.5 hours from contractions starting to baby out.

Dd2 born at 39+1 weeks. 2nd homebirth. Almost identical to second labour, except for feeling more intense and painful.

No drugs for any birth!

Both 8 days late.

One averagely long labour,one very quick.

First labour over 20 hours back to back with over an hour of pushing. No interventions ( by the skin of my teeth) but tore badly.

2nd labour was a doddle. Light Contractions from 6am, strapped on tens at lunchtime, then went to my accountancy exam. Did 3 hour exam in an hour then went straight to hospital. Dd was born 25 mins after arrival after 1 push. I was still standing up with knickers on and midwife literally had to play catch.

And when I got the results 6 weeks later I had passed my exam

First was ok, midwife led, 16 hours, dia morphine, no intervention and second degree tear.

Second time, established labour only couple of hours, water birth and has and air for pushing stage. Still second degree tear but a much easier birth than first time.

Mine were very different. 30hours from waters breaking to birth with DS1. Established labour for 16 hours, epidural, 4 hours of pushing, forceps and 4 nights in hospital. He was born on his due date.

We had moved by the time DS2 was expected and I had to go to a different hospital which I was dreading. I thought I wouldn't be able to get an epidural there (they had very low rates for epidural as pain relief but massively high CS rates and I just didn't like the hospital for all sorts of reasons.) and I didn't think I cope without one. I was stressing.

DS2 was very considerate though. He came 6 days early, 5.5 hours of labour start to finish and probably only the 1.5 hours of established labour during which time my waters broke and as a result we abandoned the attempts to get to hospital. DS was delivered by a paramedic, at home, 20 minutes later (drive to hospital would have been 25 minutes, even if I could have got down the stairs to the car).

They do say that second labours are often quicker than the first (certainly was for me). I had a neighbour who had very quick labours like yours OP who was warned to go to hospital at the first twinge. Personally I was very glad to miss out on the hospital bit and have a home birth. I would never have had the nerve to plan one though.

Best of luck to you.