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!

Baileyscoffe - bloody well done!!! That impressed me that did.

DS1 was a 17 1/2 hour labour, hospital birth with every drug known to man ending up in a forceps delivery, loads of stitches and a postpartum haemorrhage.

DS2 was a beautiful 4 1/2 hour (planned) homebirth with no pain relief needed and I was back in my own bed drinking champagne within half an hour.

So, so different!!
DD1:14 hours labour, epidural, back to back, absolutely exhausted and shattered afterwards. Altogether not a very nice time.
DD2 started having contractions 12 midnight, got to hospital about 4.15am, had baby at 5.30am. Only gas and air, felt pretty good afterwards with lots more energy.

I was very calm with dd2, I didnt want to wake DH and DD and wanted t be sure it was the real thing so sat tight. I wasn't panicking at all like I was with DD1.

and with DD1 I had Ventouse and epistotomy which made me quite sore for a few weeks afterwards.
Didn't have any of that with DD2 :)

DS1 - induced but an intense 4hours of proper labour - probably 6 hours from 1st pain.

DS2 - 90 minutes from first contraction. Planned home birth because I didn't want an unplanned one. Midwife arrived 15 minutes after he was born. Luckily I had a wonderful doula who kept me calm and just let me get on with it.

I'd do DS2 again tomorrow (except for the raising him bit...)

Much much quicker, much much more intense.

First time round I was very chatty and jokey but second time round I didn't have time or inclination for that. I was very focused on myself (this is very unusual for me). I knew what was happening and made sure everyone did exactly what I wanted/needed. I think it's the only time I've managed to have the-voice-that-must-be-obeyed!

Since my first labour was quite straightforward and speedy, I made sure that I was prepared for a home birth just in case. Fortunately, when it happened I had time to get to the midwife-led maternity unit 15 mins away in order to have the water birth I wanted. But only just!

Hello - saw your question and it was one I have thought about posting. I've 3 weeks to go (being induced) and it's nice to see so many encouraging stories. My only worry is my husband works 1 hour away, the hospital is then another hour away, the nursery is 25 mins away. We live quite far out, I'm quite prepared to crack on at home with my hypnobirthing book and CD (no idea if it will work for me), but am worried my 2 year old will be there!

Some of the 2nd births here have happened so fast! Ah well, alls well that ends well - not much can do about it:)

Baileyscoffeeandcampfires - I am in awe!

I am interested to hear people's views on this too, DC1 was 56 hours from waters going and contractions being noticeable, to birth using ventouse. Established labout was 19 hours in my notes, it was a hellish experience, we are TTC baby number 2 end of this year so I am a bit apprehensive as a lady I know just had DC3 and had a 25 hour labour, when I had assuemd subsequent labours were much quicker.

DD1 was 47 hours, epidural and forceps. DD2 (18 months later) was 2 hours start to finish, almost didn't make it to hospital in time as after the 1st I wasn't expecting her to come so quick. No pain relief and incredibly easy birth. DS1 (3.5 years after DD2) similar within 2 hours and water birth. Last birth was perfect.

DS1 was 30 hours from waters breaking and contractions starting to birth, ending in epidural and ventouse.

DS2 was 7 hours from waters breaking and contraction to birth, on pethidine. Far far quicker and easier (as easier as it can be, agh!). The pushing stage was 3 minutes.

TheRealMrsHannigan - my MW told me that typically 2nd births are usually quicker than 1st and 3rd births.

DD labour started exactly on my due date, but lasted 36 hours, with her face up, and causing me excruciating back pain. It ended with an emergency c-section, due to her heart rate dropping.

DS - I was really happy that they said I should have a natural birth and not necessarily have another c-section. But the epidural didn't work, so I got severe pains right across my internal scars from DD. 9 hours though from start to finish, he arrived with the help of forceps and an episiotomy. Even with the later complications for me, this was a much better experience.

Just having a nosy at this thread as I am also curious about everyones second births for when we choose to have another..
Dd was born 9 months ago - 2 day labour, gas & air when I reached 8 cms and was pushing for an hour to no avail - had to be rushed to hospital for episiotomy to get her out (I'd had a home birth planned). That last hour was terrible agony and I was exhausted from no sleep for 2 days, I didnt enjoy any of it at all and the experience haunted me for 6 months :(
Mw told me I was now "nice and stretched" for the next time!

DS1 17 hours of very painful labour - natural birth in private hospital after being told by obstetrician I was being very lazy and would end up with a forceps delivery if I didn't get pushing.

DS2 4 hour labour, not that painful except for baby getting a bit stuck through shoulder dystocia ( huge scrum as midwives re aligned him and dragged him out) home birth - wonderful experience.

Couldn't be more different.

Dd1 - emcs following 10 hour labour during which time my epidural wore off, no-one noticed and I was left screaming in agony with a 9 lb baby stuck back to back in my pelvis until they whisked me off to theatre. Awful. And two days late.

Dd2 - natural delivery in 1.5 hrs after a mild labour lasting most of the day. Didn't go to hospital until early evening and then I was only going for a check up as she was two weeks early.

Dd1 nightmare to feed, dd2 breastfed like a dream. Dd1 never ill in her life, dd2 always has a cold. My two really are like chalk and cheese.

Good luck!

DS1 3.5 hours
DS2 2.5 hours. Waters broke and bang into full on contractions.

You need to be able to get straight to hospital at the first sign.
I live in the sticks and had mum on stand by to come over and stay with DS1 (a half hour drive).
In the event I knew there wasn't time and rang a lovely neighbour who was herself 39 weeks pregnant. She sat with DS1 until mum arrived and DH took me to hospital. We made it with about an hour to spare.

Could you parents come to stay?

DD1 36 hours of contractions - v e r y s l o w
DD2 was fast a quick - took about 4 hours - I had a bath at home at 5.30am and a baby in delivery suite at 9.14 am!

DS 24 hour labour, OK until end of stage 1 which took 20 hours and I managed with gas & air, but ended up with an emergency spinal and high forceps delivery, pph and stage 3 tear. Not good and took a long time to be able to sit comfortably, lochia went on for 8 weeks. Had to be restiched a few times as got infected, all extremely yucky and shear pain of it all went on for weeks.

DD much easier all round, 11 hour labour and no pph, ventouse delivery, stage 3 tear again, but was sewn up so well that recovery was within a few days, amazing, I love that consultant, no problems at all 6 years later. I had an epidural at 6cm as was scared of repeating labour no 1, it slowed things down a bit but was a good decision as it stopped me panicking and 11 hours isn't bad anyway.

Very envious of all these speedy births!

DD 36 hours from first contraction to baby, stayed at home for 34 hours just with tens for evil contractions that stayed at 6 mins apart for over 18 hours! Finally went to hospital when I felt utterly exhausted, and suddenly everything sped up, waters broke and then pushing stage only took 3 mins and surprised both me and the midwife! But that resulted in bad tears, PPH 1000mls, and stitches. Was totally, totally exhausted afterwards.

DS was much quicker, although 12 hours start to finish, but he was back to back and I ended up pushing for over two hours in agony - only had G&A again but if I had known it was going to take so long and be so painful I would have gone for an epidural, I just assumed it would be the same as DD. Stage 2 tears again and PPH again, but was stitched up much better this time. Far less tired this time round and recovered much quicker.

But the end results were definitely worth it!

Hmmm - was told by so many people that DS2 would be faster and less painful.

DS1 - 6 hours -nice massage with occasional blast of gas and air.

DS2 - 19 hours, back to back labour and forceps delivery in theatre - wee monkey!

2nd was super fast. I was admitted because of concerns with BP. DH, DS and I went for a walk around the hospital grounds and then I went back to the ward and DH and DS went home. Had some ache in stomach so asked for paracetamol and nurse said she would examine me first - about 4.30pm ish. I was about 7cm and was moved to delivery ward and DH phoned to come back. By the time he got back I was in full throes of labour and 2nd was born at 6.40pm.

First took about 7 hours in delivery suite.

DD1: 70 hours from first contraction to delivery by EMCS, back to back and unbelievably painful.

DD2: 12 hours 15 minutes from first contraction to natural delivery, gas and air only.

If I ever have another, I'll take birth2 again please!

Dd1 24hrs of failed epidurals x2, baby low heart rate, ventouse, episiotomy, sick baby, sick me, failure to thrive, failure to breast feed, very tough experience.

Dd2 3hrs. Like shelling peas. Everything the opposite of the above. Wonderful experience.

The biggest difference between DC1 and DC2 is that rather than fear / ignorance of giving birth, I vividly remembered the pain and the difficulty of pushing with utter clarity (it had only been 12 months before). And the 2nd one was a lot bigger.

DD, waters broke on stage in front of about 200 people, from waters breaking to birth = 76 hours.

DS, waters broke 10 mins before the end of a conference I was running (he nearly made it without publicly embarrassing me), waters breaking to birth = 8 hours.

Appart from significant time difference, both were fine (in the loosest sense of the word). Lots of G&A and waking stbx-h everytime he fell asleep (if I couldn't sleep, what makes him think he can!!!)