Failed to progress during first labour - same for the second?

[IWantToGoToThere]

I had a long labour with DS1 and when I was first assessed at the MLU I was found to be 4-5cm. Six hours later I hadn't got any further (labouring in pool and with G&A) so they broke my waters. There was a lot of meconium so I had to be transferred to the hospital so DS could be continually monitored. When I was next assessed, I was still only around 5cm. I was given syntocinon which had to be increased and I finally managed to get to 10cm about 9 hours later. My first stage was around 48 hours from first contraction to second stage, but thankfully I was only pushing for 20 minutes or so before DS was born.

I have asked my MW whether that is likely to happen again with my next baby which I'm due to have in February. She was very vague and just said that my body 'knows what to do now' so it shouldn't happen.

Has anyone had this experience the first time around and had a better (ie quicker!) progression the second time around?

thanks

Labour 1 - arrived at hosp after 7 hours labour, 5cm. Used beanbags, tens, and then the pool for 6 hours. Still 5cm. Epidural - still 5cm 6 hours after that. Syntocin whacked up increasingly to max dose, and finally got to 10cm after another 10 hours. Then pushing did nothing so used a ventouse no-one expected to work, but it did - 38 hours in all.

Labour 2 - arrived at hosp after 7 hours labour, 5cm. Got epidural. Fully dilated five hours later. Then pushing did nothing so used a ventouse again. 19 hours total, which matches the 'second is half as long' cliche that you often hear.

Labour 1 - 37 hours, op, failure to progress, waters broken, syntocin drip, ventouse, almost 10lb

Labour 2 - 10 hours from spontaneous waters breaking, 5-10 cm in under 5 mins, simple delivery

Labour 3 - induced with pessary at 37 weeks, 12 hour simple labour.

My labour failed to progress with number 1 and 4, but the other two were fine. Each labour is differrent and as far as I know, just because it happen in one labour doesn't mean it will happen in another.

Yes, much better with second.

Failed to progress with first. ARM. Drip. Forceps.

2nd was born at home in 9 hours.

If you have had a previous VB you have what is known as a 'proven cervix' so the risk of failure to progress is lower.

I also think I was one of those people who really needed to go into myself to progress. Hospital, bright lights, internals just shut everything down. No 2 was dark, quiet, no talking, no people wandering in and out, totally zoned out. It's very personal, but for me I think that really helped. (Not campaigning for you to home birth BTW, just suggesting you think about what environmental things might help or be most important to you).

DS1: waters broke spontaeously, irregular contractions for 36 hrs, augmented by drip for 10 hrs. EmCS.

DS2: Pretty much the same except refused the drip and had EmCS because he was in distress.
TTC #3 - think i'll go for elcs this time. Have no problem getting pregnant but not good at giving birth.

Labour 1 - disastrous, long, everything that could go wrong did including 'failure to progess', 'fetal distress' etc
Labour 2 - quick, relatively 'easy', just worked!

No idea why they were so different but they were!

Good luck

Same here, 1st time was 5 long days from 1st contraction to birth, epidural, forceps in doctor-led ward. Second time 4 weeks ago was 12 hours all in, just gas and air, 28 minutes from arriving in very calm midwife-led suite to giving birth, including just 4 pushes. I was much calmer this time - I literally forced myself to do the breathing and relaxation, and move around - but it definitely felt like my body knew what to do more this time and there was a lot less, ahem, holding the baby.in!

Thanks everyone. I guess I'll just have to wait and see, but am really hoping I have an easier go this time around. Am hoping that my body really will know what to do this time (although to be fair to it, I got half way before stopping last time). Good luck to anyone else is a similar position!

You didn't get halfway last time! Your body did it all, just with a bit of help. I was told by the midwives that having had syntocinon and/or instrumental in a first birth didn't really affect the chances of a spontaneous vaginal birth second time. What did affect it was a previous section - both from being more careful from VBAC but also that body was doing it for the first time (or parts of it) -the cervix hadn't fully dilated, the birth canal hadn't been 'travelled', etc, etc.

Second time much better for me.

First time I had contractions for four days. Waters broke but for 3 cm for hours afterwards. Then contractions stopped altogether. Ended up with the drip and an epidural and very nearly ventouse.

This time I had contractions starting at 4am and baby was born at home at 3:44pm after 4 pushes