How likely is very medical first birth to be repeated with second child?

[aamia]

Would like a second child, but so much went wrong and had to be fixed the first time - what if worse happened next time? Two days of crippling pain after my waters broke, no pain relief, would get closer together then not, and not dilated at all. So induction - 12 hours of that, nearly two hours of pushing. Thank heavens for epidurals as I was so tired by that point I couldn't cope with any more pain. DS got stuck and they were muttering about Keilland forceps and how he was just too low for a CS, that his heart rate was erratic and he wasn't coping with labour. Managed to get him unstuck while they were muttering about what best to do, but he then got stuck again further down and ended up with normal forceps in the end. On exit he was having a sort of panic attack thing when they were cutting the cord etc and he was almost a concern there, until he settled with skin to skin and started to breathe normally. Then there was the pph, extra stitches, and spending three days in hospital because DS got very early jaundice. Very grateful that everything turned out ok in the end, but there were a lot of points when things were going wrong.

So - will this just happen again if we have a DC2? Or are things likely to be more normal?

Had to reply to this asap as had 2nd baby a few days ago.

DD1 (first baby born 21 months ago) - waters broke, no contractions, induced with pessary then on drip, horrible pain was throwing up from the pain and got the shakes probably from all the drugs, 12 hour labour, had epidural after 5 hours, 1 hour pushing, 2nd degree tear, post partum hemorrhage of over 1 lite (no need for transfusion just felt rubbish). Didn't feel had healed up down there for two weeks.

DD2 (2nd baby) born at the weekend. 4 hr labour, began naturally after a membrane sweep, yes v painful but nothing like the awful pain of induced 1st labour, just got to hospital in time (driving through ice, slippery roads) and was fully dilated, hardly got any gas and air, asked for an epidural and they laughed at me and said start pushing, 3 pushes and DD2 was out. 2nd degree tear but doesn't seem to be bothering me this time and feel almost fully recovered now!! The only stressful thing was the thought that she could have been delivered in the car/at home by my DH who hasn't a clue what to do.....would have been OK even then though I think!!

I was high risk due to previous blood loss but midwife says she thinks my hemorrhage with 1st labour due to being given the induction drugs which give you a higher risk of excess bleeding.

I hope this helps and good luck :)

aamia reading your post again I realise your first labour worse than mine as you baby was in distress but you could very well have a much easier time for DC2 - I really hope you do - all labours are different and everyone says 2nd labours easier - good luck x

Have only 1 DC at the mo so can't comment properly but everyone is telling me 2nd labour is easier as I had a bad first labour. Not as bad as yours though!
My friend had a terrible first labour but 2nd was fine didn't need epidural but did have another bleed.
She was offered ELCS due to trauma but wanted to give it a go.
When I first got pregnant I arranged a meeting with the head of the midwives and consultant in charge to discuss what I felt went wrong and how to prevent this we had a long chat going through my notes and things have been out in place for my care.
I would recommend you do the same they said I didn't need to wait till I was pregnant which is what I felt x

Every labour and pregnancy is different.
I'm so sorry you had such a nightmare first time around and I'm glad everything turned out ok in the end.
It's pretty understandable that you'd have fears about giving birth again.
No one can completely predict what will happen during a birth, but there is a lot you can do between now and then to heal, and prepare for number 2. Have a look at this facebook group. It's a place where women can vent in a safe place about their experiences and support one another.

www.facebook.com/groups/227220980693056/?fref=ts

first birth was a medicalised nightmare.
2nd birth was spontaneous and took four hours. The best advice I have is to use whatever birth reflection service your hospital offer. Good luck!

My first was vv similar to yours. My second was a wonderful homebirth.
:)

First birth was hard, 26 hour, meconium in waters, baby in distress, forceps.

Second birth was 4 hr homebirth.

First birth - 34 hrs from waters breaking to baby delivered in theatre by forceps. 3nights in hospital afterwards.

Second birth - 2h50min from waters breaking to baby. Went to hospital to get checked, thought these contractions are heating up as walked through hospital, buzzed door of maternity unit and as they let me in I realised I needed to push. DS born 10mins later. Home a few hours later

Apparently this is a really common pattern.

Please don't think of things as 'going wrong and needing fixing' - you and DS needed assistance, which so many of us do in so many things, not just childbirth.

I had a very medicalised induction with DD ending in forceps (with a 3a tear, PPH and manual removal of the placenta)

DS I planned a home birth, I transferred in after 4-5 hours pushing with no sign of him, turns out he was badly positioned and fucking massive so he was another forceps birth. No tearing, no manual removal of the placenta (which was what I was most concerned about) but another PPH although an instrumental delivery increases the chance of that happening. All in all, even though it was still fairly medicalised in the end, it was MUCH nicer than DD's birth.

Second labours (if you have had a vaginal delivery - including forceps) are almost always quicker than first labours. Even if you needed induction it would be extremely unlikely to take anything like as long. You are also less likely to need forceps again (although if you do it is more likely to be low outlet forceps in the room rather than having to go to theatre).

PPH will have likely been due to prolonged labour/instrumental delivery so unlikely to recur, although most Drs/MWs would suggest the syntocinon/syntometrine injection for the placenta to lower the risk of a further PPH.

Tears are also less likely in second and subsequent births.

Whether you have a home birth or hospital birth, second babies are almost always quicker and easier