How did your second labour/birth differ from your first?

[Thingiebob]

I am aware I have posted a similar thread not so long ago and some kind people responded, but am trying to get some more replies!

Anxious and due in five weeks for possible vbac. I have little faith in my ability so looking for reassurance!

dc1 long and painful
dc2 4hours (but still as painful ) made a quick recovery although have to say dc2 was much smaller than dc1
dc3 superfast and big boy

1st 13 hours pethidine all normal and home 2 days later

2nd little bit longer (stopping and starting) then very full on after 48 hours, hospital, sent home at 12.30am, back in at 2.00am, delivered with no pain relief at 3.00am back home and in bed by 9am.

My first labour I was 40 +10, started having contractions from midnight-ish, contractions got a lot closer together in the morning, went into hospital about 11 am, and got into a birthing room mid afternoon and was 8cm dilated (with high hopes of it all being over shortly thereafter!). I ended up fully dilated except for a tiny rim of cervix. They put a drip in for about an hour to try and get that to dilate with no luck, so I ended up in theatre for an emcs and dd1 born at 1:35 am, approx 24 hours after labout started. Lost a load of blood, was exhausted, took ages to recover, struggled to establish bfeeding.

Second labour I really wanted to try for a vbac... at 40 + 14 and going into hospital for monitoring I was sure I was looking down the barrel at another c-section... however, my waters broke while I was waiting to be seen and contractions started almost straight away... I was fully dilated about 4 hours later and started pushing. I was getting pretty close to her being born when her heart rate started going all over the place and I got taken to theatre where dd2 was born by forceps delivery about five hours after my waters broke. I was lucky and there was no damage to her or me, and I recovered much quicker than dd1 even with an episiotomy and stitches.

Good luck, I hope it all works out for you!

I'll tell you in a couple of weeks' time! (But I'm interested in other people's responses :) )

Dd1, long labour (over 24 hrs with contractions every 3 mins),back to back, over two hours pushing, episiotomy, 8lb 13 oz.
Dd2, got to hosp at 7cm, 1 hr 40min later she was born, smallish tear, 9lb exactly. I think my body knew what to do second time around.

Oh and dd1 40 + 13, dd2 40 + 8.

no 1. 37+0 weeks. 2 hour labour. No tears, etc. G&A. 1 hour pushing stage.
no 2. 37-0. 15 minute labour. Small amount of grazing. No pain relief. Almost no pushing - I think about 5 contractions in total and he just came out on the last one.

Major difference for me!

1st baby - an horrific 52 hour labour, forceps with no pain relief and baby had to be resuscitated.

2nd baby. - 1 hour 54 minutes of labour, 5 easy pushes and baby was out.

I was so nervous of my second birth due to my first but it was great and very cathartic.

Good luck!

10x faster second time round!

DC1 - waters broke 38+1 weeks, labour didn't start until 15 hrs later, didn't dilate when it did, ended up with epidural and syntocinon drip to augment labour, then DC1 born in 3 pushes, 24 hours after waters went

DC2 - waters broke 38+1, labour started immediately, dilated really quickly - 7cm by the time got to hospital, DC2 born in 3 pushes as well, 3.5 hours after waters went

Good luck!

Dd1, 21 hour labour. Was in the pool until she got stuck after 2 hours pushing. Ended up in theatre, spinal block, episiotomy and ventouse.

Dd2, 18 hour labour. Waters went early morning, spent all day wandering the hospital to get things moving to avoid induction. Eventually arrived 9pm, no intervention. G & A, 2nd degree tear. Didn't get a pool, unfortunately.

Forgot to include that dd1 was 9 days late, dd2 was 3 days early.

DS1 - 23 hour labour, induced, epidural, episiotomy, turned him around in the birth canal, cord around his neck, meconium, forceps, ventouse, exhausting!

Ds2 - will let you know - due in 2 weeks :)
This is a very interesting thread for me too. I like the idea of 10 x faster...

DS1 - 23 hour labour, induced, epidural, episiotomy, turned him around in the birth canal, cord around his neck, meconium, forceps, ventouse, exhausting!

Ds2 - will let you know - due in 2 weeks :)
This is a very interesting thread for me too. I like the idea of 10 x faster...

So it does all seem faster next time round? I ended up with a c-section but was in actual established labour for about six hours. Slightly concerned with ten times faster as I am a 45 min journey from hospital!

DC1 - admitted to hosp for induction at 40+12; hosp v busy so didn't start induction until 40+13; finally went into later about 22 hours later, epidural an hour later and DD born 12 hours after that. Forceps delivery in theatre whilst being prepped for c-section; DD grey & floppy & needed oxygen & was (in retrospect) a bit dozy for the first 24 hours. Now a very stubborn, opinionated but adorable 3.5yr old.

DC2 - 39+4 rang hosp saying I thought I might be in labour. Explained symptoms. They advised I stayed at home for another couple of hours as it might just be wind. 2 hours later no worse or better so rang again and was given the same advice. 5 hours later I did the most enormous fart & all pain disappeared . Booked for induction at 40+11. On evening of 40+10, I had same symptoms as before but was also sick a couple of times and being in the bath didn't help at all (as it had with the wind). After an hour or so, rang hospital who told me the same as before. They then rang me back to say as I was overdue & lived 45 mins from hospital, I may as well go in to be checked. I am very glad they called back! About 5 mins into the journey, I realised I could feel pressure so told DP to put his foot down. Did the rest of the journey in 15 mins, was 5cm when arrived & DS arrived 20 mins after that in two pushes, one for the head & one for the body. Pink, screaming lustily & feeding within minutes. I was shaking with shock. He was 16oz lighter than DC1 and, crucially IMO, his head was 3.6cm smaller than DC1's.

No 1. DD. 39+2 go for a very leisurely walk slow waddle around block. Get back, find show in pants. Maybe an hr later have a contraction. Pains get going maybe every 30mins for a couple of hours. Every 10mins for a couple of hours. Get in bath, much better for pain. Contractions every 5mins for one, with an 'aftershock' one 2mins later which was weird & made making the decision to go to hospital hard. Went to hospital. 0cm, sent home. Back in bath. Maybe 9hrs after show (maybe an hr or so after being checked in hospital), waters go with a big downwards pushing type pressure, with a gush, in the bath luckily. Hospital trip! Arrive at 9-10cm dilated & feeling more 'pushing pressure'. Spend next 2hrs laying on my back trying to push DD out. Born at 00.42 (so at 39+3). 6lb 5oz. Maybe 12hrs from show to baby.

No.2. DS. 38+6. DTD & 30mins later, first contraction. Contractions come every 30mins for an hr or 2. Then every 10mins. Then I go to the loo, have a sharp pain/contraction at a random time, resulting in an extra dribble that wasn't wee. Phone hospital and told to give it an hr or 90mins & call back (planned HB). Next 15mins, have 3x 5mins contractions. DH phones hospital again & they send a MW. An hr or so after waters started leaking, MW arrives. Am assessed as 4cm. Contractions still regularly 5mins or so (given up timing). About an hr later, I need to push. Get on all-fours, def not laying down. About 20mins later, DS arrives. 6lb 15oz. Maybe 7hrs from first sign to baby (no show).

So both quite straight forward & relatively quick. But also quite different. Good luck OP!!

I too had fast labours and no pain relief.

DS 1 hr 51 minutes unplanned unattended home birth at 38+0 waters went about 20 minutes in - vowed to get midwife to come out for planned homebirth of second DC as soon as the waters break.

DD1 50ish minutes waters never broke so another unattended home birth but at least I had planned to be at home this time. She was 40+1

DD2 was born in hospital as I was an inpatient high risk etc so continuous foetal monitoring blah blah. I had 4 contractions each 10 minutes apart and DD2 appeared. Midwife was the other side of the room saying I wasn't in active labour

No time for pain relief with any of them each one faster than the last.

Good luck OP

1st - 9 days overdue - induced - meconium - 13 hour labour - pethidine - epidural - 1.5 hours pushing - EMCS

2nd - 2 days overdue - sweep - very painful labour- small interval between contractions all the way through - 13 hours labour - continually-monitored - epidural very late on as it looked like we were heading for another EMCS - VBAC - ventouse -2nd degree tear

2nd baby in very similar awkward position, but a pound smaller and a smaller head, so managed to squeeze out.

1st week early, turned back to my back during early stages of labour, 17 hr labour, sweep , 2 lots pethidine, 2nd stage 2.5 hours! epesiotomy.

2nd week late, sweep, 10 hour labour, very quick 2nd stage ( had him on my knees, not enough time to climb onto bed), gas and air. Tore badly