Signs of labour with 2nd baby?

[mummyjanine]

Did you have any signs leading up to labour 2nd time round and if so what?

Hi katie, I had a sweep last time and was in quite a bit of pain afterwards. As I was already in slow labour it accelerated things too much for me and I had a very long a difficult labour. I always said I wouldn't have another one so I refused it on Friday when I was offered one at the hospital. I am also 5 days overdue and went into labour 6 days overdue with my first. I am being induced Friday but I must admit I would rather it happened naturally.

I know what you mean Babynumber2, thats what happened with me. With ds i went in and was told i was 1cm and the pains i was having were nothing more harsh than period pains. She gave me a sweep and sent me home saying it would be another 48 hours. I felt stupid. Labour came on but because she said 48 hours I stayed at home. My ds was born 12 hours later, only just made it to hospital.
Thats why i dont want a sweep. But ive been told an induction is also painful.
Im wimping out at the thought of the pain now. SHIT SHIT SHIT.

Keep us posted on your situation hun and good luck xx

Hello my fellow sufferers!

With DS I had a couple of sweeps that hurt at the time but were ineffectual at getting anything started.

When I went into be induced the pessary didn't work and neither did breaking my waters. I was put on the IV and was immediately in the height of labour. No build up with the contractions just BOOM BOOM BOOM one massive contraction after another. I had been advised to have an epidural before they even put me on the drip as the lack of build up is very overwhelming but I didn't listen. About four hours later I begged for that epidural (heaven) and 2 hours later DS appeared.

So this time I would still accept sweeps just in case its all I need to get started. If it does go to induction I will be requesting an epidural before the drip. There's no point exhausting yourself before you get to the pushing stage.

That's my experience!

I have been told that they will see if they can break my waters first. If successful I will go on the drip. If not I will have a pessary. I've heard lots of scary stories that it's more painful because there is no natural build up. I'm such a wimp with pain too but I'm feeling much worse this time I think because I know what's coming!

I didn't want an epidural last time but I'm thinking this time I will have one as soon as able. I'm terrified of another long and very painful labour. Tell me again, why do we do this more than once??

babybumber2 I did NCT last time and the teacher advised having an epidural sited before they start the drip and then it is there if you need it and can just be left not turned on if you don't. Is that an option?

Friday is ages away yet anyway so there's no need to think induction is inevitable.

I had a sweep at 40+1 last time and had DD 40 hours later. I think it helped at least in so far as they told me I was 2cm so on my way. I found that helpful and it lifted my mood.

Katie do what you think is best re sweep but it sounds like it helped last time and that midwife was simply wrong about 48 hours?

I am frightened I will join you with being more overdue than I was last time. Everyone spouts 'seconds come earlier and arrive faster' but it isn't a hard fact is it?! Oh well, there's nothing we can do about it.

I felt very down this morning. DD had to cheer me up with a toddler style snuggle in front of a DVD. I got myself together after that and took her out. I'm resting on the sofa now with my hot water bottle whilst she naps.

I have some weird niggles in my back and high up in the bump that shall inevitably all disappear in the next 5 minutes!

Hi all.

You're right BabyNumber02 I think we're all wimping about it this time because we know whats coming.
And you're right Pasta , Im blaming the old wives tales about 2nd births coming quicker for me wimping right out at the thought of the pain. I think i was living in hope that id have a rapid early labour with little pain. . . sigh.

Ive decided to have a sweep tomorrow.
What i should say is that last time i had a bloody show too in the night before the sweep.

Pasta its ok to feel sorry for ourselves, after all we all know our limits on pain and know whats coming. All we want is be holding our new healthy bundles without the giving birth bit!

Koala the thought of a 'couple' of sweeps fills me with sheer dread! You are so brave going back for seconds after the discomfort of the first.

Signing off, feeling sorry for myself being a wimp Sad:

On the plus side Ive managed to high light names. If this thread has done anything, I have been able to learn to use abbreviations (ds/dd/dp), put smilies on and high light names. Not such a technofobe after all Big grin:

I don't think it's the pain for me. It's the not knowing when it will start coupled with wanting it over. I want my baby and I don't want to be pregnant anymore.

Last time I found the pain eased by the certain knowledge this was it and it was going to end!

Obviously it'd be better if it didn't hurt but not at the price of staying pregnant!!

Oh Katie I had SPD and was utterly, utterly fed up by the time sweep time came around. I would have let Captain Hook give it his best shot if someone told me there was a chance it'd get things moving!

Pasta I totally agree its the not knowing. If we knew - okay I won't be going naturally, prepare for induction on Monday. Or it'll happen on Wednesday night. We would be saved from the frustration!

I'm with you Baby I'll not be trying to be heroic when it comes to pain relief this time! Especially if I'm induced. I'll be numb from the waist down before they get near me with that drip!

I feel like I'm losing my mind. I'm super embarrassed for all the false starts I've had and getting DH and childcare all organised and then the contractions amount to nothing. I feel stupid and DM and DMIL are starting with the "Go to the hospital and insist on being seen! This can't be right!" But I know it's just false or slow labour and I'll be laughed out of there!

Hi all,
Been snooping at this thread for a few days now.
I'm 38+6, but DS was born at 38 weeks so was fully expecting the same this time (not too sure why). Anyway had a false start on Tuesday which involved a 4 am dash to the hospital which turned out to be nothing :( . Have since been told I have thrush then my hands & feet have been super itchy over the weekend so going to have blood tests in the morning.
Hope we have more arrivals over the next few days. X

Welcome jayney86! Sounds like you will fit right in with the rest of us on this thread...

pasta they haven't said anything about the epidural being set up in advance but I till definitely be asking when I go in on Friday, if I get that far.

So does the drip speed things up more than the pessary? Does it make things more painful again? When I've asked at the hospital they just said that some women report it to be more painful.

I'm getting terrible shooting pains right up my you know hear this afternoon. Is this another sign or is it just pressure from the baby's head? I've no idea.

Hello Janey86. It's the old lie 'seconds come earlier' that means it wasn't unreasonable for you to have expected a baby by now!

I reckon that's pressure babyno2. Feels like a knitting needle being shoved up and twisted?! I've been getting that to the point where I think my pelvis is about to crack in two.

There are a lot of nerves for the baby to come into contact with. Still, pressure isn't a bad thing as the baby's head bashing the cervix should release oxytocin which starts labour.

Listen to me go on..... Anyone would think I was starting to convince myself!

I had a sweep on Tuesday & nothing except a slight show on Thursday :( ! I had a sweep with my DS & that set my waters off 24 hours later so I was so hopeful this time. I was induced using the gel last time as my contractions hadn't started within 24 hours of my waters going. It did get very painful very fast, went from quite bad period pains at 6am to me turning into a crazy woman & asking for an epidural at 9:30am (something I really didn't want, I in my naive state wanted a all natural water birth) & my son was born at 13:45. I don't think being induced makes it more painful but I think it speeds things up so you don't have time to adjust to the pain. X

Also never experience the sharp knitting needle pain but heard it's quite common in early labour. Could be a good sign. X x

Yes that's how it feels, like a knitting needle. Orrible! I do get the feeling like I can feel the baby bashing against my cervix though. It's like it's trying to get out!

I've just had a curry so will see if that does anything. Probably not, more likely just to aggravate my heartburn. I had to sleep sitting up last night it was so bad.

Been having pretty consistent contractions for 3 hours now. Building in intensity and overall quite consistent at 6ish minutes but now and then theres a gap of 15 minutes.

I don't want to get my hopes up if its another nothing though! I don't even know anymore...

A midwife said to me in Tuesday that a good way to tell if it's a true contraction is if you can talk through it.
Fingers crossed for you though x x

Sorry that didn't make sense, if you can talk through it it's either bh or a early labour contraction but if you can't talk then it's more likely to be a established labour contraction. X

I could talk through them with some effort I don't want to though because they are pretty painful.

Thanks for the finger cross!

How are you doing now koala..... Snuggling a newborn I hope?!

jayney not being able to talk through the pain definitely rings a bell with me although i'm certain I managed to croak out 'the pain' repeatedly to DH as though I was aiming for a record in stating the obvious!g

the contractions stopped after about 4 hours of them being quite consistent.

Feeling a bit weepy this morning. I need to get a grip!!

How are you doing Pasta?

See, I think being a bit weepy is a good sign. It'll be the hormones that you need to get the momentum going.

I can't believe that 4 hours of contractions have done nothing. Surely you'll have started to dilate? There are some OPs up thread who had the same thing and then went onto have quick, 'easy' labours because some of the work had already been done.

I'm ok thanks. DD is nursery today and I've got some errands this morning which is good as I will feel like I have achieved something and then I am going to have a good rest this afternoon.

You've cheered me up Pasta

Errands...getting things done...distant memories for me! I'm managing to keep on top of the cleaning that I did in a "nesting fever" last week. And that is about it! You're clearly Wonder Woman.

Absolutely not! I'm just given to despair and a feeling I'll be pregnant forever if I don't get out and distract myself!

Can I join you all? I seem to be a bit further behind at 37w3d but already driving myself stir crazy wondering when baby will make an appearance.

Have low fluid so have had lots of trips to hospital recently to monitor baby. Have a scan tomorrow, if fluid levels are lower then think they will get me in for an induction, and if stayed the same or even higher, then will return back to routine midwifery care. But my home birth is def out the window as hospital will want to monitor baby during Labour - boo!

Anyway hope everybody is well and more successful at keeping minds from symptom spotting too much!