How fast was your 2nd labour compared to your first?

[RoseberryTopping]

DP is working a few hours away and only back on weekends, now I'm nearing 37 weeks it's getting me worried that he won't make it back on time. I just wondered how different everyone else's 2nd labours were compared to their first? If you go overdue with your first are you likely to have the same again?

[LadyOfSomewhereElse]

Over 24 hours for number 1
50 minutes and a lot of screaming from the first contraction to the birth for number 2

3 and 4 were 5/6 hours

[MirandaWest]

1st labour, waters broke 6:30am, painful contractions 6:45pm, DS born 2:50am. So painful part just over 8 hours. He was born at 38+3

2nd labour, woke up about 6:45am to vague niggles which by 7am were definitely painful. DD born at 1:26pm. So about 6 hours. She was born at 40+4

[strongandlong]

DD1 - my waters broke at about 8pm, she was born early afternoon the following day after a lot of pushing (3 hours?? i've blanked it from my memory)

DD2 - regular painful contractions from about 11pm til 4am every night for a week. Due date +3 contractions then started while I was wondering around waitrose, but the same kind of intensity as they had been all week, so I didn't take much notice. They were a bit stronger when I got home, so I called the midwife (planned homebirth) to let her know but I didn't think anything was going to happen. 10mins later I was obviously in labour. Called midwife back. 10mins after that midwife arrived (had just finished a clinic round the corner, luckily!). She didn't have time to get her bag from the car! I was v pissed off because I'd been looking forward to g&a but she didn't have any with her. DD2 born a few mins later after a couple of pushy contractions (I didn't actually push). 2nd midwife arrived just after the placenta was delivered. Finally had my g&a for the 1 stitch needed.

So about 10 days after the first contraction, but about 20 minutes after I realised I was really in labour.

[TooManyBubbas]

roseberry I have to be honest and say the 24 & 36 hour labours were easier to cope with than dd2's quick and dramatic arrival. That was very intense!

[Ourma]

First labour- first pain Wednesday morning, 2am ish, Waters broke 12.05am Friday, proper labour with help of drip started at 3.30 pm Friday. Baby born 10.36pm after pushing for 1.5 hours.

Second labour, few cramps mild pain from 6.30pm. More painful contractions, 9.30pm. Waters broke 10.05, off to hospital. Baby born 10.39pm! About 4 or 5 pushes.

So 17 hours (according to my notes) v 1-1.5 hours max.

Very fast and scary but made it to hospital in time (live nearby, otherwise would have stayed at home)

I was repeatedly told not to delay coming in cause babies were only 14 months apart. I think that makes a big difference.

I'd call him once you feel anything! Good luck, second time round seems much easier.

[Spurious]

Unbelievably , having already had a baby, when a contraction woke me at midnight I thought I needed a poo, FFS. I remember straining on the loo and getting frustrated.

I think having such a short labour made me think about it afterwards for months, which is odd for me, as I am not a reflector at all. So although I didn't feel shocked at the time, I guess I was.

[dozza74]

1st labour: 30 hours. Meconium in waters, amniotic hook used, 2 failed rounds of inductions to speed things up, gas & air, epidural.

Consequently terrified second time round. Induced again as had polyhydramnios.

56 minutes once labour kicked off. 2 paracetamol as painkillers.

You just can't predict it unfortunately.

[mummyxtwo]

1st labour - 13 hours, epidural, pushed for 2 hours.

2nd labour -

[Bumblebzz]

I'm very interested to know if the short second labours are correlated with small age gaps between people's two children? I had a reasonably quick (6-7 hours from first contraction to delivery, no pain relief) first labour but that was 5 years ago and am now 37+3 with my second.
Also interesting to know if second usually arrives earlier/later, as I will be induced at 39+2 unless things happen themselves (first was 40+6).
Great thread!

[PavlovtheCat]

DD was 18 hours from waters breaking, 9 hours or so of actual contractions.

DS was 4 hours and 6 mins from first walloping contraction to being born. It also felt like it zoomed by. It sped up in intensity very quickly and I felt more of a sense of urgency to get to the hospital or else have him at home, once I got to 5 mins apart. I was at the hospital 1.5 hours before he arrived.

Waters were broken and he arrived 20 mins later, possibly would have been quicker if waters broke or were broken earlier.

[Spurious]

Short second labour
2 years 9 months between births
Second a day early, first a week early

[RoseberryTopping]

It would make sense that the smaller the age gap, the faster the whole process would be. I wonder if there's any truth behind it. DS was born 4 years ago, maybe that's enough time between for it to not be a 30 minute jobby.

[BoffinMum]

1st was about 6 hours (about 3 hours real action)
2nd was about 4 hours (about 1 hour actually believing I was in labour)
3rd was about 3 hours (ditto)
4th was about 60-90 minutes maximum apparently (about 10 minutes serious stuff)

I was instructed for the last two births not to leave home!!

[supersop60]

DC1 27 hours start to finish, DC2 4.5 hrs (although I'd been having strong Braxton Hicks during the day)

[hyperspacebug]

DS1 (39w5, 20hrs - posterior)
Ds2 (39w0, 3hrs)

both labour were about the same level of pain intensity and babies were of average weight

[hyperspacebug]

2yo5m gap here, yes. I was curious too about the longer gaps too. But if some of my friends are to go by - I have 2 friends from school who were teen parents and then had second children 10 years later. Both had much shorter labours, yes.

[freetrait]

4 years...hmmm, yes I think they say if it's nearer 2 you need to watch out and errrr I'm here to add to the OMG stories:

1st baby: several days of "niggles", trips back and forth, 7 hours labour, but seemed like days really, and ended with ventouse delivery after 2 hours of pushing failed, baby in difficult position- all fine, big baby 9 pounds 12, 13 days overdue

2nd baby: 3 days ovedue, in hindsight in labour from 2pm, but only twigged might be at 7pm, only for sure at 9.30pm, went to hospital 9.50pm, baby born in hospital car park, BBA at 10ish. No pushing!

[CornishCreamPuff]

I had grand hopes for my VBAC, even went to prenatal yoga, got a doula etc etc.
Nope. Same shit, different baby. Few hours of agonising back labour then EMCS.

[gamescompendium]

DC1 41 weeks, induced, 13h I think official labour
DC2 40+3, natural labour, 8h from first twinge to birth
DC3 36+4, induced, 2.5h labour

There's an 18 month gap between DC1&2, then a 3 year gap. No epidural for any of them, but I get well high with G&A.

[moolady1977]

1st baby 7h 4m -40+5
2nd baby 6h 7m -40+9
3rd baby 11m -40+11
thats from first pain to holding baby

[bakingtins]

1st baby 7 hours, 1 hour of that pushing, 40+0
2nd baby 2 hours, 10 min pushing, 40+0
3rd baby 80 mins, 5 min pushing, 37+6

3-4 yr age gaps.

[Doristhecamel]

DC1 - 15 days over due. 26 hours
DC2 - 10 days over due 3 days 5 hours and 20 minutes!

[AuntySib]

First labour 4 hours, 2nd labour 90 mins, third one was 4.5 hours. All 3-4 weeks early.
Mum, Aunt & Granny also had very quick births - have you asked your Mum?

[JaneParker]

First much longer (20 hours +) than second.
Second though I thought I felt mild twinges and then went to sleep as it was bed time so I suspect some of the early stages I was actually asleep which made it easier, work refreshed, went to hospital, had her in the morning, back home in our own house in the afternoon - ideal.

First one was 12 days early, second 2 days early, third about 2 days early, last two (twins) came at 40 weeks on the due date which is very very rare for twins. One was born at home - the nicest birth.