Second baby's birth - easier, quicker, and earlier or later than first?

[AbslnThe]

Hi,

Due our second in a few months. I am just wondering if your second labour was easier than your first (assuming vaginal for the first), whether it was faster (and if so, by how much), and then if you were early or overdue with your first, was the pattern repeated/extended with the second!

DS took a lonnnnnnng time to come out; he was back to back for starters, which didn't help. I am daydreaming about a nice easy delivery this time! Tell me I have hope!

Thanks!

1st - went into labour 41+1 after a sweep, back to back 27 hour labour culminating in a forceps delivery in theatre as they thought they might have to do a c-section.

2nd - went into labour on due date, approx 12 hour labour from start to finish with a 30 mins pushing stage, just a small graze that didn't need stitching.

The difference between the 2 was unbelieveble - especially they way I felt afterwards as well.

I'm really sorry because I'm about to ruin the thread, but see me as the anomaly

DC1, under 8 hours established labour, 2 pushes and she was out, bit of gas and air, no stitches.
DC2, 5 day stop start labour with irregular contractions all the way through. Sent home at 3cms, then again at 5 and again at 6. He got stuck, an awful lot of gas and air was needed and in the end he was pulled out just before they were about to step in with interventions. I had 2nd degree tearing.

BUT we had moved house (200 mile fairly impulsive decision) the day the labour started and my body was exhausted so that probably explains the ridiculous stop start shenanigans. Was early with both. 39 weeks both times.

Dc1 8 days over - 24 hours from first contraction. Epidural after 17 hours, awful sickness and back pain even with an epidural - just over an 1 hour pushing stage

Dc2 on due date - light contractions for about 4 hours then realised I was in labour, it wasn't just niggles from the sweep! Had enough time to get to hospital, fill up birthing pool. Bit of gas and air and no pushing...kind of bottom vomited her out! Was awesome. Slightly gutted I probably won't have another baby...boo

DC1
At term
Stage 1- 2 hours
Stage 2- 2 and a half hours of pushing were getting us nowhere. She was back to back and was not going to turn. Ended with a spinal block and forceps.

DC2
10 days late
Was given a sweep as the start of an induction only to go from 2cm - 10cm in a few minutes. Then DC2 was born 45 minutes later. Was quite an awful experience to be honest.

Dc1 - elcs
Dc2 - VBAC on due date, 3hrs
Dc3 - VBAC 1 week late, 1hr
Dc4 - VBAC 10 days early, 5 contractions

Dd1 14 days early 8hrs from 1st contraction 2hrs pushing no tears. That was a waterbirth.
Dd2 10 days early 2 hrs 30 min pushing no tears. Was on land. I'll be flamed for this but it was almost too quick.
Both gas and air dd1 had her arm up which they think caused some delay if not wonder if she'd been quicker.

Very interesting data! I wonder if the age gap between the two births makes a difference to the length of second labour?

Hyper I have been told that if there is a 7-9 year + gap between births that it almost resets the body and therefore takes just as long as a first labour. I have no idea how true that is though. It's irrelevant in my case, as mine were just under 2 years apart so DS should have been quicker. He's an awkward bugger though!

My biggest gap was 3.5 years.

DS1 - 37+6 -= hypnobirth, waters broke, 5 hours later baby boy arrived, 40 minutes pushing, small episiotomy
DS2 - 38+2 = epidural due to required monitoring for baby's HR, 8 hours later baby boy arrived, 2 minutes of pushing, no tears.

I was totally convinced DS2 would be quicker but OBGYN wanted a more controlled labor to make sre baby didn't go into distress, so my waters weren't broken until last minute, after which point he came right out.

Loved both my labors and reading this thread is making me want another baby - DS2 is only 10 months!

Stroke, how can you love your labour?

Yup, easier, quicker & earlier.

Mine were like chalk and cheese.

DD (DC1) - three days late. 24 hours in labour. Back to back. Failure to progress. Administered Syntocin (evil stuff!), spiral of intervention, epidural, prepped for csec, forcepped out and an episiotemy.

DS (DC2) - three days early, 4 hours from first contraction to delivery, 22 mins of Active Labour. G&A only. Two pushes. I adored his labour. Cried with tears of happiness at how wonderful it was.

WOW - those of you who had a complicated 1st birth then 2nd birth at home with no medics/midwife there, how did you cope? I am expecting our second and I honestly don't know what we would do in that situation. Is it dangerous for your DH to just catch the baby? Do you call 999 straight away?

HyperThread I was very lucky in that I have super health care here and a very supportive and attentive OBGYN who allowed me to labor how I wanted with DS1 - what made me very comfortable was the knowledge that if I needed pain relief I could have it at any point.

Thankfully I didn't need any with DS1, but with DS2 my contractions were just starting to get wincingly painful, so I asked for my epidural and it was cited within 45 minutes and I labored comfortably, albeit restlessly through the night and was woken up at 6am by my OB telling me that I was 10cms and it was time to push.

I got very lucky with my labors!

Ds1 4 days over
Ds2 8 days over. Harder labour but he was 2lb heavier than 1st. Less painful though

DD1 14 days late, induced, 12 hour labour.

DD2 1 day late, in retrospect 40 minute labour but didn't realise it was labour until urge to push (at home) baby out 9 minutes later.

DC1 - 39wks5d - 20hrs labour with back-to-back baby, intense from start, baby luckily born within 10 mins after threatening forceps/more intervention

2yo5mos later

DC2 - 38wks5d - 2 hrs of very mild period-like twinges followed only 1 hr of 'this is it! labour!' - no intervention at all

hope third labour won't be any faster lest I'd deliver the baby myself