Is labour always quicker second time round?

[bluebear]

I've heard that, usually, second labours are faster than first, but does anyone know if this is true for births after an emergency c-section. I had a c-section after fully dilating (took best part of 2 days to go from 2cm to 10cm) and then giving baby 4 hours in which to make his appearance.
If there is a second time for me I was hoping that it would be quicker but one of my friends recently disagreed because I 'didn't actually have the baby'.
Anyone know the answer, or anyone had a speedy VBAC?

Malmomum - nope, Sweden not in my remit, but so busy lately feels like we cover everywhere else! Wander what it is about May babies? Anyhow, I would suspect your labour WILL be quick despite no syntocinon - the fact your body reacted so well to it previously just shows your body does have the propensity to labour well - and given half a chance it will do again, drugs or not.
Demented - I know at our hospital they like 48 hrs obs on babies born to mums with Strep B. I personally couldn't stand the thought of that, and took my own discharge after 24 hrs, which was more than enough. If you are at all worried, I would stay in, as you'll feel reassured with staff around. If however, you are happy, and little one appears well, it is worth suggesting you'd like to go home. You should be given emergency numbers for your community midwife, and if you're subsequently concerned you can contact her, the GP or the hospital.

Demented,

Just a contraversial point here - you cannot actually be refused a homebirth. It is your right to have your baby wherever you want. The GP can refuse to attend but midwives cannot. Knowing your history of Group b strep it is certainly more advisable to be in hospital for intravenous antibiotics but it is your right to make an informed choice about where you give birth.

My midwife was very supportive when I originally requested a homebirth, this was prior to me learning all the implications of Strep B (only found out I had it during my first labour and actually thought it was all quite trivial). When I met with my consultant and asked him about it he didn't seem to think it would be a problem with a homebirth, he said he would swab me at 36 weeks and if I was free of Strep B he would be happy for me to go ahead with a homebirth and if I had it he would give me antibiotics and I presume swab again to see if it had gone before giving the go ahead. It was after this I learned how inaccurate these swabs could be and just because you are free of it one day doesn't mean you don't have it the next, it just moves to various parts of the body. Anyway I decided then that the most important thing for me would be to get the IV antibiotics in labour and unfortunately these are not available as part of the homebirth service in my area. Although this is disappointing the most important thing to me now is to get the antibiotics just in case even although this means going into hospital.

If they let women in some areas have homebirths with IV antibiotics it makes me mad to think that the hospital will want us to stay in for 48 hours after I assume having the same treatment as a woman having a homebirth. I would like to think that I will be strong like leese and ask to get out before this but imagine that I will be the same blubbering mass of hormones and emotions I was the first time . Anyway just have to see how it goes.

Thanks leese, mears and Rozzy for all your comments.

I had an emergency C section first time and vaginal delivery 2nd time and it was a lot quicker. I also was fully dilated before section. With number 2 I was 8cm dilated when I got to hospital and baby was born 4 hrs later. Even though you didn't 'have' the baby I guess everything was stretched etc!!!! I was very emphatic with the midwives that I needed all of their help to have a vaginal delivery and they were great and really helped. I can only recommend not have an epidural as this really slows things down, making a section more likely. Apparantly they do not like to give sintosin (wrong spelling I know!) to ladies who have previously had a section. Good luck and go for it, bit more painful but much quicker recovery.

Demented - I think if you stay in for 48 hrs you'll prove you're 'stronger' than I ever was - just a wimp who likes her own bed and goose down pillow - not a flattened piece of foam with plastic outerwrap!

I thought those pillows where made out of old omelettes.

Leese, I was in five days last time, problems with the feeding and DS had jaundice. I felt by the time it came to leaving they would have been as well transferring me to the Psychiatric Unit! Even on day five they were not keen to let me go as my milk had not fully come in but I told the midwife about the vivid dreams I had started to have, half expecting them to pronounce me a nut case, and they decided I was stressed and said I could go home, at that the feeding suddenly became easier and the milk came in. Nice to hear of a midwife who doesn't like staying in either, there is nothing like your own bed is there.