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Childbirth

Share experiences and get support around labour, birth and recovery.

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Original poster

Are subsequent births significantly quicker in your experience?

71 replies

Hairyfairybumscary · 08/11/2015 23:03

I'm 6 months pregnant with a little boy due on 9th of Feb.

I'm absolutely cacking it because my MW has made several comments about the relatively quick birth of my DD , I was in labour for 3 hours and spent less than 10 minutes pushing.

Our nearest hospital with a maternity suite is over an hours drive away. Last time I had absolutely no warning or twinges when my contraction started. I just got them and they were very intense until my DD was born.

I need reassuring! Dreading a roadside birth!

OP posts:

TheGreenNinja · 08/11/2015 23:05

No, my first was quickest, almost 2.5 hours. Second was 4 hours ish, third was 3 hours.
I'd consider a home birth though if I were you!

Original poster

Hairyfairybumscary · 08/11/2015 23:07

I kind of like the idea of a home birth but then if anything went wrong and we had to be blue lighted over an hour to hospital, I would never forgive myself.

OP posts:

XingXingFox · 08/11/2015 23:08

I'm due 12/02 and my total labour was two hours last time so I'm planning a home birth, it's must more reassuring than the thought of a roadside birth!

madwomanbackintheattic · 08/11/2015 23:12

Home birth.

I have a lovely friend that had a quick first birth, then a VERY quick and unexpected home birth (woke up in the night and got up to check on pfb, gave birth in spare room on way back to bed) and whose third was indeed born in the footwell of the passenger seat on the side of the road, because they decided trying to get to the hospital was a sensible decision.

FattyNinjaOwl · 08/11/2015 23:15

I had a 38 hour labour with DS1 with 2 hours of pushing
DD was a 5 hour labour with 7 minutes pushing
DS2 was a 4 hour labour with 2 minutes pushing

So they did get quicker and much easier, even with DS2 being the biggest. Good luck whatever you decide.

Wolfiefan · 08/11/2015 23:17

My first was 10 1/2 hours. My second was less than an hour.
I really would look into a home birth.

persepolis123 · 08/11/2015 23:20

Yes definitely in my experience. First labour 55 hours and very slow progress. Before they examined me again and discovered I was fully dilated they were talking about a csection if things hadn't moved on.

Second pregnancy was 6.5 hours from regular contractions to DD literally shooting out without me having to push! The midwife just managed to catch her.

We are planning a third and the speed at which it may happen is something that concerns me.

Original poster

Hairyfairybumscary · 08/11/2015 23:21

Home birth is becoming much more appealing I must admit. By the time we get our DD to my mums house, and then to hospital it would be nearer two hours! I wasn't given any warning when my contractions started last time and think it's probably going to be similar this time around!

OP posts:

BackforGood · 08/11/2015 23:21

Definitely my experience... from 27hrs with dc1 to about 20mins with dc2. Prob not what you want to hear though

rednsparkley · 08/11/2015 23:22

In my experience they were quicker - my first was 3hrs, Nos 2 +3 clocked in at 90 mins each and No4 was 40 mins - I had No1 at the hospital and opted for Home Births for the following three. I would certainly look into it especially if you are considered to be low risk

scrivette · 08/11/2015 23:24

I think I would look into a home birth if I were you.

DS1 labour was 4 hours.
DS2 labour was 55 minutes despite being 2.5 lb bigger.

Tomboyinatutu · 08/11/2015 23:27

1st labour was 3 hours, second was over 36

Etak15 · 08/11/2015 23:34

Dd1 was kind of text book first waters broke, contractions started 6am she was born 10:30pm.
Dd2 I had bit of a false start had contractions the night before for a few hours but then stopped - began again the following morning and she was born 8pm
Dd3 again a kind of slow false start the night before started up again the next morning and born at 6:30pm
Ds started the morning before contractions were so bad I was sure things had really got going but then stopped! Started again early hours of the morning went to hospital at 7 he was born at 9:30.
So yes all got quicker!

Mrscog · 08/11/2015 23:52

Ds1 -12 hours (3 hours pushing!!)
Ds2 - 4 hours (10 mins pushing)

With DS2 I didn't even think I was in established labour but arrived at the hospital in transition and nearly had him in my leggings!

CharmingChampignon · 08/11/2015 23:53

A midwife I know really encourages planning a home birth when labour could be quick and you live a distance from the hospital, as having lights, heat and an address an ambulance can find are all preferable to a side of the road situation.

Dc1 took 3 days of irregular contractions before established labour and then got to 3cm about 10am, delivered at 18.30 - so 8-9 hours as they count it.

Dc2-waters went at 1pm ish, contractions started about 19.30, got serious at 11ish and dd was born about 01.30 - roughly 5 hours (but had warning).

I'm worried that this baby may be quicker and that I could end up with DH at work etc.

I'm planning a home birth and seriously hoping I'll have enough time to use the birth pool

ExasperatedAlmostAlways · 08/11/2015 23:56

Yip, first I hadn't had one contraction, they checked and I was 5cm dilated, burst my waters and my dd was born in an hour and ten minutes (4 weeks early)

Second, labour started when waters went and she was born in 45 minutes.

Third, woke in the night bearing down and pushing involuntarily, hadn't and didn't feel one contraction, rushed straight to hospital panting against the bearing down to slow them down and as soon as I got there he was born, about 20 minutes. I'd been checked the wee before and was 6cm dilated but hospital wouldnt keep me in to start me because they were too busy.

ExasperatedAlmostAlways · 09/11/2015 00:02

I did ask for a homebirth with third but my consultant really put me off and wasnt for it when i now wish I'd just had one. I woke at 3am, we were 30 mins from hospital during day but DH sped there so fast that we were there so quickly. In hindsight thay was dangerous and I should of called for an ambulance and midwife to come to the house. But when I called the maternity unit she said when did your waters go? They haven't! When did your contractions start? They haven't! She was like um okay how are you in labour? I said my bodies bearing down and i can feel his head. She went patronisingly okay just come in. Then after he was born in the assessment room the mw who answered the call came in ' to say sorry because I never for a second believed you were in labour and only told you to come in because we were too busy for me to stand on the phone'!

lunar1 · 09/11/2015 00:06

Ds1 3 hours labour 9 mins pushing
Ds2 30 mins labour 4 mins pushing
Advice on leaving the hospital was to be prepared wherever I was if I wanted dc3!

DownUdderer · 09/11/2015 00:12

I had DD1 at home, 1.5 hour labour, no warning at all really, I had dd2 at hospital, it was a 7 min drive away, I would have never risked having to drive an hour to get to hospital!! she was a 2.5 hour labour, 4 mins pushing.

Can you ask to be induced? I was induced with ds1, who is 3 weeks old :) it took a while for contractions to start but once I was 4 cm it was only 1.5 hours, and no pushing. I felt very comfortable to be in hospital though, knowing the other 2 kids were being looked after and there was no 'mad dash' in the middle of the night to get to the hospital. I would be very stressed if i was an hours drive from the hospital.

Pickofthepops · 09/11/2015 00:26

ds1 born at 2pm after being turned away from maternity unit at 10am 'not in labour'. Was told by midwife who delivered him that midwife who told me to go home was prob feeling his head when she said 'membranes intact'. (I told her they'd gone st home but she didn't believe me). Luckily(!) I wasn't in a fit state to get beyond the ground floor of maternity wing.

Didn't opt for home birth with dd as had a minor dvt 10 yrs ago and considered high risk. Should have though. Had bath 4pm, started to have occasional contractions, at. 6 pm it ramped up. Phoned hosp who said come in if you want but we are busy - if waters not broken stay home. Contractions really kicked in and parents called an ambulance. dd born 10 mins from hosp at side of road. Was nice to go into hosp having done the hard bit but would have been nicer to be at home

Djelibeyb · 09/11/2015 00:31

First 6 hours 20 mins pushing
Second 4 hours 20 seconds pushing
Third 3 fucking 6 hours 5 mins pushing

With 3rd I went in at first contractions and refused to move

Salmiak · 09/11/2015 00:37

Dd was 4 hours, luckily they had space on the midwife maternity unit and admitted me when I was only 2cm. From 6cm to baby out was 11 minutes.

They warned me that the second could be quicker, however with ds I had mild period cramps during the night, they became more regular towards 7am and I had my mucous plug show, so we took dd to nursery and drove to the hospital. It was in my maternity notes that dd was a quick Labour so I insisted on being admitted. Sat around doing nothing for 4 hours, went for a walk round the ward and suddenly felt real contractions. Was examined and was 5cm. 30 minutes later ds was out.

Scattymum101 · 09/11/2015 10:46

My early labour with dd1 was long because she was back to back (around 30 hours). However my active labour was around 2.5 hours as once I got past 4cm I went to 10 in less than an hour.

I decided on a home birth for dd2 for that reason as I was worried about giving birth at the side of the road.
Again I had a fairly long early labour of very mild contractions on and off for about 18 hours but nothing unmanageable so I Defo wouldn't have gone to hospital. Called the hospital just to give them a heads up that I may need someone out that evening and they insisted on sending someone out and I was only 2-3 cm. She left just after 4.30 and I was fine, then waters went at 5pm and baby was here 1.5 hours later. Mw only just made it back in time and there's no way I would have made it to hospital as I went from being too 'fine' to go in to being unable to move let alone get in the car.

BlingBubbles · 09/11/2015 10:55

mine was! my first labour was 3 hours and 20mins of pushing, my second labour was 1h5mins from being 5cm to delivery.... i couldnt have pushed for more than 5mins. My DS came out after 2 pushes!

My gynea (i am not in the UK) kept telling me I would have to rush to the hospital at the first sign of labour, in the end i was already in hospital as I went 8 days over and was going to be induced, so thank goodness for that, I am not sure if we would have made it to the hospital in time ;)

Good Luck!

Whatevva · 09/11/2015 11:08

My first was 3 hours.

With my second, the doctor would not let me go on the GP unit, because of previous PPH (probably due to the labial tearing, not uterus). As it turned out to be twins, I had no choice but to go into hospital anyway. However, even with twins at 35 weeks, contractions every 3 minutes, I had a fight to be admitted. God knows what would have happened if I had delivered them in the car! It actually took about half an hour longer in the end, but the pushing stage was almost non-existent. In fact, I did not push out DD1 at all.

I would go for a homebirth over an emergency car birth any day. At least you will be prepared so it will be safer, and someone will be on their way. And it is easier for ambulances to find you.

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