Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Flexible and made to last.

Meet the Other Phone.
Flexible and made to last.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Childbirth

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

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:
cornishglos · 09/11/2015 15:43

1st: 18 hours established labour
2nd: 2 hours established labour... sorry!

LikeASoulWithoutAMind · 10/11/2015 12:07

First was 5.5 hours
Second was 1hr 50
Third was about 4.5 hours (back to back, which slowed things down)

I only just made it in time with dc2. Mw was amazed I hadn't given birth in the car. Hence I opted for a hb with number 3.

If you book a home birth there is absolutely nothing to stop you changing your mind on the day and going to hospital if things seem to be proceeding at a slightly more leisurely pace. My understanding is that it's fairly rare for things to go wrong with a quick birth - problems are much more likely to arise when things slow down.

It won't take an hour blue light either. Our nearest big hospital is 40-45mins away for us to drive but the mw reassured me they could get me there in 15-20mins blue light Shock

lynniep · 10/11/2015 12:14

Nope. 2.5 hours. Then 3.5 hours :)

NotMrsTumble · 10/11/2015 12:36

Ds1 (dc2) arrived fairly quickly, mws refused to believe I was in labour (apparently not dilated). My notes are a bit vague as to the length of the labour as I almost delivered in the assessment room I'd been parked in. Thankfully after the second visit to assessment I refused to leave. With dc 3 I was afraid of having an unplanned home birth (dh very anti home birth as dc1 was in distress ending in assisted delivery and trip to special care unit for her - thankfully only for a few hours). In the end I had three days of stop start early labour, but sympathetic mw let us hang about assessment unit while I got to 3cm over a shift change and got admitted. I do wonder whether the early admission / hospital environment then slowed things down as I had a lot of monitoring due to heavy show and wasn't able to move about much. 8 hours later the pushing stage was very quick though, with me just managing to shout "head" to the mw writing her notes at the other side of the room. In your shoes I'd probably look seriously at a home birth.

MakeTeaNotWar · 10/11/2015 12:50

My first was 4 hours from waters breaking to delivery. The second was just 40 minutes of labour - luckily I had decided to go for a homebirth. It was a wonderful, amazing experience and the reality is that I would have never made it to a delivery suite.

Good luck!

alltouchedout · 10/11/2015 12:53

Not in my experience, no. First baby, in hospital as term+2 weeks, had pessary in at midday on the Monday, nothing happened until my waters suddenly broke at 2.45 am on the Tuesday, ds1 born at 5.14 am, pushing had taken 70 minutes. Second baby, homebirth, labour started with a bang at 8am, ds2 born at 10.45am (in the caul!), pushing had taken 4 minutes. Third baby, homebirth, had a shame w and leaking waters at 4.30am, labour started at 6am, ds3 born at 8.26am. Not sure how long I pushed, he was born with both hands on his head so it hurrrrrt and I was screaming blue murder and losing the plot, but dh reckons about 10-15 minutes. There will be no 4th baby but if there was I'd expect yet another 2-3 hour birth and would want it to be at home again, I cannot bear the thought of travelling in established labour!

drasticfantastic · 10/11/2015 13:09

This is something I'm slightly concerned about. My first labour was relatively quick (9 hours total, but only 4 hours established labour and 20 mins pushing) but it looks like I might need a c-section with this one due to an inconveniently located fibroid. Last time I went into labour at 36+4 but obviously if they do book me a c-section, it won't be till about 39 weeks. Would I just get rushed in for an EMCS if I went into labour before the booked section?

jamtartandcustard · 10/11/2015 13:21

gosh I hate reading threads like these. it makes the green-eyed monster come out in me
1st birth - never went into labour. EMCS
2nd birth - 52 HOURS!!!!!!
3rd birth - 14 hours!

what i'd give for a 2 or 4 hour labour! or even 6 hours. wow, that's the stuff dreams are made of! here's praying for dc4 to come quick.

OP - i'd either plan for a homebirth or ask to be induced early as an hours drive is a long drive.

ChatEnOeuf · 10/11/2015 13:41

Yep.
First: 6hrs, 5 mins pushing (in hospital 40 minutes before delivery)
Second: 90 minutes, 20 seconds pushing (in hospital 15 minutes before delivery).
Planning an in-hospital induction next time, given the opportunity, I do not want a home birth.

AllMyBestFriendsAreMetalheads · 10/11/2015 13:56

First labour was on and off contractions for 3 days, then when baby decided to finally arrive it was a fairly quick birth in hospital.

Second birth was a home birth, and from start to finish was around 4 hours. Niggles all day, contractions ramped up once the eldest was in bed and gave birth before midnight. I was told that second babies tend to be quicker, but I didn't expect it to be as quick as that.

AmberLav · 10/11/2015 14:08

1st birth - 40hrs with about an hour pushing
2nd birth - 2 hrs with 5 minutes not really pushing at all!

I am still so thankful that the midwives said yes, come on in the second we called, as the hospital is only 7 minutes away, but it took me 10 minutes to cross the car park, as the contractions were so close, and then 15 minutes after arriving (while the midwife had wandered off) my waters broke, then DD's head arrived on the next contraction, and DD arrived completely on the second contraction, then the placenta arrived on the third contraction! Thankfully, the whole family is known to have fast second labours, so I knew not to hang around!

Planning on heading to hospital for DC3 in 6 weeks or so, but if the hospital was further than 7m away, I would be thinking home birth... However, my mum had a much longer third labour, so maybe no 3 will take longer...

bigfam · 10/11/2015 14:20

My first was 6 hours total, second 6.5 third only 2hrs 10 mins. So when i went into labour with my 4th was expecting it to go really quickly as well.... and it was 5 hours. I also carried longer in subsequent pregnancies. 37+3 38+2 39 & 39+3

GruntledOne · 10/11/2015 18:44

First was induced and around 24 hours from induction. Second was natural and around 5 hours from the first twinges - less than an hour after I got to hospital. Third was also induced and around two hours.

So yes, check out home births!

Terramirabilis · 10/11/2015 19:56

Who are all you bastards with your three hour labours? The unfairness of it all!

skippy67 · 11/11/2015 07:34

First labour 3 hours 50 mins.
2nd labour 2 hours exactly from first twinge to baby out.

jellyjiggles · 11/11/2015 07:38

My second was a lot faster but my first was days!

My friends second have all been quicker by various degrees.

WanderingTrolley1 · 11/11/2015 07:39

In my experience, yes.
Labour 1: 8hrs, ages pushing
Labour 2: 3hrs, 1 min pushing

Good luck, you'll be fine!!

jellyjiggles · 11/11/2015 07:40

Also my second came out after 3 mins pushing in one go. I think it was the second push. I tried to 'breath her out Hmm' which basically means I was being a wimp because I wasn't ready to push yet. She was slightly smaller but that was seriously fast!

Frazzled2207 · 11/11/2015 09:11

1st dc about 32 hours total, 12 ish in established labour, 4h pushing
2nd dc about 17 hours total, 5 ish in established labour, 20m pushing

In your case I would be planning a homebirth rather than worrying about getting to hospital on time

NoTechnologicalBreakdown · 11/11/2015 09:27

First birth 7 hours, 2nd just under 3 (admittedly after 2 weeks of braxton hick thingies).

I'd definitely raise this with your midwife now, if it's so far to hospitals in your area they should be used to alternatives and be able to discuss it with you.

Onelittlepiglet · 11/11/2015 12:29

Quicker here for me too - first labour I was induced but only took one pessary then 7 hours. Second birth was two hours from first tiny twinge to giving birth and I gave birth in the hallway with the front door wide open....!
Ambulance didn't get there in time but came shortly after, but luckily a first responder (on her way home) took the call and made it just after I'd delivered her head and in time to catch her! My DH was there but I think he went into shock so wasn't much use. Luckily I remained very calm which is unlike me!

Definitely plan a home birth. Good luck!

MadeMan · 12/11/2015 00:15

I clicked the Discussions of the Day link about Best Bed Linens and it's brought me here to a thread about childbirth!

Oh noes!

Dogsmom · 13/11/2015 21:22

My second was literally half the time but was still 15 hours, weirdly I felt much worse afterwards than with dd1 and the recovery took much longer.

Stillnoidea · 13/11/2015 21:39

1st about 18 hours and 2hrs pushing
2nd 2.5hrs, ten mins pushing
3rd 2hours, 4 pushes

Both 2&3 were planned home births - it was great to be at home and not to have to worry about taking DC elsewhere (at nursery with DC2 and during night with DC3).

JellyBaby26 · 15/11/2015 07:36

You mention being blue lighted to hospital... If that's a concern to you then don't have a home birth. However you could say you want one and change your mind at any time.

I planned one, had everything ready. Something told me to go to hospital and thank heavens I did as DD probable would have died had we had her at home. Trust your instincts!