Quicker labour second time around?!

[jessyoliver]

Hi all! I'm expecting my second baby any time now! I'm 39+1 today and I'm just wondering about second labours and if it's true what they say about them being quicker?! With my first, my waters broke at 11pm, no contractions until around 1am ish, started pushing at around 6am but contractions started to dwindle off around 9am & I was mega tired so they transferred me 30mins to next hospital to put me on a drip of oxytocin but little one decided to make an appearance within literally 10mins of being there (born at 10.59am) so no time for drip! Ambulance must have shaken me up lol! He's now 4 so I'm just wondering 1. If the majority of second births are easier and quicker and 2. Does it make any difference the time between labours?? I.e, is it easier if there's say a 2 year gap as oppose to a 5 year?? I'm blummin terrified this time around! I'm convinced something is going to go wrong with either me or the baby and I can't seem to snap out of that mindset!! Xx

God I hope so. I'm 38 weeks with my second. My first was 44 hours from waters to birth.

I'm also so worried about things going wrong.

Hopefully someone will come along and tell us what we want to hear.

44 hours?! Eek! Wishing you a speedy second!!

Yes that's what I was hoping too!

Please someone.... anyone.... tell us what we want to hear! 😆🙏🏻

Xx

First 10 hours, second 1 hour. Not sure if that helps!!

My first was about 24 hours prelabour, followed by 6 hours actual labour. My second I was induced (pessary only) as she was small, and it was 1 hour 3 minutes from first contraction to delivery, with 17 minutes active labour! It was also a much less harrowing experience. Despite the fact that both labours were really quite short and straightforward, I was really distressed the first time, whereas the second was absolutely fine, and even made me feel better about the first one.
Good luck to you both xx

Yay that sounds promising then! Can I ask the age gap between your little ones? Xx

There's 2.5 years between them

Strange theory I know, but I was worried that being a 4 year gap my body may have "forgotten" 🙈 xx

DC1 28 hrs (from my waters breaking)
DC2 3.5 hrs (from the first contraction)
2 years between them
Good luck!

I think for me it wasn't so much that the experience was different, but the way I felt about it. I think that because I knew what to expect, and was aware of what my body was doing, it made me feel more in control somehow, so was less scary. Having a shorter labour probably did help.

Yes it's almost always much quicker second time round... good luck

My first labour was 7 hours, my second was 5, third was 4 hours, 4th was 10 hours and my 5th was less than 2 hours from the first pain to the birth.
The second birth was pretty awful because the midwife wouldn't let me move around at all, but I was much less frightened. The best one was the last because I banned my husband (he liked to correct the way I did EVERYTHING) and had lots and lots of gas and air!

First 20 hours
Second 1 hour 41 minutes.
4 year gap.

18 months between mine.
It definitely felt much more manageable second time round - although the contractions were very intense I knew my body could do it iyswim.

4 years between mine.
12hrs from waters to birth first time.
12hrs from early labour niggles till birth second time but only 4ish hours active labour - waters broke when pushing

Jessy - we have a 4 year gap! With my first DC I was induced and didn't labour as it went pretty much straight to emcs. With my second DC 3 months ago he was born within 5 hrs from first twinge and it was my first vaginal birth so there was nothing to "remember" from first time round haha.

Good luck with it all and hope it goes well

Thanks ladies! Feeling a bit more positive now! Good to know that it's quicker and easier with a lot of security be births! Xxx

Sorry that should have said second births!! Stupid iPhone predictive text 🙈😂 xxx

7 hours with first. 3 with second. 2yrs 9months between them. Was soooo much easier second time. I did hypnobirthing second time as I was also terrified. It was a huge help and I would highly recommend it.

Although sometimes it can work the other way!
1st - 4 hours
2nd - 8 hours (induced)
3rd - 19 hours!!

Yes Hypnobirthing seems to be the way forward! I wanted to go to the class but it was like £150!! So downloaded some apps and stuff! So far so good! It's really helping to calm me down!

Xx

@Cantthinkofanoriginalname1 my gosh you poor thing! Yours got longer 🙈 did they get more painful though?! Xx