second birth easier or harder?

[leanoracat]

I'm 38+6 with dc2 and I can't make up my mind whether the anticipation is easier this time round because I have more idea what to expect, or whether I am actually dreading it more because I KNOW what to expect. How did other second timers cope with it?

I found it worse to think about birth as I had heard many more horror stories compared to when I was expecting my first

Second birth was easier though and I recovered faster

Good luck

Mine was faster and easier, in fact I remeber lying there with DS2 in my arms thinking - thank God for that,I've done it when just 10 mins before I thought I would be pushing for hours.

Slower and easier.

jeez I am approx 8weeks-ish pg with my second and I am petrified about the birth...
cant decide whether to trust 'it willbe easier' and do natural again, or have a c-s as I had a 3rd degree tear and scar still bit touchy...dd is 10mths now...

it is worse I think as you know whats coming!!!!!!!
but on the flip side you are in for a nice surprise if you dread it and then its ok...

Easier and much much faster

not sure it was easier but definitely faster. knowing what to expect helped me i think. most people i know report 'better' second times. good luck!

I found it easier.

First birth - 24 hour labour followed by forceps delivery.

Second birth - incredibly short labour and baby born about half an hour after arrival at hospital. Only a graze!

harder.

1st birth - 12 hour labour with no problems.
2nd birth - home birth -36 hours pre labour, 7 hours labour, baby lying face first, back to back, with cord wrapped twice round her neck, very difficult, with significant blood loss.

Mine was faster & easier but i was very scared in the last few weeks because i knew what to expect but it was that quick i did not even have time to think about what was going on.

same!!

labour was the same length (5.5 hrs) and was same intensity

but DS2 was smaller, so i didnt tear,

easier

Much easier and less painful

easier. Think it is for most people cos your body's done it before. Still bloody hurts though!

i think your approach is different second and third time around as you know roughly what is going to happen you are still nervous apprehensive normal emotions but i think you do relax slightly more but time and weight of labour and baby is going be whatever it takes ppl say you are quicker second time etc mine were all within 1hr 30 -1hr 45 and 4lb to 7lb 4oz all healthy full term i had male midwives with first 2 then a woman different hospital with last but it depends on your support on the day etc

easier and much faster also, 4 hours normal labour, no drugs, no interventions

Second was easier, quicker and much easier to manage.

However, the thought of it was far more scary as I understood how much it was going to hurt! No one can tell you how it feels first time, can they?

sooooooooooooooooooooooo much easier!

first birth failed induction, ending in em c.s

2nd birth spontaneous labour, vaginal delivery, intact perineum, 3 1/4 hours from 3 cm to holding baby !

woo hoo!

My advice is to have a birth plan. My first birth was a breeze and I had no plan. Second time round, no plan and baby came early, was awful with lots of midwife interevention which I felt could have been avoided if I had written it down. I am sure I would have had a more positive experience. The chance of you hvaing a better time is much higher, as the general theme is better second time round, so good luck!

HARDER..!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

1st (dd) partly water birth with g&a. Born aftre 10 hours 50 mins. Weighing 9lb 4oz and a 2nd degree tear.

2nd (ds) water birth (half hour), g&s, Diamorphine (ffs..!), epidural and still the most excruciating pain. Born after over 11 hours (lost count..!) and another 2nd degree tear. DS was back to back...Weighing 9lb 13 oz's.. BTW Im only 4ft 11in.

DS only 10 weeks old so still quite a raw subject BUT would love to do it again..the pregnancy bit BUT NOT the birth bit..Hoping that when we decide for baby3 time will have moved on and the stork will bring them . OR I will settle for a cs..!

first was relatively fast and reasonably easy (didn't feel like it at the time, but having talked to other mums afterward I began to appreciate it!). second was very very fast and very very easy.

First was 4 hours start to finish. 22 stitches. Aside from the physical aspect of it it took 9 months to feel I'd gotten over it. Spent ages in build-up imagining my various birth scenarios.
Second was 3 hours start to finish. Graze only. Pulled a muscle in labour, so took a week to recover from that but no mental effects at all. Feel very positive about it. Wasted no time anticipating how it may be.
Midwives took me much more seriously second time round when we turned up and I said I was in labour. (With nr1 was put in a room and forgotten about for 90 minutes and caught them by surprise.)

Harder as I was induced for DS2.

Definately faster and easier-55 mins.
My body recovered so fast as well,i did tear but only slightly as i did with dd1 but no stitches.Tummy went back down so fast but that was probably due to the horrendous after pains i had .