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Childbirth

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

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Original poster

Pushing second birth

43 replies

Newbietwo · 20/02/2018 16:13

I’ve already asked this once 😳but still can’t get get it off my mind! I had a very very long pushing stage with my first and so worries the same will happen again with this one! Doing a hypnobirthing course and I have a doula this time but if anyone would share their experiences good or bad, wouldn’t be great. I also have pelvic floor damage, very mild cystocele, and I don’t want it to get worse woth a long pushing stage again!

OP posts:

Steeley113 · 20/02/2018 16:15

My first took an hour and hour to push out and the threat of an episiotomy. My 2nd practically fell out 2 pushes and the midwife barely got her gloves on in time.

DuckBilledAardvark · 20/02/2018 16:22

A long pushing stage is NOT a bad thing, I had a very very fast labour which distressed the baby and caused me damage because things weren’t allowed to stretch gradually down there.

Aprilshowerswontbelong · 20/02/2018 16:26

First labour - 17 long hours and long pushing stage.
Second less than 3 hours from being asleep to holding ds. Coupe of pushes,bit stuck at 9-3 but no stitches!!
Most women would record little similarities between first +second births.

sah2241 · 20/02/2018 16:26

I was pushing for almost 2hrs with my first, but only 7mins with my second. Labour was totally different each time so I wouldn't make any assumptions based on first time round.

Original poster

Newbietwo · 20/02/2018 17:48

Thank you so much! Very reassuring.

My second stage went down as four and a half hours and I never had an urge to push, in the end I only did as it didn’t seem anyone was going to help me! Which in hindsight was a good thing because my ds came naturally, with an episiotomy.

I hope it’s much shorter this time and I get an urge!

OP posts:

twobambinos · 20/02/2018 21:55

My first was 1hr 40 mins and my 2nd was 40 mins

twobambinos · 20/02/2018 21:57

My contractions were irregular all the way through and it was a good few mins from the birth of the head to the next contraction to deliver the rest of the baby, but pant when the midwife says and I had only one stitch the second time

TriJo · 20/02/2018 23:16

My second stage with #1 was 40 minutes. 4 minutes with #2. Totally different labours though - #1 was natural and at 41+1, #2 was induced and at 38+3.

anotherchangetomyname · 21/02/2018 12:07

@DuckBilledAardvark - a long first stage is not a bad thing, but a long pushing stage is, the risk to life of mother and baby go up past 2 hours and go up massively after 4. The risk of long term complications (cerebral palsy and brain damage for baby and pelvic damage, nerve damage, incontinence, even paralysis for mother) goes up after 2 hours. An ideal second/ pushing stage is around 60minutes.

OP I had a long pushing stage too (3hrs 50), it's put me off any more kids but every one I know has said the second is quicker!

Original poster

Newbietwo · 21/02/2018 12:51

Thanks everyone again. I really hope that I have a much shorter second birth and there is not some physical reason why it took so long for ds to descend last time!

**Anotherchangetomyname
Thanks, I didn’t know all those reasons although I have read studies saying risks to the mother rise especially of huge pph. Really scary that the risks to the baby rise too.

OP posts:

PasstheStarmix · 21/02/2018 15:48

One of my friends said her second just slipped out (her waters broke in Tesco at the checkout!) Thanks for this thread OP as I have one DC and had a very long distressing labour over 20 hours long but pushing stage was under 2 hours. I wondered the same thing about a second as my labour has been putting me off as I couldn’t go through that again!

xyzandabc · 21/02/2018 15:52

I pushed for over 2hrs with 1st and ended up with a forceps delivery.

No. 2 required 4 pushes in total. 1st push waters, 2nd head, 3rd body, 4th placenta. All done.

No. 3 was a different matter but no.2 was an absolute breeze.

Afreshcuppateaplease · 21/02/2018 15:52

Im not sure on timings but out of my four the second is the one that felt the hardest. I really struggled to get him out! Number 3 flew out though

CobraKai · 21/02/2018 15:56

My friend said with her first she kept shouting how long is the birth canal supposed to be? Because she felt like she was pushing her DS miles and miles down a tunnel her second took 3 pushes!

userabcname · 21/02/2018 16:00

Wow this is interesting. I had a long pushing stage and then a pph (lost 4 litres) and a third degree tear. I'm loving having a baby but terrified to fall pregnant again in case it happens again - I honestly felt like I was dying (I know that sounds dramatic). I didn't realise there was a link between length of pushing stage and pph.

PasstheStarmix · 21/02/2018 16:04

I remember it taking ages to push the head out and after that so quick. The head seemed to take forever.

FellOutOfBed2wice · 21/02/2018 16:06

Second stage recorded with DD1: 45mins

Second stage recorded with DD2: 60 seconds

And I think the midwife only wrote 60 seconds because she had to write something. She just fell out with one push!

PasstheStarmix · 21/02/2018 16:08

FellOut OMG that’s crazy, I hope that happens for my second (if I’m brave enough to do it all again!)

sunshinestorm · 21/02/2018 21:21

My first baby was emergency forceps so the pushing stage is written as less than one minute as he was pretty much yanked out in thirty seconds.

My second I was at a different hospital and the discharge notes didn't have the length of the pushing stage written on them. So I actually have no idea! I would guess maybe 15 minutes however I could be way off!

I didn't find pushing pleasant though and it's horrible doing something that takes so much energy when you've had no sleep!

I think statistically with subsequent babies pushing is quicker?

sinceyouask · 21/02/2018 21:23

Pushed over an hour with ds1, 4 minutes with ds2.

NinaMarieP · 21/02/2018 21:25

Christ I'm glad I hadn't read some of this before having my son, I pushed for five hours!!

If I'm ever mad enough to have a second I'd be hoping for a lot lot less.

LulusMiniEgg · 21/02/2018 21:32

Hmmm, mine was slightly different...
DS - 45 mins
DD - 2 hours
But I think this was because they didn’t check how dilated I was before I started pushing with DD, once I had the urge I was just allowed to push. I probably wasn’t 10cm yet, as an hour beforehand I’d had my waters broken at 3cm!
Make sure you get them to check before you start pushing!!!

sunshinestorm · 21/02/2018 21:42

Surprised at people saying 3/4/5 hours.. I always thought you were only allowed to push for 2 hours before they intervened? No idea where I actually read that though..

Chienrouge · 21/02/2018 21:46

With my first I had a 48 hour labour with only gas and air and by the time I got to the pushing stage I was exhausted. It took me 2 hours and I just had no energy at all. Plus I was flat on my back as they were monitoring her heartbeat which really didn’t help.
Second labour... got into hopital at 5am (contractions started around 11pm the night before) and baby was born at 8.30am. I pushed once and my waters broke then pushed again and her head came out! I was upright on my knees leaning against the wall and it all felt so much easier.

happymumof4crazykids · 21/02/2018 21:58

29mins first, 10 mins on 2nd only 2 pushes 3rd and 29mins on 4th. I went full circle!

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