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Childbirth

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

Original poster

Long first labour, nice short second labour? Quick survey...

91 replies

Groveregg · 26/05/2007 10:54

I'm 31 weeks pg for the second time and finally trying to face facts and prepare myself for things. Yes I know that this is a "how long is a piece of string" sort of question and noone can tell me for sure how long things will take, but I am trying to get a bit of a feel for things and how much cover I might need to organise for looking after ds, as I haven't got family nearby...

In my first labour, I started to feel contractions late on a Wednesday night and it went on for days with quite a few trips to the hospital, only to be sent home again because I wasn't dilated enough and contractions weren't coming fast enough. Ds was finally born on the next Tuesday afternoon after a lot of spicy food and pineapple and a few hours on a syntocinon drip. So I was at it for nearly 6 days in total. I've heard countless stories of how second labours are quicker but I'm thinking how many days quicker?! Does anyone else have experience of a long first labour like mine and if so how long did your second labour take?

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katelyle · 28/05/2007 22:16

~Depends what you mean by labour. With my first, I was aware that something was happening for about 12 hours at home, but I was able to do other things -like sew, nest, eat, sleep - then there were 7 hours when I was doing nothing but producing a baby. Second time, that first stage lasted 3 hours and the second stage lasted 47 minutes!

JenT · 29/05/2007 09:31

Hi there,
first baby - 1st contraction to placenta delivery 37 hours
second baby - 1st contraction to placenta 5 hours

however I had 3 false alarms with baby2 as the braxton hicks I had were much stronger.

Good luck!

Jen x

Judy7 · 31/05/2007 16:03

Ds1: 20 hours from first contraction to delivery - pethidine, epidural, ventouse, episiotomy etc etc

DS2 - 85 minutes, gas and air and a teeny bit of swearing.

tiredandgrumpy · 31/05/2007 16:15

Bloomin' heck you lucky people!

ds - 24 hours ish ending in em cs

dd - 27 hours ending in ventouse in theatre.

Felt v proud on vbac, but cheated that it took longer 2nd time round. Mind you, she was a biggie.

tiredandgrumpy · 31/05/2007 16:16

Groveregg, don't count you as lucky for those 6 days! Anything has to be better 2nd time round, I'm sure!

seamonster · 31/05/2007 16:16

Ds1 1hr
Ds2 20 mins

funnypeculiar · 31/05/2007 17:16

first labour- waters broke at 3am, contractions started around 5pm, baby born 12.30am (gas & air)
Second labour - niggly pains for 2 days, then sudden bleed - waters broken in hosipital about 2 hours later (at which point I was 6 cm dilated), baby born half an hour later. At which point I realised I hadn't had my gas & air. Gutted, I bloody love that stuff

spiker · 31/05/2007 18:47

DS1 - 24 hours

DS2 - 17 hours, but 2nd stage was longer (3 hours as opposed to 2). And it was much worse throughout and ended in forceps.

6 days sounds pretty hellish. Best of British...

yaddayah · 31/05/2007 19:04

ds 52 hrs
dd 2 hrs 37 mins

HypnoBirthing · 31/05/2007 20:18

1st - horrible, to tired to push had pethedine and gas and air. I had read every book i could get my hands on about pregnancy and new what i was groing every day - finger nails! But i completely ignored labour and birth. Not suprisingly i paniced and was in pain.
9 months later and pregnant again i looked ino other methods as the drugs i used before made me feel like i wasn't there it all felt like a bad dream. In fact my dreams are more vivid than the birth! I found HypnoBirthing and went on to have an amazing natural birth with my daughter. Evan though i had serious complications and was being threatened with surgery. HypnoBirthing allowed me to stay calm and focused throughout.

My story is featured in Prediction Magazine this week.

Mummynetty · 31/05/2007 20:41

Wow 6 days, we women are made of scuh strong stuff well done.

My second was much easier.

DS was pulled out with ventousse after 3 hours pof pushing.

DD would have come out withb or without a push!

Good luck!!

shhhh · 31/05/2007 20:55

1st labour around 11 hours (dd)

2nd labour just over 11 hours (ds)

I put it down to boys . Oh and maybe the fact he was back to back probably didn't help lol..!!

TheDuchessOfNorksBride · 31/05/2007 21:01

7 hours.
3 hours.
Under 1 hour.

IF I have a 4th, I daresay it will just drop out without my noticing

shhhh · 31/05/2007 21:08

Oh you will notice the birth of the 4th......................it will be when you sneeze .........

God if only..!!!

megancat · 31/05/2007 21:13

two at home. 1st ds 21 hours start to end, pushing bit took over 3 hours so wrecked after. 2nd 12 hours start to end and delivered in pool. 1st time round was quite good at coping with contractions but didn't manage the pushing too well - didn't know what to do. 2nd time the contractions were really tough as dd was back to back so no real let up in between but the 2nd stage pushing was loads better - got in pool and just got on with it in very determined focused fashion, demanded the midwives tell me what to do and when and she was out in 45 mins with no tears at all. Recovery was so much better 2nd time after a terrible post labour few months before. 2nd time I was up and about much quicker and felt great not being pregnant! Plus dd was an angelis wee thing who didn't cry all night like ds so that helped. Sorry have not read thro all thread - just popped in - but its hard 2nd time round as the birth approaches (ignorance is bliss) but then you also know it should be faster and overwith so just have to get on with it and prepare well. ALso I found getting ds away with family helped so I could just concentrate on the job at hand.

seamonster · 31/05/2007 21:26

dd 1hr30
Very funny Shhh. Good job I don't get hayfever in September then imagine sneezing on the way up to school....

haagendazs · 31/05/2007 21:41

My first was also v long - 5 days from first contraction but down as 17.5 hours on hospital notes.
Second baby was 9 hours from first contraction and only 40 mins after getting to hospital.
Second time round was MUCH MUCH less painful too. Good luck

lillochum · 31/05/2007 22:43

My DH maintains I "just farted" and DD2 arrived - it was that easy! Not quite the way I remember it

jamsambam · 01/06/2007 08:27

i hate to alarm anyone but my second was delivered in 20 minutes..start to finish....if i had a third it might be a case of 'catch the baby'......

ClaireTh · 01/06/2007 08:45

13 hours with DS. Went 2 weeks over and was induced, shunted about all over bloody hospital and ended up having epidural. Agony.

6 hours with DD. After previous experience opted for home birth. TENS machine all the way through with a bit of gas & air right at the end. Sooooo much less painful

3sEnough · 01/06/2007 08:49

First one faffed about for a day and a half, second was 3 hrs from first contraction to out, third was 5 hours.

Summerfruit · 01/06/2007 09:16

Message withdrawn

milkchocolate · 01/06/2007 09:23

DS1 36 hours
DS2 4 Hours
I did not believe I really was in labour with DS2 so went to bed thinking I should catch some sleep, after all I had 5 minutes between contractions and by previous experience that meant I had at least 12 hours.... Woke up in a looong contraction and my husband phoned labour ward, they heard me panting and yelling in the background and said, maybe you better stay put, sounds like your wife is nearly there already. I said "No way, hospital is 10 minutes away, I can keep him in" He arrived when I was laying on my side getting pethidine. Anyone else given birth on their side with their leg up in a 90 degree angle? sorry if TMI.

mygirllollipop · 01/06/2007 09:26

DD1 ~ 10h 50mins
DD2 ~ 6h 10 mins
DD3 ~ 4h ish
DD4 ~ 3h max

hippmummy · 01/06/2007 09:30

DS1 started with waters breaking - 13hrs to birth

DS2 started with waters breaking - 3hrs to 8cms then ended in emergency c-section as discovered breech.