Talk to me about your second births

[Tinks15]

37 weeks today with DD2, I'm curious as to what is going to happen this time round as I was induced with DD1 due to her growth had slowed right down & my placenta wasn't functioning as it should. Everything looking good this time round though & they've said her weight was ok at my 36 week scan last week so no sign of needing to be induced at the moment.

I wish I knew how it's all going to happen this time round.

Please tell me your stories I'm intrigued!

Dc2 was born just over 12 weeks ago.

He was 2 weeks late, I was in the hospital ready to be induced, realised I couldn't go through with it and it just didn't feel right. Went into labour on the drive home and had ds at home as planned. I swear to god, he honestly came out in 1 push, it was quite overwhelming as he was a big boy at 9lb8.

Good luck op!

My first was 12 hours from first twinge 4-5 hours active labour, 32 weeker.

Second 2 hours from 0cm to birth, 28 weeker.

Third 2-3 hours of mild twinges, then 2 hours of proper contractions from 5cm to birth, 37 weeker.

I was convinced my third would also be prem, try to remember it's a completely different pregnancy.

Fast!

1st - from first twinge to birth 9 hours (2 hours pushing)

2nd - from first twinge to birth not more than 1 hour 45mins. unplannned home birth.No pushing! Thankfully 'caught' by DH.

1st: went naturally at 40+1, 14 hours start to finish (3 hours pushing), cut & tore & forceps. Big baby

2nd went naturally at 41+2, 5 hours start to finish (20 mins pushing), small graze. Big baby

3rd (although you haven’t asked 😬) I was induced at 40weeks, born 8 hours later (1.5hrs pushing). Huge baby

Hoping all goes ok for you 😊

1st induced at 41+4. Quick, 13.5 hours from pessary to delivery but bad quick. Felt very uncontrolled and intense.

2nd, waters broke first thing 3 days before due date. Mild cramps on and off rest of that day including while DH and I did the big Xmas food shop in a very busy massive Sainsbury's. Bit more intense early evening, enough for TENS machine by 11 pm. Woke DH and headed to hospital 4 am. Checked in and 1 cm dilated at 5.15am, by 6.30 on gas and air. No idea when started pushing but DD born at 8.30 am.

So proper contractions to delivery was around 9 hours. Contractions intense enough to need more than TENS were for only 2 hours.

I just had my second birth on Monday. First was ten years ago and I was induced.

On Monday went into spontaneous labour at 2:23am, pains got stronger and longer within one hour so went to hospital at 5am was 7cm, managed to cope with the contraction pain quite well. Ended up getting in the birthing pool at the hospital as they gave me that option, it helped relieve the pain in my back loads. I used gas and air only and she was born out of the pool near the bed at 8:18am. The pain from the delivery felt worse than what it did with my first child but think that could be down to not having any more pain relief as I had pethidine with my first and only gas and air with my second.

Hope it all goes well. Just take it as it comes and do what you feel right at the time as what you want today can be so much different to what you want when your in pain x

Thanks ladies, love hearing all your different stories.

It amazes me how quick some of the births can be. Everyone I've spoken with have always said your second birth is always a lot quicker than your first.

Feeling nervous about it all but excited about meeting her now. I wasn't nervous at all with my first but I think it's because this time round obviously I know what's coming!

I was a lot more nervous second time round because I had more of an idea of what was coming!

Both babies born at home. First birth was about 18 hrs from contractions getting going, had a trip to hospital in the middle of the night to get checked out and then home again. Laboured over night and DS born about 2pm next day after well over hour of pushing. I was knackered!

Second birth was much quicker. Woke at midnight with mild contractions and waters breaking. Midwife arrived about 2am. Contractions were regular from start but didn't feel overwhelming. Two big pushes and DD born just before 6am.

Mine was the picture perfect water birth I wanted - after a v long unproductive labour, epidural, theatre and forceps with DS1 I felt vindicated that I'd had 'my' birth at last!!

Was up and down to the hospital due to crushing headache (so walked loads up and down to unit etc) then contractions were stopping me in my tracks by 4.30pm when Mum and Dad took DS1 for the night. We were admitted at 7.30pm into the MLU and she came swimming out after 3 pushes. Home by 2am.

Hope you have a good one!!

Oh sorry she was born at 9.40pm

First was a nightmare...42 weeks not induced. Waters broke 8am,didn't deliver until 00:18 next morning. Had and air. Second had a sweep at 38 weeks (having had back pains from the night before) spent the day shopping (so lots of walking). Contractions started building (totally different labour to my first), so I called my doc and he said to come in and he would take a look. I jumped in the shower and waters broke and intense contratctions started,about a minute apart. Got to the clinic at 6:45 and daughter was out by 7:15-two pushes and that was it! Could've gone home again that evening I felt fantastic! (But then I tealised that it might not be a bad thing to stay in the clinic for a few days so that I didn't have to run around after a two year old as well as trying to get to know my newborn!)

Hahaha... second births are not always quicker.

DC1 has to be induced 40+9. 22hrs between induction & delivery. 2nd degree tear but healed nicely.

DC2 was measured off the chart. They'd already pushed back my due date (but I'm certain it was already a week too early). Saw the consultant who noticed I was having trouble with a "braxton hicks" and asked how long that had been going on for. "Only a couple of weeks, I guess my body is starting to think about it all". Umm, no BH don't behave like that - those are real contractions

Induced next morning. It took 23hrs this time. No stitches. Baby born on revised due date (I still think it was a couple weeks early).

So DC1 22hrs
DC2 2 weeks and 23hrs

I was induced with DC1 as well, due to placenta failure.
DC2 was born at 40+4 weeks after about 8 hours of labour, but only the last hour was truly challenging. I had the first painless contraction at around 8pm, contractions only started getting uncomfortable at 11 pm though. I had regular contractions over the next four hours which kept increasing ever so slightly - I was surprised by how painless they were compared to my first birth! The last hour was bad, but not bad enough to need pain relief. Baby born at 4 am, one small tear.
Hope you have a good birth!

Both of mine came at 39 weeks exactly. First baby was 24 hours from first proper contractions to baby arriving, 12 hours in active labour. She was back to back and things completely ground to a halt 16 hours in, contractions stopped and had to be restarted with the drip. She was born face up just as they were about to take me for forceps with the help of a lovely doctor who managed to turn her head slightly to get her out. No tears and apart from being totally shattered I was fine (and lucky to escape forceps, makes me shudder the thought of them turning the baby with them!).

Second baby was 16 hours from first proper contractions to baby arriving, only 5 hours active labour. I had the opposite problem to first time around, my body couldn't stop contracting so it was a 5 hour long contraction. They started to get twitchy and talk of getting the baby out but luckily I was ready to push and he came out after about 30 minutes of pushing. Much bigger baby, but again no tears.

Not wanting to scare you but I found the second time much worse, it was constant pain and pushing hurt a lot more. I was surprised, I'd read everywhere it'd be easier! It's funny my husband says the first birth was worse for him, there were lots of people in the room for the birth etc. I think the second was by far the worst! Either way I'm still going for a third so it can't be that bad now can it!

Oh and just so you know my midwife warned me the after pains are often worse with the second. That was certainly my experience.

Can I jump on the post and ask how long the time difference was between your first and second? There’s 6 years for me and I’m super nervous

My 2nd was very similar to my first in many ways, except a bit quicker.
Both times I was very overdue (11 / 13 days late) and went in for induction
With second I was already 3-4cm dilated when I went in although hadn't started labour and had no contractions. They just broke my waters and put syntocinon drip up, but within an hour I was begging them to take it off as contractions came on too hard and fast.
Started pushing after about 2.5 hours, but as with first labour, baby was back to back and was having none of it. As with first, ended up with episiotomy and ventouse delivery. Only difference was the second time, baby hadn't pooed inside me so didn't have to have paediatrician on standby with resuscitaire etc!!
First labour was 7.5 hours start to finish, second was 4 hours.

FWIW, third was natural (uninduced), only 5 days overdue, and from first contraction to birth was just over 2 hours.

Oh and as for timescales, almost exactly 4 years between 1 and 2, then not quite 3 years between 2 and 3.

My 2nd was incredibly fast. I didn't even have to push he birthed himself bless him.

No drugs didn't have time.

I loved my second!

It was about 3 hours from start to finish and my body just took over, knee exactly what it was doing. Just gas and air.

I would genuinely do it again if I could, just to experience it again.

DC1 - 38+3 Waters broke first, had sweep, labour started and was intense very quickly, had all the drugs (everything) 30+ hours of labour, baby was back to back, 2.5hrs of pushing. Born weighing 6lb 10oz with Ventouse, was Cut and Tore. Very traumatic.

DC2 - 6 years later. 39+3 Waters Broke first again, Slight twinges taking DC1 to school at 9am. Made my way to hospital, 11am in full swing, born 1.20pm so less than 2.5hrs. Gas and air only, very manageable labour and delivery. Baby was 9lb 2oz, no tears or stitches, was showered, dressed and drove myself and baby home to pick up DC1 from school on the way

The difference for me was with my first I'd convinced myself it wouldn't be that bad but it was actually worse than anything I'd ever experienced. With my second I knew it'd be horrific but I also knew it was worth it, I downloaded a hypnobirthing app whilst pregnant second time and listened to it for 4 weeks and it kept me calm.

Good luck OP

1st - b2b. Failed to dilate. Epidural, drip, ventouse. 24 hours. Nightmare.
2nd - 4.5 hours including 45mins pushing. No pain relief. Unbelievably painful but 100 x better.
3rd - 4 hours but b2b and 1.5 hours was pushing with no pain relief. Absolute stuff of nightmares. 3rd degree tear.
It's a lottery. 2nd was the best but I am never doing it again!

Let's just say it was swift enough and (relatively) less painful enough that I accidentally cut it a bit fine and rocked up at triage 10cm dilated. Made it into delivery room with 15 mins to spare.

My advice: don't wait for the 3 in 10 mins contractions to become longer than a minute before calling in like I did...

Straightforward, quick but not too fast, and literally 90% less painful than the first one. Literally meaning literally, not figuratively!

second baby - 1hour and 8 mins. No pain relief. whoooooshhhhh