Episotomy/forceps delivery with 1st baby what happened with your next birth?

[Thegirlwithnousername]

How did subsequent labours go?
Did you have another vaginal birth?
Opt for C-Section?
Assisted delivery again?

I am 26 weeks and haven't discussed birthing yet, I am just wondering how it went the next time?
Thanks

Oh following as I had the same for 1st and hoping for another hopefully soon

I kept asking this question and the answer was ‘we’ll see how it goes’.

I just ended up with a graze the second time. I was very surprised but it was still sore. But quicker healing time!

Good luck

I had a nightmare first labour - huge episiotomy, ventouse, and forceps. Took about 12 hours with 2 of pushing then a week in hospital. I was so upset by all the interventions that I decided to have my second baby in my local birthing center. The whole thing took about 4 hours with 10 minutes pushing and we were home less than 2 hours after I gave birth. No interventions, no pain relief apart from g&a, and I didn't tear. It was amazing. I have quite a lot of friends with similar stories as well so I don't think its uncommon or that I was just super lucky.

Episiotomy with my first. Planned section due to foetal anemia for my second.

1. Epidural, episiotomy, forceps, recovery took about 6 weeks.

1. Gas and air (no time for epidural), unassisted delivery. Small graze, no stitches. Was back walking the dog the next day.

TBH, there’ll be a million different answers to this question. It really depends on what YOU want.

After forceps in theatre, episiotomy, blood loss and sore stitches for sometime after with my first. DS2 literally shot out of me even with a failed induction!
I couldn’t believe the difference, expected the same as DS1 so was practically dancing round the ward within a few hours of DS2s delivery!!

Excellent thank you ladies,
I am pleased that some of you had better experiences the next time.
I honestly want to try and labour again, I want to avoid the C-Section route as much as possible - But understand that it's unavoidable in some situations.
You have put my mind at ease knowing it doesn't always mean you are going to have issue's with following births.
I am Consultant lead so a birthing centre is not an option for me unfortunately.

Not my personal experience (emcs) but my mum had an episiotomy and forceps delivery with me and then went on to have a normal uncomplicated labour and delivery with my younger brother 2 years later 🙂

I had a ventouse and episiotomy with my first. 24 hour labour.

Second was born 2.5 hours after arriving at the hospital. I did tear and had quite a lot of stitches but no problems with recovery. I got sinusitis a week later and that caused me more pain!

Episiotomy and bad scarring with first, little tear with second. Much easier and in fact the second sort of “corrected” a hard ridge of scar tissue that had been causing me agg after the first.

Good luck with your new baby

I had all the intervention with my first and was left with an episiotomy that got infected and took the best part of a year to heal. My second was breach, so I had a c-section which was a total breeze in comparison!

Episiotomy with first. Two little stitches with second and could sit down in comfort straight away. I felt physically more tired afterwards though, but I think that was probably due to caring for a toddler too. Best of luck, op.

Interested to hear these stories too!

Back to back birth with episiotomy the first time.

Second time, water birth, one stitch, completely textbook birth with no interventions.

Like many others here, I had episiotomy/rotational forceps/hideous time with my first, but my second was a textbook home water birth, 6 hours from first contraction to birth, no tearing or anything. It was a very healing experience!

ventouse and episiotomy with first. 2nd was induced and back-to-back. Tore down the the old episiotomy scar and off the end of it (that is OK apparently as the scar is the in the safe place and 'guides' the tear). I didn't notice as was too busy trying to deal with the back-to-backness. Good luck!

Awful prolonged labour first time, back to back, every painkiller going, forceps and lots of stitches, followed by a heamotoma and massive infection.

Second time, 2 hours from start to finish, water birth with gas and air only, small tear, and she was bigger!

Double episiotomy firat time followed by 2 Fenton's procedures and plastic surgery. Consultant did not want to do elective cs for second as no medical reason to do so despite me being terrified. He was prepared to induce me early to ensure baby smaller. Did that. Just gas and air and no stitches.

I promise I was the biggest scaredy cat out there and all was well (although ds2 still had cord round neck!)
Try not to worry (hard I know) but literalky every birth is different and your 2nd probably won't mirror your first.

Do let your midwife know any fears you have. Mine was instrumental in getting the consultant to agree to early induction.

I had a horrible first birth. Was induced with a long labour ending in a forceps delivery with episiotomy and large pph which nearly killed me. I was in the pushing stage for nearly 4 hours and he just wouldn’t come out.

Second delivery 10 days ago couldn’t have been more different. 1.5 labour and 5 mins pushing. Very easy, no forceps just a small tear as he came so quickly. And he was a bigger baby! Hope your second is much easier too.

Following as I’m in a similar position!

First delivery was induction, epidural, forceps and episiotomy. Followed by infection in stitches.

Second was induction, quick vaginal birth and a tiny tear that required no stitches.

1st was forceps in theatre.

2nd was 40 mins in hospital, 20 mins of gas and air and 3 pushes and she was out. I remember distinctly eating my toast afterwards saying to the midwife, ' was that it?'.

Off the back of number 2, went for home water birth but ended up with an ambulance transfer at 10cm swiftly followed by a brutal but necessary woods screw manoeuvre for shoulder dystocia.

All very very different.

Thank you for sharing ladies..You have put my mind at rest..I will mention it at my consultant appointments about worrying about it all again.
Thank you once again.