Was the pushing part easier in your second birth?

[Jo6545]

I was very lucky with my first birth in that I didn’t have any complications or interventions. Also didn’t have any painkillers through (not by choice!) so felt all of the pushing...I found the pushing physically very difficult. Not the most painful but I didn’t seem to be making an progress or know what I was doing. My contractions actually stopped at one point and I was just pushing without contraction. The head kept almost crowning then I’d feel it get ...’sucked’ back up and think oh god I have to do that again! My baby then got stuck at the shoulders (midwife nearly had to intervene) and then stuck again for a couple of pushes at the babies belly which I’ve never heard of! Most stories I hear once the head is out the rest comes out easily.

I’m nervous things won’t go as smoothly and the amount of time it took even without complications stressed me out last time!

I had three babies. Each birth was a long labour and the pushing was not easier at all except for the last one who came out after six pushes only causing a massive tear.

Dc1 - failed ventouse, forceps and all the drugs except epidural, cord round neck. Awful prolonged second stage, carefully written birth plan went out of the window. Crippling pnd due to my perceived 'failure' at having the birth I wanted/expected.

Dc2 - no birth plan at all, zero expectations. Prolonged 2nd stage again, epidural, gave birth in theatre - failed ventouse and forceps again, cord round neck which had to be cut before she could be delivered. Felt amazing afterwards despite second time being on paper a worse experience.

So, I've no experience of an easy birth, just low expectations. Good luck op!

My second Ds weighed in at 13 lb ! But having torn for my first birth I really paid good attention to the midwife and only pushed as and when she told me too and didn't tear at all.

@tenredthings 13lbs!!!! OMG I bet that's a record!

Much easier the second time round! Ventouse delivery with the first after pushing for almost 2 hours - second was out in 4 pushes.

My second fell out. I did one push. Not down to me but possibly baggy nether regions and gravity! was an hour with my first.

1st was easy
2nd was a bit more difficult
3rd I just breathed him out!

Yes. First was over 2 hours of pushing. Second was out in 2 pushes

Yep, first was 1 hour+ of pushing, came out with ventouse eventually, tears causing pain for several months after birth. Thankfully had an epidural, so the pushing itself wasn’t painful!
Second time around pushing was much shorter. Did some light “practice pushing” for a while, while waiting for her to descend properly, as this helped with contractions (which again were only mildly painful due to epidural but got some pressure which eased by pushing a bit). Once she descended properly down the pelvis, she came out with first or second pushing contraction - easy! No tearing and no significant pains afterwards either.

Ooh great thread OP. I’m also 17 weeks with DC2 and labour/birth of DD1 was similar to yours. She was back to back so took ages, I was on my back with my legs in stirrups due to having an epidural and she kept sucking back up between pushes they told me not to breathe in as much between pushes so I was literally just gasping for air and honestly felt like I was going to pass out at one point! After 2 hours and the Dr in the room at the bottom of the bed about to use ventouse, she popped out by herself!

Hoping for a non-OP baby this time and less pushing. We’ll see! I’m probably more nervous this time than with the first because I didn’t know what to expect with the first!