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Childbirth

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

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Original poster

How did your second labour start?

32 replies

c307 · 13/08/2021 16:24

I'm currently 39 weeks with second baby, first born was induced so haven't had the whole contractions starting naturally before.

How did it happen for you? Did you have an inclin beforehand that things were starting or was it completely out of the blue?

I've heard a lot of people tend to start in the night whilst asleep. I hate not knowing how/when it will all be so keeps me busy asking others their stories

OP posts:

Pumpkinangel · 14/08/2021 15:37

Following as would like to know also

BunnyRuddington · 14/08/2021 21:33

Second started with huge contractions about 11pm. Luckily they eased off enough so they I could get to hospital.

Xmasfairy86 · 14/08/2021 21:37

Second started with induction 🙈 so no help here. But first started at 3:30/4am with me thinking I’d wet the bed… my waters had broke. She didn’t arrive until 7pm

Orangedaisy · 14/08/2021 21:40

Bump felt tight all day, did a massive poo in the evening and then contractions kicked in hard and fast and quickly. Didn’t make it to hospital, she was born on the kitchen floor 36 minutes after the hospital told me the contractions weren’t painful enough for me to need to rush in

BakewellGin1 · 14/08/2021 21:41

Mine started unexpectedly while I was having a nice relaxing night on the couch watching Vera at 11pm... Started with a bleed (they dont know why), rang maternity suite who sent a paramedic.. By time he got me out of car and wheeled me up to ward my waters went at 11.30pm and was in full on pushing labour by 12.20am...
It didn't continue that quickly or easily however I didn't have time to think or worry about going to hospital so that was a bonus.

BunnyRuddington · 14/08/2021 21:50

Didn’t make it to hospital, she was born on the kitchen floor 36 minutes after the hospital told me the contractions weren’t painful enough for me to need to rush in

That's shocking but all too common. They told me to take some paracetamol and have a bath but at my first birth, the MW had told me that if I had anymore I was to go straight to Hospital. So, I politely declined a bath and said I was on my way. They managed to find me a rather lovely MW fortunately.

The Mum in the next bed wasn't quite so lucky. Her DH had got lost on the way to Hospital and she had birth in the car park.

IggyAce · 14/08/2021 21:51

My waters broke with both my pregnancies, contractions started several hours later with both. There was approximately 15 hours between waters breaking and dcs arrivals. I didn’t realise they were so similar until now.

WindowChecking · 14/08/2021 21:53

Day before his duedate. Went riding mini trains with DS1 (god knows how they let me on!) then his dad and I had a spicy pizza and a fumble about and labour started 20 mins later.

Hardbackwriter · 14/08/2021 21:55

Both of mine started with my waters breaking, no signs previous to that. With DC1 it happened in the middle of the night (when I was asleep) when I was 39+1, contractions started about four hours later and he was born 14 hours later. With DC2 I was 40+4, it was the middle of the afternoon and it also took about four hours for contractions to start but two hours after that I was holding him!

BunnyRuddington · 14/08/2021 21:58

Lots of people saying things started with their waters breaking. My waters didn't go naturally either time.

First DC the MW ruptured them. Second DC LO was born in the waters.

This is why I always encourage MNers to not wait until their waters to break until going to hospital

Theworldisfullofgs · 14/08/2021 22:00

Induced with first. 2nd overdue with threatened induction. Dh made me dinner to cheer me up. We eat dinner and then contractions started. Pretty full on but had DS at home (planned) so all good.

student26 · 14/08/2021 22:00

First had waters break about 2am, the morning of due date, contractions started about 7am in hospital. Had to be induced as no change in contraction timings at 5pm. Getting worse but not closer together. Had an epidural and she came at 00.45 next day.
Second baby was 41 weeks. Waters broke at 1.20am in bed. I remember being so cross as I’d just managed to have a sleep lying down and I felt so relaxed. Contractions started about six hours later or so. He was born at 13.49 that day, with epidural. :)

Heckythump1 · 14/08/2021 22:01

First I went into labour naturally evening before due date, she was born due date lunchtime, was only in established labour for 1.5 hours and pushed for 30 minutes.

Second my waters went after I got out of the bath and she was born 2 hours later, established labour for a whopping 25 minutes and 3 minutes of pushing, she was rather keen to be here.... she was 10 days early.

ParkheadParadise · 14/08/2021 22:10

My second pregnancy was weird from the beginning. I didn't find out I was pregnant until I was 5months.
I went to visit my mum on my due date ( she was in a care home) we were standing in the carpark talking to my sister when a gush of water nearly knocked me off my feet😂😂😂
I thought I'd wet myself. Almost immediately I wanted to push and was adamant I wasn't going back inside. I remember DH wasn't really keen to have me in his brand new car 😜
Only made it to the hospital when dd arrived.

Hardbackwriter · 14/08/2021 22:18

@BunnyRuddington

Lots of people saying things started with their waters breaking. My waters didn't go naturally either time.

First DC the MW ruptured them. Second DC LO was born in the waters.

This is why I always encourage MNers to not wait until their waters to break until going to hospital

I was astonished when my waters broke before labour the first time (and they did so spectacularly!) because the midwife who gave my antenatal class said we shouldn't expect that to happen and it 'only really happened in films'!

feb2022 · 14/08/2021 22:27

I was in bed around 3am Christmas morning I woke up with a bit of cramping, so I tried to go back to sleep.. nope!
Pain was getting a bit much, hopped in the shower really quick and then rang my mum, luckily she only lives over the road so I waddled over and woke her up
"Mum I'm in labour"
"Nooo your not it's Christmas!, get in bed next to me" 😂😂
"MUM IM IN LABOUR!"
😂 (my mum was my birth partner as me and DP came to the agreement that if I went in on Christmas Day he would stay home and make sure DS1 had a relatively normal Christmas Day)
Got to the hospital around 5am and he was born at 5:11... he was crowning in the lift and nearly didn't make it onto the ward!
We made it back home in time for Christmas dinner too!... bloody wonderful day!

HPmagic · 14/08/2021 22:28

Around 9/10pm I suddenly threw up and had sudden diarrhoea (did not realise at the time this was Obviously hormones ramping up). I went to bed after and woke up around 4am with period type cramps and managed to sleep on and off until 7am. Cramps got a bit strong and had my bloody show. Ongoing period type pains which got stronger and closer together, went to Hospital st 12 midday and was 4cm.

mineofuselessinformation · 14/08/2021 22:31

Just the same as the first - contractions three minutes apart (yes, I know that's unusual).
But strangely, I had to have my waters broken both times. Maybe I grew tough membranes???

Jsh125 · 15/08/2021 23:42

My first was induced so I was the same as you and wondered what would happen. Second time round I had a bit of blood stained mucus in the afternoon (39 plus weeks) & wondered if something might be starting. Nothing at all happened until some very mild contractions around 9pm, by 10.30pm they were unmistakable and carried on all night, went to hospital at 8.30am & was 5cm & baby arrived later that afternoon

Poppyloppyloo · 16/08/2021 00:25

Both of mine were pretty similar, inductions booked at 40+13, mild contractions on and off all day 40+12, ramping up over night but then with both I went into hosp at the time given for my induction told them I was having contractions and both times I was 3cm and already in labour.
Had choice to go home or stay in hosp (as I live far away) I chose to stay in.
First baby was another 30+ hours to birth and 2nd was out 5 hours later.

Waters had to be broken each time as well so I too think I have tough membranes

Justyouwaitandseeagain · 16/08/2021 00:32

Exactly the same as my first. Extremely slow but painful build up over many days. Both times went right through to 41 weeks. Slowest labours but both times pushing was over within minutes!

kittythehedgehog · 16/08/2021 15:32

My first was induced because I was 2 weeks past the due date.
My second was textbook - I felt really worried beforehand that I wouldn't recognise what was happening because I hadn't gone into labour spontaneously the first time. I had some light contractions on the Sunday morning that stopped when I went for a walk and then started again on the Monday morning over breakfast. They were on and off all day and we had been told to expect a long labour because baby was back to back. DH went off to the cinema in the evening with a mate (that's how certain we were that it was going slowly) but by 11pm things had ramped up, I popped the tens machine on. Went to hospital around 4am and baby arrived around 9am

Timeturnerplease · 19/08/2021 18:32

First induced at 37 weeks due to waters going at school (I’m a teacher, not a student!). Pessaries failed so had the drip, but insisted on epidural first due to warnings from friends. Midwife agreed and drop started at midnight. DD born at 6.02am.

Second I had had several nights of terrible sleep, then at 2am I spent an hour on the toilet convinced I needed a poo. Contractions suddenly started every three minutes so called hospital and was admitted at 4.30am. Had to wait for epidural but finally administered at around 7am, which did slow things down but was worth it for pain relief. DD2 born at 12.25pm.

Straighttalking1 · 19/08/2021 18:48

11am.... mild infrequent pains, jumped in the bath ( because that's what they recommended)..ooops water too hot so this accelerated the pains very quickly. Within 30 mins. . jumped out of bath in between heavy contractions, got 20 month old ready, called mum, closed windows, called partner. Mum came, drove 20 mins to hospital, OMG crazy pain (I can feel the pain now.) Mum let me out so that she could park, got into hospital corridor... another crazy contraction... holding on for dear life. Nurses saw me, brought wheelchair straight up to the delivery suit, on the bed and my DD she was out within 15 mins....PHEW. I'll never forget that. My personal experience of a human volcanic eruption.

Sexnotgender · 19/08/2021 18:54

@BunnyRuddington

Lots of people saying things started with their waters breaking. My waters didn't go naturally either time.

First DC the MW ruptured them. Second DC LO was born in the waters.

This is why I always encourage MNers to not wait until their waters to break until going to hospital

My waters have never broken either.

Apparently I make tough amniotic sacs! My youngest daughter was also born in her sac.

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