Second time labours: please tell me your stories!

[Emerald4512]

Due to give birth to 2nd DS in a matter of weeks. After a very traumatic birth with my first son, I'd like to read other's experiences of second time labours and whether they are easier/quicker the second time round!

I am not exaggerating when I say it was only 1/10 as painful the second time round. Really.
I thought the pain would kill me with dd, but it was absolutely fine with ds.

No story yet but I'm due this week with my second so watching hopefully for some nicer stories than my first birth experience 🤣

Much much quicker! Like 10 times faster for me.

I had birth trauma from DS1, and whilst DS2 was an EMCS it was actually much easier and not anywhere near as traumatic.

Every labour is different. Best of luck OP

So fast... so get to the hospital nice and quick!

Much quicker and less painful. Ds 1 was back to back and so painful, I was waiting for it to feel like that and it just never did.

First Labour I was taken to a different hospital for a c-section as baby was stuck, but the joirney in the ambulance must have jolted him along and he was born twenty minutes after I arrived.
Second child and I was just under five hours in labour.
Both labours were induced.

1st birth was horrific, back-to-back slow labour for days, forceps etc, awful experience on postnatal ward.
2nd birth took 4 hours from first contraction to holding her in my arms, blissful waterbirth at home. It was uncomfortable but the only real pain I remember was crowning and I felt like a rockstar afterwards, and it was SO nice to eat hot buttered crumpets on my own sofa, have a nice warm shower in my own lovely clean bathroom then snuggle up with my beautiful newborn in my own comfy clean bed.
Could not have been more different to the first.

DS1: 3 day labour, episiotomy and forceps, infected episiotomy and stitches came apart 😬.

DS2: 4 hour labour, shifted to transverse, cord wrapped around neck/failure to progress, cat 2 emcs 😬.

I. Am. Done.

My second was a lot faster! First baby was 12 hours of labour, second was 2 from the first sign to birth. We didn't make it up to the hospital and ended up having her in the little maternity home nearby. I wouldn't say it was less painful but I didn't need to be cut the second time and recovery was easier.

Did you have a debrief after the first? If you had a difficult time it might be helpful to understand why certain things went the way they did and the likelihood of it happening again.

A million times better than the first! Quick and easy! I’ve had worse headaches.

Second labour was quicker and easier, in fact DC was born in a caul :)

Second birth was so so much less painful. Also much much faster. It was a good experience.

Quicker. Easier. I understood more about what was happening (and was able to advocate for myself more). No stitches. Good luck!

Born within 20 minutes of arriving at the hospital!

Second labour was 1 hour and 31 minutes and made it to the hospital with 6 minutes to spare, not particularly painful in fact the midwives didn't believe I was in labour and were being very patronising, one offered to do an examination to see how many cm I was dilated and the baby was crowning!

First labour was also short but ended in dipped heart rate, episiotomy and a PPH.

Starting feeling twinges around 5pm, went to hospital about 9.30pm and she was born just after midnight after 3 pushes, just gas and air, no episiotomy or stitches. A doddle compared to DC1!

For both my births I'd hoped for nice, calm water births. I definitely didn't have the birth I wanted first time round, induced, episiotomy and ventouse delivery. Second time ended up having an unplanned home birth as it progressed so quickly! Phoned maternity to say we'd be heading in and while on the phone I could suddenly feel a head 😂, again not the birth I'd planned and the pushing stage was a bit scary as it happened so quickly but lovely to get straight into my own bed!

Had all the drugs with DC1. Was induced and ended up with a ventouse. DS was very poorly and in SCBU. I had a PPH of 3.5l. Oh and 34 hours of active labour. I was in hospital for 10 days.

DC2. Spontaneous labour. No drugs. 13.5 hrs from first contraction to born. Only stayed in for 6 hours.

My second was half the time of the first. Still as painful but quick at least, no time for much pain relief, just gas and air: Bit chaotic as it was premature twins but the actual labour was far easier and the recovery was miles better afterwards too.

Second birth - waters went at home at 1.30am, baby born at 7.15am, lovely calm beautiful experience. Got myself into the zone somehow and breathed through the contractions really calmly and laboured quietly with a bit of gas and air. Like another poster said I felt like an absolute rockstar.

First birth was a complete shitshow the two experiences were like night and day.

@Emerald4512 How traumatic? I had the birth from Hell with DC1, and the others were ELCS as a result, on the advice of the consultant who said I should never attempt a vaginal birth again. I had so much reconstructive surgery after DC1 that I have no idea how I ever became pregnant again. If your traumatic birth was less traumatic, then other suggestions might work.

Very quick. 30 seconds 'pushing'. More a gentle squeeze really and she was born at home. Meant to make it to the hospital a mile away, but DD had other ideas.

Very quick second time, much better than first time. I actually found it a bit of a mental healing process from the trauma i experienced with the first.

Wasn't quicker or earlier but it was a lot more pleasant! It's so much nicer going into it having an idea of what's in store.

Hypnobirthing really helped me, especially with the breathing.