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!

DC1 was 3 weeks early and fast, around 6 hours from first twinge to baby. Minor tearing. 5lb baby.

DC2 was nearly 2 weeks late. Labour started very much the same and progressed quickly until she got stuck at 9-10cms. The whole thing took 12 hours and was 100 times more painful. 8lb baby and escaped without injury…god knows how!

Everyone told me second births were quicker and easier so it was a nasty shock.

First labour, utterly hideous, 36 hours, every intervention possible bar a section.

2nd labour, 4 hours start to finish.

3rd labour, early labour overnight, slept through most of it. I’m hospital less than an hour before she made her entrance. Was lovely. Would do it again tomorrow.

My second labour was twice as long as my first.

Am I weird?

Second birth was 48 mins from beginning to end......total opposite of my first

Much quicker and much less scary. It was like a totally different experience really. I didn't feel frightened in the same way at all. I bet you'll be totally fine!

(My sister had a really traumatic first birth, then a beautifully straightforward one in a birth centre with her second (even though she'd been offered a C Section due to the first birth being traumatic.)

Argggh this is making me nervous…. First labour was about 5 and a half hours. Glad I’m going to be induced this time as genuinely worried otherwise about getting to the hospital on time.

My first was an induction at 40+8 using the hormone drip, straightforward labour lasting 6hrs. Needed a few stitches with a small tear.

My second was an induction by breaking my waters, no drip, at 40+13. Was a straightforward labour lasting only 2hrs. No tears/stitches required.

Very fast and relatively "easy" compared to first which was 27 hours and awful. Start to finish with second was a couple hours and was home 2 hours later!