2nd baby- similar gestation?

[careynurse]

2nd time mum here, 1st was born at 39+1 weeks and was a textbook Labour: bloody show, waters broke 3 hours later and contractions started a few hours after that! And was a quick delivery- went from 2cm to pushing in 3 1/2hours....
I'm currently 38+ 5 and have been having pains on and off all week, he's been engaged for weeks
Just wondering if you all had similar gestations to your previous? Or if you ended up being induced with your 2nd (but not your 1st)
Getting to the heavily pregnant, impatient stage! Haha! Also this time the worry is childcare for 1st, and hoping he doesn't come too quickly to organise anything!

Also....Any tips to help him to come along?
Thanks

DC1. Waters broke at 39+4. Contractions started at 39+5. He was born at 40 weeks. On his due date. "Established" labour was 18.5 hours but I was having contractions for way longer. I had a drip of some kind to help speed it up. I can't really remember what it was/what it was for. I was young and tired.

DC2. Contractions started at 41+3 after a sweep. He was born less than 2 hours later. My waters broke during labour at some point.

Basically completely different.

Supposedly long walks, hot curry, pineapple and sex help bring it along. But I personally think babies come when they are ready. Good luck!

DC1 39+2, textbook 12 hour labour

DC2 40+5, started getting contractions at 40w, 2 cm dialated at 40+1 mw appt. Contractions stopped and started throughout the week before him finally arriving after a 7 hour ‘active’ labour.

Sorry op they can be wildly different.

Not in my case, dc1 41+5, dc2 39+5. Same birth weight. Have known friends with a mix of pre term and full term. Equally some people do just seem to cook them a bit longer (or shorter!).

Just what I thought! You get to the impatient stage and hold out hope they are on their way soon! Haha!
Just got a feeling I won't get any notice and childcare might be an issue! Guess we just wait and see, as I know he'll come when he's ready!

I was convinced my second would come earlier than my first and he came later, it was a really long couple of weeks! For childcare I'd say you need someone who's happy to be called at whatever time, my mum came out at 2am, labour pains had woken me up at just past midnight. It was 12 years ago now and dd still talks of one of her first memories being waking up and finding nana was there and how she made her breakfast and then they went to hospital together and met ds.

@wonderstuff yeah our issue is family are 3 hours away! I have friends nearby so daytime probably isn't so much of an issue but waking them at 2am when they've got kids too is what I'm afraid of! We'll see what happens...hopefully he gives me a little warning crosses fingers

You’ll only be doing it once and they’ve got kids so they’ll understand. Takes a village and all that. My fear was contractions starting and stopping a couple of times I had childcare on standby and then didn’t actually need it.

A friend had just had an unplanned homebirth and I was petrified of that happening (shouldn’t have worried, think it’s actually pretty rare).

@wonderstuff yeah your right! need to enjoy my time with just 1, and make the most of the last few days/ weeks...and let him come when he's ready! What will be, will be!

My two were both 39+1 😀

If your first was that quick, make sure you have all your plans in place for it being even quicker second time round.

I went into labour at 40+6 with both dd1 and dd2, dd1 took 2 days to actually arrive though 😂
I'm pregnant with ds 1 and hoping he comes a little early to avoid dd1 birthday 🙈

@Loulou1712 congrats! If only these boys would listen to us! Ha! Good luck with everything!