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Childbirth

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

Original poster

If you were induced with your first, how did the second go?

33 replies

TheCutter · 14/08/2022 22:36

I know every pregnancy and birth are different, and there's no set rule how the second with go based on the first. I'm just curious to hear your stories,.those of you who were induced first time round but weren't the second. I've heard that very often second births are faster than first but I'm wondering if it's the same if you were induced first then went into spontaneous labour with the second.

How many weeks were you when you gave birth with each pregnancy? And how long were your labours?

I had to be induced due to high blood pressure with my DS at 37+1. I gave birth at 37+3 after a very quick 4 hour labour.
I'm 15+4 with my second and my blood pressure was already climbing at this point with DS but this time round, it's absolutely perfect, even a little low sometimes! So I'm just lying here wondering if I don't have to be induced this time, will I go longer than 38 weeks, will labour be longer, was my labour fast with DS due to induction or do I just labour quick.

As I said, I'm aware it really means nothing and anything could happen my second birth! But it would be nice to hear how it worked out for others

OP posts:
Whitegrenache · 14/08/2022 22:41

Induction twice at 41+6

pinkandponk · 14/08/2022 22:43

I ended up with an emergency section. Had preeclampsia the first time and something completely different the second

MrsHaroldRobbins · 14/08/2022 22:43

Hi OP. I was induced at 42 weeks with my first but went into labour spontaneously with my second at 40 weeks and gave birth very quickly (no time for any pain relief, ouch!).

Minieggy · 14/08/2022 22:46

Similar to you in that I was induced at 37+3 with my first due to oligohydramnios. With my second I went into natural labour at 41+1 but she was undiagnosed breech which I know can be a slower labour due to less pressure on the cervix.
I was on tenter hooks from 37 weeks because I didn't know what would have happened naturally first time round. I think you'll analyse every twinge when you get to that stage!

Indoctro · 14/08/2022 22:47

Induced 3 days early with first

2nd baby woke up screaming at 3.56am the baby is coming and by 4am was sat on my bathroom alone holding a baby Confused

TwinkleToesStrikesAgain · 14/08/2022 22:47

Induced at 42 weeks for DS1. ELCS at 39 weeks for DS2

MissP2022 · 14/08/2022 22:48

I was induced with my first (small for dates) at 38+2. That was very quick for an induction though.

My second was born 40+3 at home. I woke up at half 1 in the morning and he was born just over an hour later. Homebirth was planned (I had wanted for my firstborn also) … no midwife was not 🤣. She didn’t make it in time, my husband delivered my son.

Speccybibliophile · 14/08/2022 22:53

With my first I went into labour spontaneously (well after two membrane sweeps) at 42 weeks. But I did end up having all the induction interventions due to labour not progressing, baby being in distress with abnormal heart rate and passing meconium. Won't go in to too much detail but had waters broken, synco drip etc and lasted around 21 hours. It ended in a ventouse delivery with episiotomy (was fifteen minutes away from emergency c section)

Second labour was at 40 weeks plus 3 days. It was around 5 hours from start to finish. It was a real whirlwind experience and he was in such a rush to make an entrance he had his hand by his face which caused a second degree tear.

As a general rule I think second labours tend to be sooner and shorter but that is anecdotal I think. I do know of people who had the same length labours/longer labours second time around.

Good luck with the rest of your pregnancy and labour too. In some ways it's more daunting second time around isn't it? Hope it all goes smoothly for you. Currently holding my nine week old and can say it's completely and utterly worth it!

TheTeddyBears · 14/08/2022 23:03

I got enduced at 40+6 for high blood pressure. It kept going up and up in the last weeks so eventually they just said let's induce you. Baby was born at 41wks by emcs after 16hr labour wasn't progressing, feral distress and I also had high temp and heart rate and had caught an infection during labour 🙄

Number 2 I actually had low blood pressure up to about 20wks and kept fainting. I decided on another section which wld be around 39wks. Given my first was so late I was very surprised when my waters broke late one evening at 37+4 as I was turning over in bed. 10 mins later contractions started and within 2 hrs the pain was unreal contractions coming every 5-10mins. I was starting to worry the section wldnt happen but they got me in to surgery (eventually) and baby was born about 11hrs after my waters broke.

Dyra · 15/08/2022 09:28

DC1: Induced at 37 weeks exactly due to pre-eclampsia. Owing to no labourers that night, I was brought down early in the hopes my waters could be broken, even though I wasn't 2cm yet. They could fortunately, but as baby wasn't engaged, there was a second midwife pushing baby hard into my pelvis. No contractions until hooked up to the drip. Baby born at 37+1. Labour was around 11.5 hours with gas+air and diamorphine at 5cm. Small second degree tear.

DC2: Induced at 37+1 due to pre-eclampsia. Owing to various pressures, the induction didn't continue until 37+5, even though I was 2cm the whole time. No contractions until drip. Labour was around 14 hours total with an epidural at 5cm. However, I never progressed beyond 5cm and baby was starting to show minor signs of distress. So emergency C-section it was. Turns out baby was back to back, with his head tilted back. He was stuck, and could never be birthed vaginally.

VoyageInTheDark · 15/08/2022 09:39

With my first I was induced at 41+5 and had a 36 hour labour. With my second I went into labour spontaneously (well I did have a sweep the previous day) at exactly 41 weeks and labour lasted 8 hours.

RedLeggedChuff · 15/08/2022 09:43

First was induced at 40+6 due to preeclampsia, born 24 hours later.
Second was spontaneous labour at 39+0, born at home (planned home birth) with no intervention. Ridiculously easy birth.

BackToGoingOnHoliday · 15/08/2022 09:50

I was induced with first and fourth. Other two started spontaneously- all were late.

My MIL was a midwife - she was very surprised no 4 had to be induced, by then she reckoned he should have just fallen out!

Every pregnancy/ birth is different- that’s all you can reckon on.

Good luck x

BackToGoingOnHoliday · 15/08/2022 09:51

My second labour was my most straightforward and shortest. Midwife reckoned because she was a girl, she knew what she was doing 🤣

hewouldwouldnthe · 17/08/2022 14:07

2nd was fine. No preeclampsia or induction

Mummyjlr120 · 17/08/2022 14:29

I was induced at 39+6 gave birth on due date, 2nd pregnancy I went in to labour spontaneously 39+6 gave birth same day 3rd pregnancy I was 4 days late and went in to labour spontaneously and gave birth that day too, and the baby got bigger every time I’m pregnant with my 4th and I hope I don’t go over this time it’s horrible 😂 good luck x

20viona · 18/08/2022 06:46

I was induced at 37+4 with my first due to her being so small and this time Iv been given an induction date for 37 weeks as she's even smaller but it may get bought forward.

Original poster
TheCutter · 18/08/2022 07:11

Thanks for sharing your experiences, everyone! Seems like in general (although not all the time) even with an induction first time round, second time still went a bit smoother. Nice to hear!

OP posts:
Lmf685 · 18/08/2022 07:25

TheCutter · 14/08/2022 22:36

I know every pregnancy and birth are different, and there's no set rule how the second with go based on the first. I'm just curious to hear your stories,.those of you who were induced first time round but weren't the second. I've heard that very often second births are faster than first but I'm wondering if it's the same if you were induced first then went into spontaneous labour with the second.

How many weeks were you when you gave birth with each pregnancy? And how long were your labours?

I had to be induced due to high blood pressure with my DS at 37+1. I gave birth at 37+3 after a very quick 4 hour labour.
I'm 15+4 with my second and my blood pressure was already climbing at this point with DS but this time round, it's absolutely perfect, even a little low sometimes! So I'm just lying here wondering if I don't have to be induced this time, will I go longer than 38 weeks, will labour be longer, was my labour fast with DS due to induction or do I just labour quick.

As I said, I'm aware it really means nothing and anything could happen my second birth! But it would be nice to hear how it worked out for others

I could have wrote your post except my first was a DD and my induction was nearly 24 hours . I’m exactly 15+ 4 as well ! Have you been told to take aspirin this time ? I have been told to take 150mg cause reduces chances of high blood pressure and pre Eclampsia.

Balletshoes2022 · 20/08/2022 19:30

@TheCutter was your first induction ok and why was it so quick? Hope it’s ok to ask, was reading this thread as FTM as just been told I need one but it could take 4 days 😭. Hope the rest of your pregnancy goes ok 👍

@MissP2022 hope it’s ok to ask a quick question. How was your induction for small baby? I was told this week (37+2) I would need to be induced due to small baby, they have booked me in for 38+4. It’s all taken me by surprise and I’m really nervous about it.

hope it’s ok to ask and not meaning to hijack the thread 🙈

MissP2022 · 20/08/2022 20:40

Hi @Balletshoes2022!

All absolutely fine … in hindsight probably unnecessary (I am a small person and was a small baby at 5lb11oz and born at 37 weeks so bubba was likely to be similar).

Went in at half 7pm ish. Inserted a pessary but had it taken out within 4 hours because I was contracting too much. Moved to delivery. I did hypnobirthing and staff were very considerate of this … we put up photos, had the lights dimmed, music playing and sat on a yoga ball despite being hooked up to all the wires - they made it work! No meds, baby born at 5.39am. He was 5lb15oz and we went home the next day.

It was absolutely not my first choice. I had planned a home birth. But a positive experience, my husband was very good at keeping any negativity and anxiety away from me. Honestly I think he would have been born early anyway and that’s why my body was pretty much ready when we went in to be induced anyway.

Sorry for the ramble - hope that makes sense but feel free to ask anything else! You have absolutely got this 💪🏼 X

MissP2022 · 20/08/2022 20:46

@Balletshoes2022

Also to add, the decision is completely up to you. If you don’t feel comfortable with induction then you are completely entitled to ask for additional ongoing monitoring to check everything is fine with baby instead. You are in charge here to do what you think is best with the information they provide and whatever happens you do have choices.

Balletshoes2022 · 20/08/2022 20:56

@MissP2022 thanks so much this is really helpful and reassuring. I am also quite small (5 foot 1 ish and size 8) and my mum and aunty are both 5 foot - small family. I was measuring just over 10th centile all the way and then after fundal height came back slightly off this week and so sent for scan and now around 7th, so I can’t have MLU water birth as planned. Your induction story is really reassuring as I’ve heard so many horror stories. Thanks for sharing it. Did you feel like your body was getting ready for labour before the induction? I’ve been having tightenings for over a week and period cramps, plus babies head is engaged so I’m hoping to avoid the four day/ drip situation if I can. Just no idea what to expect.

EllieRosesMammy · 20/08/2022 20:59

Induced with my 1st at 41 weeks. First induction failed so they did it again, laboured for 17 hours 😅

Induced with my 2nd at 39 weeks. Laboured for 13 hours.

Pregnant with 3rd now, I'm hoping for a quicker and easier delivery to be honest 😂

Gherkingreen · 20/08/2022 21:00

Induced both times at just short of 42 weeks, gas and air with both, waters had to be broken with both, water birth with my second. First DS was 8lb12, second DS was 9lb13.