What was your second labour like?

[Raz1564]

I've heard time and time again that the second labour is quicker and more intense than the first. I have a one year old and am birthing soonish in a month's time. I just wanted to know what other mum's experiences were with their second. I'm trying to decide on whether a home birth would be more worth it if my labour will be quick.

1st labour felt like forever (don't recall actual time as I was out of it). Ended up with forceps in theatre.

2nd labour about 3 hours, no pain relief except gas and air. Though if I was at home I would have had to go into hospital for repair work. It was fast and furious but there were tears.

Five hours with DC1
45 minutes with DC2 (chaos)

Quicker and I went naturally - was induced with first.

This is the quickest labour I've ever heard of! I thought mine was pretty average at 24hrs so I'm very confused. How come so many on here have had such quick first labours.

All mine were planned home births, home births are statistically quickly than hospital births. Mine were: 4hrs, 90 mins, 2hrs, 28 mins

Both my births were very similar. Both inductions at 37w, didn't need the drip the first time but did the second time. Second time felt much more controlled and 'easier'.
1st time 2 hours active labour.
2nd time 1 hour active labour.
Both times had to go to theatre for manual placenta removal.

First birth about 24 hours and very difficult. Second birth was a planned home birth, took three hours but first hour was easy and second and third hours fine. One midwife and DH with me. It was a fabulous experience. Hope you have a happy birth day too OP wherever is right for you.

DC1 - induced via drip, epidural - 7.5 hours
DC2 - natural labour, gas and air - approx 4 hours-ish? 2 hours from arriving at the hospital to delivering, I know that much!

@Fran92 Not at all messy in my experience. Loss of one large towel seemed worth it. Everything else was put straight in the washing machine by the midwife 😀

First labour roughly 12 hours, straight forward, text book birth, big baby though- 9.10oz. Due to the straight forward birth I was recommended a home birth for my second. I considered it but decided I felt safer in hospital. Lucky! Because my second got stuck at the shoulders and I might have lost her had I not been in hospital. She was also over 10 pounds and needed some intervention. I’d never consider home birth having had the second experience.

Good luck with your decision!

Much quicker and easier! First birth; 20 hours from first contraction to baby being born, back to back, 2nd degree tear, 4 hours of pushing. Second birth; 3 hours from when I realised I was in labour, 3 pushes (and I didn't even realise I was pushing a baby out until after the 2nd push, I thought I was trying for a poo ), no tears.

Slower. Not easier.

DC1: Induction at 37 weeks. Two rounds of gels. ARM. 11.5 hours of drip. 20 minutes pushing. SVD. Minor second degree tear.

DC2: Induction at 37 weeks. One round of gels. ARM. ~14 hours of drip. Progressed stalled at 5cm. Baby back to back with deflexed head, and getting distressed, so Em. C-section.

I did tolerate labour much better second time around though. Which was something.

DC 1 6 + 30 minutes. DC2 2 + 30 minutes (The easiest) DC3 2 + 51 minutes ( The worst) DC4 4 hours (O.K)

My 2nd DD was easy. I had chronic back ache. The pushing was like nasty constipation. My first wasn't a walk in the park. However, O.K, like my 4th. My 3rd was horrendous

Without a shadow of a doubt the best experience of my life. 5 mins after dd2 was born I looked at dh and said 'I want to do that again" I've had 2 more births but I never had the high dd2s birth gave me again.

7 hour labour straight forward homebirth and my.beutiful girl arrived.

I did not have a. Bad experience with dd1 but the second birth was an amazing experience.

DS1 - induction at 38 weeks, was already 3-4cm so no gel/pessary etc needed and just had waters broken instead. Was about 4 hours 45 minutes from waters breaking to baby born. Horrific pain, panicked the whole time, felt out of control and ended up in a 3b tear being stitched in theatre.

DS2 - spontaneous labour at 40 weeks and 4 days. 4 hours 25 minutes from first contraction waking me up to baby in arms. Way less painful, was actually able to talk and laugh in between contractions. Pushing stage much easier too and less painful. Only 1st degree tear this time. Had a planned home birth, very minimal mess as almost everything was caught on big Incontinence pads which the midwives took away and disposed of themselves. I'd have a home birth 100 times over if I ever had any more babies!

First birth was 21hrs ending up with forceps. Second was 7 hours from first twinge, took me 5 hours to get to 4cm then the last 2 was absolutely crazy and very intense. Now pregnant with number 3 and hoping for a quick one!

Fast and easy. Went from 2cm to birth in 2 hours, baby flew out like superman!

1st was around 8 hours, 2nd was 25! So not easier or quicker, was much much worse.

1st birth - induced at 37+1 and a 4 and a half hour labour

2nd birth - went into labour naturally and a 2 hour 45 minute labour (7 weeks ago!) Nearly didn't make it to the hospital 😅

Just had my baby!!! Ended up being a home birth .... The decision was made for me. I couldn't make it to the hospital in time. Labour was 2 hours long which I didn't expect and I'm feeling good-ish :)

It wasn't easy (even though in 3 months I'll probably say it was) but it's done and baby is well!

Congratulations OP! Hope you and baby are both well 💐

1st was 3.5 hours.

2nd was 19 minutes 😫 Much quicker but my god it was painful.

3rd was 3.5 hours and seemed to take days to get contractions established. She was a big baby though and got stuck. She was born at home though as I wasn’t risking another labour like DC2!

Congratulations!! 🥳

I'm interested to know if people are talking about the whole time of their labour from first pain to the end? Or just active labour?