Those of you who had very long (days not hours) first labours, how was your second?

[UnwieldyRhombus]

STM, first labour lasted four days and was not a walk in the park. I'm assured the second one is usually faster and easier but just wondering if anyone who had a very long first labour would be willing to share how and how long their second (or subsequent) labours were?

I've heard stories where the first was something like 12 hours and the second more like 6, but I don't know about women who had labours lasting 2 days to a week. I've also looked at studies that confirm that the second labour is usually shorter but these typically don't cover women who laboured for a very long time with their first. What I'm trying to ascertain is whether a very long latent phase with the first will typically be a lot faster with a second birth, or just a bit shorter. Should I be preparing for a marathon or for another ultramarathon?! 😅

First labour horrendous 27 hours
Second short at home a couple of hours from first twinge

no guarantee but I think likely it’ll be shorter. My first was c60 hours and second about 12, much more straightforward

Not as long as yours but my first was a little over 30hours, spontaneous.
My second was spontaneous too, about 7hours and only the last 15-20mins were in the hospital (almost didn't make it in time)! I was aware of the contractions this time but kept telling myself 'oh I've got aaaages to go yet there's no rush to call up or go to hospital yet, last time was hours!'

I was so traumatised from my first 61 hour labour that it took me 6 years to even be able to think about another. When I did I decided I couldn't go through it again. DS is now 18 and I still have a slight trauma response when it comes to birth.

First 44.5 hours
Second 15 hours
Third emergency c section

My first labour I started contracting Saturday evening and laboured slowly at home until my waters broke 6am Tuesday morning! DD was born naturally 20 hours later. Second labour no long latent phase but my waters went at 2pm Friday and DS was born 2pm Saturday. So my active labour was longer. 3rd same as second but 30 hours from waters breaking to baby. So my labours actually got longer each time!

My first was about 4 days and then an emergency section. Second was meant to be a planned section - but was actually about 5 hours from first twinge to baby, no time for the section at all! My friend had a 2 day first labour then her second was just shy of 24 hours.

First hideous 40+ hours ending in assisted delivery, 2nd about 5 hours from first contraction to very straightforward birth.

First one was 2/3 days. Second and third were about 3 hours. Midwife didn't believe I was ready with the 3rd and refused to send team out (homebirth)- DH ended up delivering the baby!!

My first was 49 hours and 10 days late, I think he was definitely too comfy in there!
My second was 2 and a half hours from first sign of labour to delivery.

First - 3, nearly 4 days - back to back, awful but I was young & I think it’s worse when it’s your first as you don’t really know what to expect as such.
Second - 22 hours (5.5 year gap, if that makes a difference)
Third - Didn’t know I was in Labour

Prepare yourself either way! You’ll be absolutely fine. Good luck 🤞🏻

First labour - induction - 49 horrendous hours ending in forceps. Stitches, trauma, the works.

Second labour - induction - less than four hours, just gas and air at the end, absolutely beautiful wonderful experience that I'd repeat if I could.

My first labour was 39 hours. My 2nd labour was an hour, but my waters had started leaking the day before but I didn't start getting contractions so I had to have the rest of the waters broken. DS2 arrived exactly 1 hour later shocking the midwife (who hadn't realised how imminent his arrival was).

My mum's labour with me (first child) was 30 hours, my brother took 4 1/2 hours.

Most of my friends who had incredibly long first labours had much much shorter 2nd labours.

Extremely fast less than 3 hrs and in recovery after 4.5 hrs.

My first was 36 hours from first twinge to birth, with pethidine, oxytocin drip part way through, catheter, iv rehydration, gas and air, and then ended up with an emergency c-section.
Second 9 hours vaginal birth with absolutely zero interventions.
couldn’t believe it.

I posted very similar this time 2 years ago!
My first was 25 hours.. long, exhausting and ended in ventouse.
My second the waters broke on the Saturday afternoon and they kept on gushing (I was soaking through bath towels) but I had no proper contractions other than the braxton hicks I'd been getting between them breaking and me having to go back to hospital expecting to need an induction.
They said my hind waters(?) were still in tact so they would break those but didn't expect them to bring on labour.
She was born 20 minutes after they broke them 😂
The labour on my birth sheet says 24 minutes. Even they didn't realise how far on I was.. they were bringing in the guy to do a epidural and he said to them she's not going to need that she's pushing look at the monitor!!
I've had worse constipation than my 2nd birth haha! xx

First was 46 hours and planned epidural didn't work (probably because I was unable to stay still enough in throes of labour!). In response, I planned a hypno birthing water birth for 2nd but when my waters broke and had meconium, that plan was screwed as I had to be on high dependency. They wanted to induce but I had gained enough confidence from no1 to advocate for an epidural before any induction. Turned out to be the best, quickest, pain free birth and the hypno birthing still came in handy as I learned to "breathe the baby out" so didn't tear despite the speed of delivery!

It was quick and I had to convince the mw that the baby definitely was coming as she just didn’t believe it.

@MoreRainbowsPlease your second labour sounds very similar to mine!

First was 3 days hideous labour ending with assisted delivery and a bad haemorrhage.
Second was totally manageable, so much less painful, straightforward delivery and took around 14 hours

First was 31hrs.

Second was 38hrs.

My first labour was horrific 3 days in total and was pushing for hours and hours and hours in the end when the time came. I had to be rushed to theatre as baby was stuck in birth canal he just would not move. They could not get him out. I spent a week in hospital afterwards. Anyway it was so awful I decided I never ever would do it again. My second, my daughter was a surprise blessing and I begged them for a section. I was terrified. This was just before they changed the rules so you couldn't choose. She was measuring bigger than my first and they kept telling me it would be easier I did not believe them. But you know what she literally flew out. From my first twinge to her coming was 45 minutes and not one complication. I had her at 6.45am and was home by 11am. Two very different experiences. Good luck x

First 4 days, second 3 hours :)

First was 4 days, second water broke at 9am, nothing really happened until 7pm, out by 5am

First labour was about 26 hours from waters breaking to being born (broke at home but when I went to the hospital they said I was past 3cm so in active labour). But I had days of very painful slow labour before that, which I know they don’t count, but I found exhausting and painful (especially the 48 hours before my baby was born).

second labour I was induced. Was 3cm soon after a sweep and pessary (and long walk). And the baby was born about two hours after my waters were broken. Much easier birth!