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Childbirth

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

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Original poster

If you had spontaneous births - did they all start the same?

34 replies

Lizbiz89 · 15/10/2023 21:02

Just out of interest really. Expecting my 3rd any day now. My 1st was induced and my 2nd was spontaneous. I'm wondering whether to expect the same as I did with my 2nd, which started as very gentle contractions which gradually ramped up. Just wondering what everyone else's experiences are.

OP posts:

PimpMyFridge · 15/10/2023 21:04

Mine were both spontaneous and both carbon copies of each other.

DramaAlpaca · 15/10/2023 21:06

Yes. Three spontaneous births, all started the same. A gradual ramp up in contractions leading up to waters breaking as their heads came down. The only difference was that each labour was about half the length of the previous one.

babystep · 15/10/2023 21:06

Yes in terms of contractions/how long it took to get intense.
No in terms of waters - first and third started with waters breaking before contractions began (quite a few hours before in case of first, less than an hour before for third)
Second birth waters didn't break until right at the end.
All three spontaneous, all three in the same week

WhatHappenedinLondon · 15/10/2023 21:11

Both spontaneous. Both pretty much the same - number 2 was just a faster version of my first labour. I had fewer gentle contractions, they were pretty intense from the get go.

First labour - 13 hours from first contraction to baby
Second labour - 3.5 hours from first contraction to baby

Both arrived exactly one day before their due dates too.

skkyelark · 15/10/2023 21:22

Both spontaneous, both followed the same pattern, just number 2 was faster (thankfully, as labour 1 was very, very long).

soundsys · 15/10/2023 21:26

Three spontaneous births, all very different:

Waters broke and then nothing happened for about 8 hours then 4.5 hour labour.

Achy back overnight, was in active labour for 45 minutes then baby born en caul

Way overdue, 2 sweeps that did nothing. Really bloody painful contractions that went from 0-10 very quickly and baby born after a couple of hours

Nix32 · 15/10/2023 21:27

Both spontaneous but different. First was three weeks early, waters broke first, contractions started later that day.

Second was 5 days late. Contractions that started gently and just ramped up. Both labours very quick though.

youdo · 15/10/2023 21:29

Both spontaneous but completely different.

1st dull contractions for a day then waters broke about 4am, still dull contractions far apart, thought poo in waters so off to hosp about 1pm syntosin(sp?) around 11pm and dd born at midnight.

2nd dull contractions started around 6am then really quickly got close together but didn't last very long. Off to hosp because of how close they were, about 4cm dialated, waters broke around 5pm then dd born at almost midnight again.

FiftyNotNifty · 15/10/2023 21:31

Both spontaneous, both the same, just no 2 was much quicker!

Lizzieregina · 15/10/2023 21:34

All spontaneous all exactly the same. Gentle cramps that got progressively worse.

#1 4 days over
#2 15 days over
#3 2 days early

DisappointingAvocado · 15/10/2023 21:36

Both the same, both 39 weeks, woke in the middle of the night in full blown labour.

pumpkinspicedbogroll · 15/10/2023 21:37

Four spontaneous births.
First and second started with mild twinges and built up from there. Both were long births.
Third and fourth started with waters breaking and then contractions starting hours later. Both were very fast births once contractions started.

Applerumleandcustard · 15/10/2023 21:42

No , first baby was a couple of days early , waters broke all over the bed in the middle of the night and baby born 24 hours later
The second baby , I had mild contractions in the afternoon , went to the hospital about 8pm , baby born an hour later ( and both of us home 2 hours after that )

InTheFutilityRoomEatingBiscuits · 15/10/2023 21:42

All different, with the second being the longest duration. First started with instant full blown huge contractions seconds apart and was followed very swiftly by a baby. One started with prelabour waters breaking. And one started more gentle and irregular contractions, joined by nausea and vomiting, but quickly shifted up a gear and then was speedy.

scrivette · 15/10/2023 22:14

Three spontaneous births, two at 38 weeks, one at 40 weeks. All started the same way, waters breaking out of the blue at home, strong contractions a couple of minutes later and then quick and intense births.

alexisccd · 15/10/2023 22:26

both spontaneous

DD1 nearly 45 hours of contractions that were ineffective and still not yet 4cm. waters broke, went from 4cm to delivery in 3 hours. born 1 day before due date. despite hospital only counting this as a 3 hour "precipitate" labour - i counted this as 48 v tiring hours! shd have listened when they warned me next one could be fast.

did hypnobirthing course before DD2

DD2, waters broke, gripey mild period type pain, midwife popped by ti check me as was just round corner, i had an internal - was 6cm, then had lots of intense transactions and she was born 54 mins later with just the one midwife to catch the baby and ambulance on its way. born 6 days before due date. v fast, was a bit of a shock.

dr told me next one could be even faster so stopped at 2!

NameChange30 · 15/10/2023 22:46

NO. No they did not. I have two children, both born after spontaneous labour. I was expecting it to feel the same (or at least very similar) the second time around, which in hindsight was very silly of me. When I went into labour with DC2 it felt so different that I didn't really work out I was actually in labour to begin with... possibly I was in denial, who knows?! But the fact that it felt so different really threw me! It ramped up pretty fast though and when that happens it reaches a point when it's obvious

Difficult to describe and it's not exactly fun to reminisce, but with DC1 it felt like period pains just becoming more intense and more frequent. Classic uterine contractions I guess. With DC2 it was so weird - I didn't feel the same cramps, just pressure and pain in my cervix, which ramped up. It's almost as if my cervix was dilating first and only then did I get the more classic contractions. I'd felt similar pressure on my cervix in the days leading up to it so I guess baby was head engaged and very ready!

Both started at night, although with DC1 it was earlier in the night, around 12-1 I think, and with DC2 it was around 4-5am IIRC... DC2 was faster as they often are, I'm told.

Good luck!

NameChange30 · 15/10/2023 22:50

PS oh and DC1 was born at 41+4 then DC2 was born at 40+1 which was another reason i thought i wasn't in labour yet, I had mentally prepared myself for another long wait!

Moomoomo · 15/10/2023 22:58

I was induced with dd1.

Dd2 started with losing plug then contractions starting, waters broke a few lours later.

Dd3 started with waters suddenly breaking. Literally no signs beforehand. She was born just over an hour later.

Eagerly and fearfully waiting to see what happens with dc4!

vegsoup · 15/10/2023 23:14

Yes both spontaneous, both the same apart from no. 2 being a lot faster and I'd been having braxton hicks for a couple months before hand. But actual labours progressed the exact same

TheHennaHairedHarridan · 15/10/2023 23:14

Yes - both started with waters breaking, then contractions. Both before due date. The main difference is the second one progressed much more quickly.

Good luck 🙂

novocaine4thesoul · 15/10/2023 23:17

Could not have had 4 more different experiences, all 9lb plus. DC3 (2 weeks late) and DC4 (3 weeks early) were induced, both agonising until proper labour was established. Hospital refused to accept I was in labour with DC3 so would not give epidural. Born shortly after, gas and air. I hated them for it. Hospital DID accept I was in labour with DC4, and he took his time to emerge (maybe 6 hours in proper labour) DC1 was a 14 hour labour (1 week late. 2am start), but really painful (ventouse, forceps, epidural etc,.) DC2 I did not realise I was in labour until almost too late (thought i had tummy ache from something I had eaten and we had an absolute dash into hospital where I was 9cm on arrival). But having gone through agony with DC1, got an epidural the second I leapt onto the bed, born 3 hours later, no real issues (calmest birth). Although there are some similarities - waters never went until intervention, all vaginal births, pain much worse with induction drugs, problems with my blood pressure after epidurals (too low) there are as many differences as similarities. I still shake my head at myself about DC2, she was 2 weeks late, I had tummy ache, what did I think could possibly be going on? clearly "nothing" is the answer. I'm such a muppet !!! Good luck x

elliejjtiny · 15/10/2023 23:19

Babies 2, 3, 4 and 5 all very similar. Baby 1 was very different. His waters went while I was pushing, with all the others the waters went days before labour started and with dc4 labour never started at all.

BertieBotts · 15/10/2023 23:20

Gentle contractions which ramp up is the typical experience I think. It was like that for all three of mine with the only difference being that for DC2 my waters broke first and then they gently ramped up all day while I leaked water everywhere and like an idiot didn't think to put a maternity pad on, which was the first thing that the midwife did when I got to hospital 😂

For DC1 and DC3 I had gentle contractions which started and stopped for about a day before getting to the part where they started steadily ramping up - both of them left me with no sleep for 48 hours before that started though 🙄 (awake all day, contracting all night, awake and stop starting contractions all day, eventually started to ramp up that night).

Suchardchoccy · 15/10/2023 23:27

DD1 - spontaneous. Contractions started around 10pm and she arrived at 10pm the following day. Waters broke near the end. I did roughly 12 hours at home and 12 hours in hospital. Had diamorphine, episiotomy and ventouse.

DD2 - sweep at about 12pm, contractions started pretty much straight away. Waters broke at around 5pm at home on the sofa. She was born at nearly 8pm that night.

Both were born on their due dates!

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