Is it trus that second births are generally easier than first? I am due in 2 weeks, and nervous!

[twounder2]

Please be honest!

Deffo yes - first time round I rested too much which slowed things down and after waters going on a Friday I ended up with a drip to speed things up on the Sunday. 2nd time round (3rd child, first was CS) a lot easier - as soon as waters broke, I didn't sit down except to eat lunch (I walked around the ward - they should tear up magazines and pin them on the walls as there's only so many times you can read an MRSA poster!) - gravity must have worked as wasn't in labour when waters broke at 7.30am, contractions became painful around 6 inthe evening, DD3 born 9.30pm. Only thing I would say was that when I started the pushing stage, my memory came back so I possibly tensed a little more/pushed less as I knew what was coming next! Still didn't take long though.

Mine was def quicker, don't panic your body pretty much does its thing! And you know it is goning to be okay too. Which helps. A lot.

2nd is a doddle
Dd was 23.5 hours from first contractions to birth (in hospital)
Ds1 was 6 hours start to finish, at home in pool from 7cm onwards. 10 mins pushing max, very little pain.
Ds2 2 hours from first contraction to birth (shockingly fast and relentless), 5 mins pushing if that, at home in pool, very little pain.

After pains were a shock with the second and absolutely excrutiating with third baby (I actually cried whilst b'feeding)
so god only knows what they'll be like fourth time around

2nd one much much easier!
Good luck!

Thinking about it all my waters have had to be broken as well so if we hadn't waited for those they would've been faster I reckon.
ds2 was crowning still in the sac, he may well have been born in the caul if the m/w didn't knick the bag to speed up delivery.

Good luck, I'm sure you'll be fine.

Slur & MI are right, your body just takes over and does it all itself.... bit like Satnav really, you know the destination but haven't a clue how you'll get there or how long it will take when you start out

Recovery from no. 2 was def. much quicker, first was 2.5 hours of pushing, second was about 10 seconds of pushing which made a huge differenc. No stitches too with the second so everything down below felt 'fairly' normal the next day.

Have to agree with the majority - 2nd labour much easier and quicker.
DS1 7 hours start to finish - with a 2 hours 2nd stage where I had to be transferred to hospital. Therefore worried about the 2nd but......

DS2 1 hour start to finish - 999 to hospital as it was clear midwife wouldn't arrive in time - baby born in the caul within 5 min of getting there.
Much more intense contractions but body kind of took over - no pushing required.

However the afterpains were very very painful - paracetemol doesn't touch them!

good luck with it all!

Quicker?...yes certainly for me, eg second stage (ie the pushing bit) 1.5 hrs first time and less than 20 mins second time

Easier?,...yes because you know what to expect and how to manage the siuation, hopefully

Less painful..? Not really, aboutthe same for me but because it was much quicker, it is far more bearable.

More exciting?..For sure, becuse you know exactly what your prize will be at the end of it and just how great your children are.

Don't be nervous,..there is nothing to fear and everything to be positive about.

Good Luck - i had my second to weeks ago and the birth and aftermath is almost a distant memory already!

Hi there - second time around was quick as a flash - woke at 4.30 pm feeling a bit unwell (period pain); after half an hour managed to convince my husband that I was in real labour (!!!) and managed to get to hospital by 5.30 pm. Was by now panting rather loudly and stopping for contractions all the way along the maternity ward corridor of the RUH in Bath. Upon arrival I was examined and to my absolute surprise was told I was 9 cms already...I then said I wanted to push and delivered our little (well not so little 8 lbs 2 ozs)baby within 15 mins. All this and no pain relief !! Aha ! (26 hrs 34 mins and epidural with my first)Good luck - i think most people are much quicker second time around... God I love talking birth stories - what is it about it all? Its so funny that no one ever discusses this hidden world with you even if you ask for candid comments before you have children ! Not even your Mum!!

DS1 wasn't too much trouble and I had the birth pool for pain relief which was lovely. DS2 however, arrived so fast the midwife didn't manage to get the pool filled in time! For me too, the pain for DS2 was much more intense but recovery was much much quicker.
Good point, Psychomum5, about the after pains: much worse 2nd time..
Good luck!

1st time around it took ds 34 hours from first contraction to finally put in an appearance, The pain wasn't too bad as had help from gas & air, birth itself was fine too due to epidural so didn't feel a thing and the most amazing midwife, what I didn't realise at the time ds had his cord wrapped around his neck & if it wasn't for midwife realising this then we would have had major problems. 2nd time around was having contractions for 32 hours & wasn't allowed epidural as no one to adminster it!! so ended up on some drug which caused me to throw up and pass out, finally came to with the midwife slapping me across the cheek to keep me conscious.. To top it all every time I pushed Ds heartbeat dropped so they were preparing for emergency surgery when he finally appeared!! Never to be repeated

sorry to be a killjoy but my 2nd birth was truly vile (due to ds' head being the size of a melon) and dragged on for absolutely hours.The pain seemed more severe too.

my sister's 2nd birth was also worse than her 1st!
But at least you are prepared for it all!

1st and 2nd births were identical and was 42 weeks and induced at both.

Sorry to be discouraging but mine wasn't

DS1 was 17hrs of labour from first felt contraction, managed with no pain relief till my waters broke at 7cm and then needed gas and air which I managed on till he came out.

DD1 (my second) was 19hrs of labour, but seemed like it took way longer, and it was way more painful and intense. Used the TENS, then the birth pool, then gas and air, then just gritted my teeth and told myself i wasn't going to hospital (home birth)

The only things that were better on the second were -
the 'active part' was quicker, though that wasn't a good thing as I think it made it more painful
there were no complications with the 2nd whereas the 1st had the cord around his neck which led to ventouse

Oh and the afterpains were waaaaaaaay worse on the 2nd - make sure you have some paracetomol and ibuprofen ready for that

much quicker and easier for me
ds1 27 hours weighed 6lbs
ds2 got to hospital 45mins before delivery, no pain relief, 9lbs 6oz and op too. didn't need stitches 2nd time either

good luck!!

Def easier second time round, much more ready, much more able to read the signs. DD1 had 5 hour labour but no gap in contractions and v painful, but probably because I was so anxious.Had pain relief but still awful. DS born in 2 hrs start to finish, pain yes, but v controlled and much more relaxed. Wonderful. No memory of pain. No pain relief. It's true, the bod can look after itself, if you're able to let it. Recovery straight forward. Don't listen to horror stories, that's what I say.

my first was 31 hours long
my second was 3 hours and a lot more painful but that could of been because he was a big baby 11lbs 2ozs
my first weighed 7lbs 7ozs
after pains were fine after both

I am pg and am getting worried now it is going to be too quick this time! Ds was born after 2 hrs in hospital and 10 mins pushing.

Second was quicker* but as a mum I think your pain threshold increases anyway. As does the space between your hips.

• Though I did think that the poo was her head and was momentarily devastated ...

For me yes - definitely easier as you know what's going to happen & usually much quicker....though obviously no 2 labours are the same.

DS was born after 15 hours labour (5 hours at home, 10 hours in hospital), with 2/3 midwives (unsure as after 3 canisters of gas & air my brain was a bit mushy!!).

However DD was born within an hour, including me driving to drop DS off at pre-school thinking it was just minor labour pains & I had at least 6 hours to go...but managed to get home, upstairs & deliver DD on my own !

IMO when you think labour has started 2nd time around, ring your birthing partner to get to you - my husband got home about an hour & a half after the birth, in between 2 policemen, the paramedics, my parents & the midwife had got there to 'help', though DD had already arrived!

Much shorter and easier. Home birth, no pain relief. Very intense but a thousand times better than first baby.

Hi all,

My wife is expecting our second in September, the first, while not being a complex birth by any standards, was about 4 hours of agony for my wife, she's almost forgotten it, but it's still pretty fresh in my mind - it wasn't nice.

So, reading all these posts which say the 2nd is, on the whole, easier, makes my wife and I very happy!

Thanks mumsnetters, you're all awesome.

Mike