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Childbirth

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

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Original poster

How likely is spontaneous labour in 2nd pregnancy when 1st time nothing happened spontaneously?

27 replies

BroccoliSpears · 19/04/2008 18:12

1st pregnancy
No Braxtons
2 sweeps
Went to 43+1 (no, not a typo)
Was induced
Prostaglandin gel x 2 took 24 hours to get me to 4 cm
Manually broke my waters
Syntocinon drip
Forceps delivery (tried pushing. Nowt doing.)

Induction to birth took 36 hours.

In other words, my body did absolutely nothing by itself and the baby was 'managed' out by the hospital every step of the way.

2nd pregnancy (this one)
No Braxtons
No aches, twinges, twitches etc
Am now 40+3

Some people just can't do labour. Should I resign myself to waiting the 2 weeks and being induced?

Professional, anecdotal or personal experiences welcome.

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

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EffiePerine · 19/04/2008 18:14

anecdotal: my sister was induced with her first and avoided it with her second by the skin of he teeth - straightforward labour, no epidural (unlike no. 1) and out in 40 mins

Good luck!

Tommy · 19/04/2008 18:16

my first labour was the same as yours

second one I was 4 days late, went into labour spontaneously and DS2 slipped out after 2 hours of contractions and about 3 pushes

good luck

Original poster

BroccoliSpears · 19/04/2008 18:19

Thank you Effie.

Tommy - 2nd time did you have any inkling that it felt different? Twinges and aches?

OP posts:

CarGirl · 19/04/2008 18:21

Okay........

1st pregnancy 42 weeks (at least didn't get a 12 week dating scan but knew what night I did the deed that I conceived from) No braxton hicks not sure about sweeps.

induced, 3 lots of gel, waters broken artificially but did finally mange to push out without help once the epidrual wore off! 36 hour event

2nd pregnancy, 42+3 no braxton hicks 3 sweeps???

induced, 1 lot of gel, waters went on their own delivery fine (although excrutiatingly painful) 10 hour event

3rd pregnancy, induced at term (long story)

3 lots of gel at least, ARM then rapid delivery 30 hour event

4th pregnancy, induced at 42, 2 lots of gel (absolutely nothing happened with the first lot bishops score was still 1 after 6 hours of pain!!) waters broke as I delivered 4 hours after the 2nd gel.

So although my body did eventually did it's thing it never seemed to do anything about setting itself off? Last birth was fine as I just accepted I would be induced and it was a wonderful experience. HTH

brrrrmmmm · 19/04/2008 18:21

Broccoli - are you me?!! Same experience, except ended up in c-section as only got to 1cm despite all interventions. DS wrapped up in cord. Now 23 weeks with second, am wondering if I will manage a VBAC ....

Tommy · 19/04/2008 18:24

I did have a show during the day with DS2 - he was born at 10pm but no twinges IIRC (have had another one since and they all get a bit muddled in my memory )

SpookyMadMummy · 19/04/2008 18:56

First pregnancy:
Induced 3 days before EDD, gave birth on EDD. Had prostaglandin gel was was fingertip dilated about 6 hours before Dd was born, put on drip, had ARM. Normal delivery.
Second pregnancy:
2 days after EDD had reflexology on my feet. Started with slow contractions lasting about 30 seconds 5 mins or so apart, delivered Dd2 5 days after EDD normally, with little pain relief, spontaneous rupture of membranes during second stage.
Get a foot massage!

Original poster

BroccoliSpears · 19/04/2008 19:24

It's interesting to read other people's experiences. Thank you for posting them.

People keep asking me if I'm eating plenty of pineapple etc. Frankly when last time 2 prota gels and ARM didn't induce labour, I find it hard to muster great faith in the pineapple!

OP posts:

RipMacWinkle · 19/04/2008 19:34

Broccoli - I've only got one DC but it was like your first labour (except with emer CS at the end). However my mum had a lot of us and told me when I first got PG that she hoped I wasn't like her when it came to labour. She was induced and every single time

It's led me to wonder whether some people just aren't built to go into labour naturally. Probably not true. But I do wonder.

If/when (hopefully when!!) I have DC2 I will prepare myself to go to induction from the start

Good luck!

CarGirl · 19/04/2008 19:38

I tried reflexology several times with dc2 and a whole course full for dc4 - didn't seem to help!

Original poster

BroccoliSpears · 19/04/2008 20:18

A foot massage would be nice though.

OP posts:

thehairybabysmum · 19/04/2008 20:43

ds1 my waters broke then no labour...no twinges or owt, induced after 4 days, ggel did nowt and even drip took a while to get going, ended up with em cs but due to fetal distress.

ds2...no twinges again not even mild ones, went to bed then woke up 1 hr later with contractions a few mins apart! also had em cs but again due to fetal distress.

I got to fully dilated both times before cs.

Hopefully you will get going soon, fingers crosed for you xx

snickersnack · 19/04/2008 20:50

1st time - induced at 41+2, prostglandin gel then syntocinon, got to 6cm after 24 hours, ended with an emergency c-section.

2nd time - waters broke at 38 weeks, baby arrived 7 hours later with nothing but gas and air.

Don't resign yourself to anything...and sod the pineapple, it's probably making you more stressed.

Would you consider waiting for as long as it took to go into labour naturally? Assuming the baby is coping, obviously...

michie40 · 19/04/2008 20:54

dd1 waters broke = nothing happened was induced and ended up in theatre with a venteuse delivery>

dd2 - 12 days late went into labour naturally in the middle of th night - she popped out 12 hours later when I stood up to get into the ambulance because they thought she had got stuck

You'll be fine - each one seems to be different from the people ive spoken to.

Solitaire · 19/04/2008 20:54

1st pregnancy:
induced at 41 + 3 days, FINALLY went into labour after 3 pessaries. Needed waters broken and syntocin. 10 hour labour. Entonox, pethidine and TENS. Forceps delivery out of sheer bloody stubborness to avoid c-section.

2nd pregnancy.
spontaneus labour at 40 + 4 days. still needed waters broken but 5 hour labour, no assistance. just entonox and TENS

Original poster

BroccoliSpears · 19/04/2008 21:22

I suppose because I didn't go into labour last time I don't know what to expect. I can't help feeling that I would feel something if I was going to go into spontaneous labour. Backache or nausia or something.

Ahh well. Early days yet.

OP posts:

ImightbeLulumama · 19/04/2008 21:24

i was induced at 39 + 1 with DS, don;t remember any twinges

spontaneous labour at 39 + 8 with DD, hindwater leak, then woke up in labour and she was born on her due date. after 3 false alarms, and a million BH from about 20 weeks onwards

HTH!

PotPourri · 19/04/2008 21:30

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

GreebosWhiskers · 19/04/2008 21:45

dd1 - waters broken by m/w at 40+2 - 14 1/4 hours start to finish.

dd2 - sweep at 42 weeks that started things off a bit, waters broken about 10 hours later by m/w to speed things up, baby born about 4 1/2 hours later - 14 1/2 hours start to finish.

dd3 - started off naturally at 41+2, no intervention - 14 hours start to finish.

ds - at 38+2 waters started trickling heavily late at night, admitted to m/w unit, sent home again, in ante-natal clinic next day, sent home again, contractions eventually started so back in to m/w unit again - 55 hours start to finish!

They're all different & just 'cos your first time had to be so heavily managed doesn't necessarily mean the rest will. It won't hurt to resign yourself to being induced tho' there is always the possibility that babby will take you by surprise. ds certainly did that to me - I wasn't at all worried when dd3 got chickenpox 2 weeks before ds's due date 'cos my babies are always overdue. Yeah, right!

Best of luck

MrsMacaroon · 19/04/2008 22:01

BS- Going through this also...am 40+10, induction booked for monday, first birth was same as yours- induced, took bloody ages and extremely assisted, forceps etc

Have had show following a sweep on thursday but no real action. To complicate things I woke up this morning with a cold. Sod's law...

Lio · 19/04/2008 22:13

BS: v similar first birth experience. Second time I was determined that I didn't want to be induced (unless it was proven to me that baby or I was at risk, or course) and after three sweeps and lots of reflexology I (whisper) did the castor oil thing. Loads of sloppy poo, followed by 2 hours labour and birth, start (when I thought it was just more tummy twitches) to finish, at home as planned, and no messy poo/baby mix ups . Anecdotal and it's not recommended in the UK, but I was desperate.

ChasingSquirrels · 19/04/2008 22:20

my friend didn't with her dc1.
when she was 40+ with dc2 we went round for sunday lunch and she was obviously having contractions (having to stop moving around and stand still and breathe through them), I said she was having contractions and was in labour - she didn't believe me having not had any of it with dc1. She was in hospital that night and dc2 was born 2 days later (yes long labour, but vbac - after a forceps c-section for dc1).

Original poster

BroccoliSpears · 19/04/2008 22:57

So, the definitive answer is that I might go into spontaneous labour this time and I might not. Or anything in between.

I sort of knew that, but it's really good reading other people's stories - they either make me hopeful for a natural birth or more comfortable with the idea of a second induction, depending on the angle.

Best of luck PotPouree and MrsMacaroon.

OP posts:

MrsMacaroon · 19/04/2008 23:40

yup- you're conclusion is probably right...I've given up on self induction/talking sternly to bump etc and am resigned to just focusing on biscuit-eating and crap telly.
If I end up getting induced on Monday, I'll definitely get them to check how 'ripe' I am though, in case it might be worth leaving me an extra couple of days or breaking waters if poss. I'm grasping at straws, I know but hey ho...

good luck to you too.

keiralou · 20/04/2008 00:01

1st pregnancy: overdue by 2 weeks, had a sweep but think I Was already having contractions - consultant said I was 1/2cm when had been in pain for ages.
2nd pregnancy: was induced and told by numerous m/w and consultants that my cervix was v posterior - even after one round of prostaglandin gel and having contractions for a few hours. Was given 2nd lot the next day and it all kicked off. Baby born 9hrs after the gel, alhtough contractions only in full force for 4hours.
Have to say I was feeling like you broccoli - i was worried I wouldn't recognise the signs of labour etc.
By the way - when I went for my first sweep of my 2nd p/g, when I asked the m/w why I don't seem to go into labour naturally she said - you must have a comfortable and welcoming womb for baby. Not what i wanted to hear...

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