Has anyone had an easy 2nd birth after a difficult first?

[bun2]

Am 35 weeks and getting worried about the labour after being induced first time around (40+10), complications and forceps delivery. Suffered a large internal tear.

Does it matter that it was 5 years ago? Will it be like the first again?

Thank you.

God knows what it will be like for you but my second was a dream compared to first.
First = induced, epidural, slow progression, dd out by ventouse in the end.
Second, 11 days late, had epidural, pushed ds out in about 15 minutes. Very easy. No tears, no stitches, not sore at all.
Hope you're as lucky!

My birth with DS was not ideal - had pre-eclampsia so had been in hospital for a while, then had forceps delivery, lost loads of blood (1500 ml), got sewn up in theatre for two hours afterwards due to large internal tear and had a blood transfusion the next day.

With DD, no PE problems during pregnancy and her birth was very straight forward. No stitches needed and whole labour took less than 7 hours from start to finish.

Hope this gives you some comfort

I think subsequent births mostly tend to get easier. Certainly your first birth doesn't set a pattern. My labours get quicker and less painful though the afterpains get worse.

A good friend of mine had a horrid 1st birth, lots of intervention, every drug known to man including nerve-blockers injected directly to the vagina. Apparently the needle was so long that the medical team hid it from her and even her DH couldn't watch. Her 2nd birth, two years later, was the complete opposite, much shorter labour, she said she felt much more in control of the contraction pains, required no intervention and only used gas & air. She's planning to have another 2 babies now!

Very best wishes, I hope it is better for you this time.

If it helps at all, my 1st was 11 days overdue - pethidine, epidural, failure to dilate, emcs and my 2nd was 5 days early - waters broke at 4pm, no dilation at 6pm so feeling very then gas and air, fully dilated by about 8.30 and ds2 born at 9.22pm. So don't give up hope and don't expect things to go wrong, which is what I was getting ready to do when they said no dilation at 6pm, then enormous contraction nearly knocked me over and everything went swimmingly from then on!!

I had a similar first birth to yours - 14 days late, then 3 days more after induction, tears, complications etc. Horrible.

The second was last week - 2 weeks late again - but six hours from the first contraction, just before I was meant to be induced, to birth. There was no time for drugs or intervention, and although it hurt, I felt so much better afterwards - I was out of hospital a few hours later and up and about immediately. Good luck!

My first was awful - two weeks overdue woke in the night bleeding (can't remember the technical term but was due to the placenta coming away), rushed to hospital and had every possible drug including epidural. Very narrowly escaped emergency c-section, DS1 delivered by ventouse. DS2 was bang on time - got to hospital 10am, baby delivered in time for lunch! No time for any drugs, was an amazing experience. I was totally dreading it because of my first delivery, so all I can say is just relax and hope this helps you think positive.

2nd one much easier than the first. Sometimes I wonder if it is partly because we know what is going on with the second and subsequent births.

Bun, I felt the same as you and was terrified of labour no 2, had a terrible, terrible time the first time, and dd1 in special care. I hated the hospital SO much, and all their procedures, and interventions, and being forced to lie flat on back.....I waited 3 years to get over the trauma and for second baby (3 weeks old) I was determined to have a home birth. I can honestly say it was a wonderful experience, and even quite spiritual and magical. I had no drugs apart from tens machine till the last hour or so when I had gas and air (when the midwife arrived I was already 9 cm! And didn't realise!! Had spent the day walking round the garden in the sunshine, the contractions were really mild, I thought they were practise ones!!). I also read a book on hypno birthing and did the relaxation cd, I found that an absolute god send...I couldn't have felt more relaxed during this labour. Good luck!! Second ones are usually much quicker and much easier!

I just remember the midwife saying to me "second babies are beautiful babies to birth" - she said all the midwives liked caring for mums having their second!

My first labour was long and hard, my second labour was only a third of the length.

1st time - 2.5 days of awful pre-labour - contractions every 10 minutes, throwing up, then full-blown agonising labour contractions every 2-3 minutes for 8 hours, so painful I honestly thought I would die, failure to dilate beyond 4cm, turns out baby was posterior - ended up with epidural, syntocin, baby took another 12 hours to arrive. All ok in the sense that it could have been worse, but not what I was planning

2nd time - 9 hours of labour - at home, baby born in the pool in our front room. The contractions were so utterly manageable and not even that painful for such a long time that I totally failed to alert the midwives, just lay in bed by myself waiting for it to really start hurting, with the result that the 2 midwives only made it with 25 and 5 minutes to spare respectively.

Guess which one I'm hoping number 3 takes after!!!

Good luck - generally your body does it so much better having had a practice go.

yes, i had 2 inductions. ds only came out with the aid of failed ventouse, forceps + episiotomy. the works! dd was born 3.5 years later (& a lb smaller), & i pushed her out by myself in 5 minutes, it was great. i had epidurals both time. good luck!

DD1 - 26 hours, epidural, ventouse, 2 cuts, 45 mins of stitching up.

DD2 - at home, 3 hours, a little G&A at the end, tiny little tear.

So yes, it did get easier for me

Just make sure you stay in a good position and try not to worry, fear makes pain worse, if you're relaxed things work an awful lot better and hurt an awful lot less

My first was similar to yours although I wasn't induced....second time 18 months later was fine, this time I was induced, as baby stopped moving. Only needed the gel, good strong contractions straight away. Did it all on gas and air. Baby came out in 3 pushes, no need for forceps. Was a fantastic experience, never thought i'd be able to push a baby out...but I did.

Can I also say, if you need a confidence boost, read Ina May Gaskins Guide to Childbirth.

I read it at 40 weeks pregnant 2nd time round, and found it really inspiring. It made me believe in my body. I've already re-read it at 21 weeks this time round, and am even quite looking forward to the birth.

Thanks Pidge, have ordered it from Amazon.

Thank you all for your experiences, I guess there is hope for me yet!