Was your second birth easier than your first???

[sjcmum]

I'm 39+2 weeks with no2. With a toddler to run round after, I've hardly been thinking about the birth - just know it is something that I have to get through. Am I likely to have a similar experience again, or can I hope that it will be easier? A couple of friends here with 2 have had really mixed and different experiences - some easier and faster, some worse - would be interested to know what people have experienced?

first = 37 hours gentle pain - waterbirth no other pain relief
second = 4 hours Strong pain - waterbirth no other pain relief

I feel like it was better because although it hurt more it was shorter. GOOD LUCK

1st time induced, 31 hours of contractions, vomiting, forceps, episiotomy, room full of unknown medics getting him out with large shiny implements, we were both battered and exhausted. Dp had to hold ds for the first hour while I recovered.

2nd time much much easier, four and a half hours, just gas and air, 15 minutes pushing, just us and a couple of midwives, cried before she was fully out, straight onto me for cuddles. Lovely, lovely, lovely. I did refuse to be induced though and she was 11 days late - wish I'd refused 1st time round too!

Much easier, a real pleasure overall. very empowering.

Thank you all for your encouraging stories... .it does sound like the general consensus is positive... although I'm not sure I want to come as scarily fast as some of you experienced second time round!!!!

Just hoping it turns up on time now, and not too close for christmas... think I'll have a hot curry or something every night.....

1st= 47 hours from first pains till birth. Natural delivery, no pain relief.Tear, stitches. 7lb 4oz.

2nd= 2 1/2 hours induced by breaking of waters, natural delivery, no pain relief. No tear. 7lb 15oz.

3rd= 3 1/2 hours start to finish, natural delivery, gas and air whilst pushing, no tear. 10lb 10oz!!!
The most painful by far!!!

No 2 births are the same and whatever you put in your birthplan usually goes right out the window.
My 1st baby,a gorgeous son, was the heaviest,but the easiest at 9lb 8oz, but the longest labour {lots of gas and air {13 hours of gas....off my head!} and 3 lots of pethidine with him!!}fell asleep in between contractions....
My 2nd,a beautiful daughter the lightest 8lb 7oz,I have to say was the most traumatic,....I ended up with a bad tear {felt like a razor cutting my bits}OPT for an episio....god !whatever its called...
then I had a haemorrahge and ended up anaemic and PND
3rd baby,another beautiful daughter was an emergency section,9lb 4 oz ,but the best because no pain whatsoever...
EPIDURAL! fantastic!
yet the after effects were harder,infection in scar,got PND again,so would always recommend natural birth if pos
AND TAKE YOUR IRON!!!!
It helps to have a good midwife to encourage you with your breathing .....
I was left with a student midwife to deliver my 2nd and I,m afraid we both got a bit hysterical at one point,resulting in me screaming at her " JUST GET HER OUT!!!!!"

They were both the same. Ds1 was about 3 hours of established labor but 2.5 of it was pushing. DS2 was a 3 hours of established labor but 30 min of pushing. Both were the same in terms of pain and manageability.

much. primarly because, I think, I knew what Labour felt like - ie it was still bloody painful, but I was expecting it, and so was much more resigned and ergo relaxed. it was a lot quicker as well (as was the third quicker than the second). Good luck!

1st baby 4 1/5 days of misery- back to back, wouldn't admit me to hospital as I wasn't dilating but prelabouring. 24 hrs full labour and 3.5 hrs of pushing resulted in failed forceps/ ventouse and ended with ECS. Beautiful DD 8 lbs 14ozs. Utterly f@£$ing terrible.

DS 3hrs start to finish. No pain relief. pushed 3 times and minimal tear. Beautiful 7lb boy.

My second birth was amazing for me as I hd a lot of baggage re the C-Section, thought if I'd tried harder then I should have got her out. Second birth was really scary though as it was all so fast and it was SOOOooo sore and SOoo quick. I was home by lunchtime though (had him at 11pm) and overall I was left with a great sense of achievement so my second birth was great . Lots and lots of luck

dd1 3 days, gas and air, hours of pushing, ventouse, 3rd degree tear

dd2 6 hours, induced(meconium in my waters), epidural, one push and she was out (I passed out!), minor tear.

They both had amazing bits and horrible bits, dd2 was less exhausting (thank god as I had to look after a newborn and 14 month old the next day!).

The main thing was with dd2 there was less fear, because although it was totally different, I could relate everything to what happened with dd1. Also i had the knowledge of how fantastic it is when you hold your lo in your arms for the first time.

Good luck

I'd say yes. Definitely the case for me 1st one 8h of which 1h of pushing. No2 from start to finish 5h, felt much easier. I was much more aware of what my body was doing and didn't need anything more than gas and air. I felt very empowered after no2, while no1 felt more like it was happening to someone else.
As a mw I find that 2nd babies generally come quicker and easier, however there are of course always exeptions.

Easier, faster & altogether fab.
I would actually say I enjoyed my second birth

Agree with whoever it was that said that the fact that you've done it before, know what to expect (sort of) and that you lived last time can help make it mentally easier to cope with (oibviously different to what might be going on physically)

DD (dc2) almost fell out, no stitches or anything!! 10x easier.... am i stupid to be thinking dc3 will be just as easy??

Santaisfeeling, I know exactly where you're coming from. I enjoyed my 2nd birth too and now I'm expecting no3 I'm looking forward to doing it all again. Now I'm sure that makes me even more of a weirdo than you!

second was muuuuuch much easier.

dd1- about 20 hours of labour, 45 minutes second stage, bad second degree tear, lots of blood loss, i felt crap for weeks

dd2- 4 hours from start to finish, about 4 minutes second stage, lovely waterbirth with minimal tearing. i was up and running, so to speak, the next day.

good luck!

First was longer (7hr), he came out with hand up, nasty tear, stitches. Only gas and air in hospital.

Second was shorter (3hr), he was 1lb 10oz heavier but no stitches.
Only gas and air, again in hospital.

My DD arrived at home in 2hrs, but I retained the placenta and had to be taken in ambulance to hospital for manual removal and epidural. 3rd stage of labour much longer than 1st and 2nd stages put together even though I had the jab! I never wanted an epidural for the birth of any of my children but boy did I need one for that placenta!

Go with it as much as you can, try and relax and just deal with the birth as it happens. Each one is different.

my first labour was 9 hours in total, about 4 hours of intense pain, pushed for about 15 mins, no tearing, just a graze.

If my second goes that easy I'll be over the moon but I'm scared to gonna go too quickly after reading these!! Am 22 weeks at the moment! First labour was 5 years ago though....

2nd much easier...

1st was induced, 5 hours "pre-labour" - 7 hours 1st stage, ventouse for pushing stage. Lots of stitches and didn't feel 100% for several weeks.

2nd was a home birth, 4 hours 1st stage, 30 mins pushing, small graze and felt pretty much normal again within the week (though bloody knackered with a toddler to look after!)

Think the difference was a combination of my body knowing more what to do, and me being more assertive about what was "right" for me.

First of all, good luck. 1st was 13.5 hour labour with drip to speed things up, epidural and ended with manual removal of retained placenta - not pleasant at all. 2nd labour 2.5 hours, no problems, especially considering ds2 was 10lb7oz!!! Had gas and air and was home within 6 hours. Also felt so much better physically afterwards. Hope this helps

easier in a way - less scary

but harder as ds was much bigger and got stuck

mine was much much much easier.

first was 18 hours, cascade of intervention, ended with ventouse delivery.

second was 6 hours, at home. was already 8cm when first midwife got there!
ds2 was back to back, so had a longish pushing bit, but it was all fine. no tearing, nothing

1st one-9 hours,induced and coped with gas and air.

2nd one-A little over 24hrs, ended up with a epidural and a nice tear

2nd labour was horrendous.

Hope yours goes well.

1st - 19 hours, forceps delivery, episiotomy, epidural.

2nd - 7 hrs, just gas and air, 2nd degree tear.

Second much better but tear worse than epi.

Good luck!

DD1 induction because waters broke and nothing happened, 12 hours agony, emergency CS.

DD2 started naturally, gradual run up so pains start gradually so easier to deal with. She was born 5 hours later no intervention. It was amazing and I finally understood those people that had good birth experiences. Before I thought they must have been fibbing.

DS1 - 30 hour labour, back to back, failed water birth, failed forceps ended up with ventouse and a million stitches

DS2 - 9 hour labour, mobile epidural, and he just 'popped' out (well, relatively speaking!!)

Good luck!