Second time in half the time???

[schmizaj]

Is it true (ish) that the second labour is roughly half the time of the first? (without any other issues or complications of course...)

Just considering hospitals to go to, last one was fab but an hour away and I only had 6 hours in hospital (and of full labour/pain), so thinking this may be pushing it to plan to travel anywhere far. Or am I being too optimistic!!!

Just to really put the fear into you, I heard 1/3 of the time (& also lived up to that)
I planned a homebirth for this very reason (although it didn't happen in the end, was nice to know that I didn't have to travel if i didn't feel up to it)

half the time?! I nto ehard that one. Mine second was about a third shorter, so 2/3 the time.

don't bank on it- i was worried about this after ds1.
ds1- 2hr3min
ds2- 12hr44min.

Oh my word! Sounds like the wrong way around new socks. Hmm hate the uncertainty of this so hard to plan!

Would go for homebirth but dh defo not on board, thinking may have to go to local 20mins away just so don't feel panic and look at a doula to help make experience better.

I love your timing down the to minute!!!

First labour - 2 days of early labour then 8 hours on drip

Second labour - spontaneous labour, just under 4 hours between waters breaking starting labour and baby in my arms..

So in my experience, second labour is much faster than first one.

First was 4hrs 4mins
second 2 hours
third 1 and a half hours
fouth 40 mins (luckily birth pool slowed her down a bit! gave the MW's time to arrive)

so yep, pretty much true for me - although first pre-labour niggled for ages!

Dinky - great for you to have that 2nd time around. That would be like 1/32 shorter!

Ouch - not reading past birth 2 too scary(!) but seems to follow the curve.

Interesting about lots of pre-labour niggles as I was niggling for like half labour time before in hospital 4cm etc and for days before so suspecting that it maybe just will 'happen' with less faffing - therefore got to get myself together sooner! Having to think about dd is a whole new angle.

Really interesting stuff quite encouraging, will keep collecting these stories please!!

dd was 25 hours
ds 6.5 hours

so yes much better

1st labour - 34 hours
2nd labour - 28 hours

1st labour 4h20m
2nd labour 2h30m
3rd labour 1h35m

This is from waters breaking or ouch thats was sore to baby in arms, so roughly it has been true for me, can you imagine if I had number 4

1st labour - about 15 hrs, 8 hrs established
2nd labour - just under 6 hrs, 4 hrs established

Had homebirth with both, but was really glad I was at home second time around as I don't know at what point I would have felt like getting in a car!

Pushing stage was much shorter 2nd time, about 5 mins compared to 90 first time round.

Do YOU want a homebirth though, is it just your DH who is making you hesitate? It's just that depending on why he is against it, he might have his facts wrong.

*Butts out in case advice not wanted

Have only had one DC but my stepmum had 3 hour labour with first and 1.5hrs with second.

My mum went into labour at around the same time in the middle of the night with both me and my sister but I (eldest) was born at 5am the following morning and my sister was born at 12 noon.

Dd took 13 hours.
Ds took 3.5 With hindsight, I wish I'd stayed at home with ds, but my bad experience with dd made me feel that I should be in hospital. If I ever do it again, it will be at home.

My second labour was much, much longer than the first and I still have no idea why. But I think that's unusual .

Many are almost half-time, so some degree of truth in it methinks. Convinced now that I can't be doing with travel time and need to be near home. Looks like I could be averaging a 3-9 hour labour.

I am lucky that a hospital nearby 15-20mins now has lovely low risk unit built with vinal sofa 'lounge' and big birth pool room which all midwives happy to use and has never been double booked - apparantly.

I could manage a homebirth but hospital option resonably appealing. I think if dh not onboard then feel bit like I'm having to 'prove' something and would therefore worry about having to do all the setting up and cleaning up! Last time this was a step too far so compromise was private birth unit where I could have a waterbirth and midwife to myself, but too impractical with the distance now. I also scream like a banshee so DD would still have to be removed from the scene.

Think my compromise this time will be getting a doula!

Schmizaj - yep, was a great second labour. Rather a surprise as was mentally prepared for a much longer one; I only finally admitted I was in proper labour and had to go to the birth centre half an hour before DS2 emerged (our doula was worried I'd give birth in the car )...

The low risk unit at your nearby hospital sounds lovely. I think a homebirth sounds lovely but you need both you and your husband on board for that (I didnt want a homebirth as worried about noise for my DS too....)

1st labour - 6 hours
2nd labour - 1 1/2 hours
I did have a homebirth booked 2nd time, but ended up going late and the mw wouldn't have come so went to a great big hospital for an induction - no 72 hour induction for me! It took 3 hours from the first pessary. It was at a change of shift so I managed to have 3 midwives in that time. I'd check where you'd go if there were any complications. The hospital I went to was the opposite of being at home and nowhere near as nice as the birth unit I was at first time round. The birth itself was fine though (5 min 2nd stage too).

ds 2 days inducing plus 24 hour labour

dd 4hrs, coincidence they were born within 5 minutes of each other and exactly same weight.

1st labour -23 hours
2nd labour - 8 hours

ds1 - 8 hours
ds2 - 2 hours 50 minutes

2nd stage much quicker with ds2 though - 2 minutes rather than 2 and a half hours!

ds2 was a homebirth and I'm so glad as I really didn't believe I was in "proper" labour, so probably wouldn't have made it to hospital anyway