Experiences please! Second labour but the first one resulted in em CS,

[ButtercupWafflehead]

I have been reading a lot recently about how second labours tend to be much faster than first ones.

Now my first labour lasted 24 hours, only made it to 6cm dilated and then had to have an em CS.

SO next time I go into labour, should I expect the same experience as the first time, or take heart that my body has done at least some of this before?

Anyone with any experience??! Thanks in advance!

Can't help in the slightest - but am really interested in this, not sure if I was ever in established labour first time round, waters broke but his head never engaged and I never dilated beyond 3cm - ended up as em CS too.

Am now 28 weeks and can't stop wondering what is going to happen next time.

Hi, STT!

That's it exactly! Did my first labour 'count'? (if you see what I mean).

You're 4 weeks ahead of me, so perhaps you can come back and let me know!

Well, not sure if this helps either - I only got to about 3 cms with ds1 before em cs too, but after about 2 days of regular mild (now that i know!), but definitely labourish contractions.

DS2 ended in em cs too, but I got to 10cms and was I think in transition when they decided to go for CS (a whole other thread there...). I'd had BH for about a week but only definitely started proper labour on the Friday evening, and was at 10 cms by about 5 the following morning. So yes faster I'd say, but have no idea if that is typical, or indeed if there is a 'typical'.

Oh goodness BCWH, that's the first thing that's made me laugh today! Guess I could be more help than I originally thought!

MidnightExpress - it is helpful to know that after a failure to dilate, that you did manage to the second time around.

Yes, and I think I could have blardy delivered him too if I hadn't had the world's crappest registrar.

Anyway, all water under the bridge now. Hopefully you guys will have a much more positive experience!

Good grief, MNE - you got to 10cm and they they gave you a CS? How much did they want you to dilate?!

My first labour ended in an emergency section under GA after 18 hours . I was also at ten cms and at pushing stage. I should at some point request my medical notes as it was all such a blur.

Second labour a successful VBAC, although they did use ventouse. Labour was shorter at 13 hours.

I am very interested in this. I have just given birth to my first child 3 weeks ago. I was 36 hours in labour and never went back 1cm dilated and felt that my pelvis was going to snap and it resulted in an em CS. I wont be trying for another baby again for another 2 years at least but i am now looking into whether i would need an elective CS or if i can try for a VBAC.

Bumping for anyone out there that could advise of experience of VBAC following a failure to dilate / progress first time around?

also got to 6cm after 3 days of slow induction with ds1 ending in emergency section. ds 2 was spontaneous 12 hour labour, got a bit stuck at 8cm but after mentioned the threat of a drip i dilated to 10cm in 20 mins! pushed him out in 10 mins.
had a juicy tear but def an amazing experience.
good luck x

Hi and thanks for responses - have just come to check this thread and am pleased to see some positive second-timer experiences - anyone else?

im kinda worried too, that i will end up having another CS after em CS 3 Years ago,(after 12 hours and at 10 cm) id much rather a natural labour, with little medical intervention, just so the recovery time afterwards will be quicker.

Am watching this thread with interest! Am 24 weeks pregnant and hoping for a home vbac. With ds I was in labour for 38 hours and got to 9.5 cm dilated! Apparently the last half cm was where my cervix was swollen from ds' head pushing against it and the hospital staff said it was unlikely to dilate further so had em cs. Ds was posterior so don't think that helped. Am hoping that because I was almost fully dilated that my body will remember what to do and I will manage to give birth naturally this time. I am a bit worried about the pushing the baby out stage though as lots of people keep telling me thats the painful bit!

Hopefully someone will be along soon to tell us about their positive vbac experience!

VERY positive vbac story from me:

DD1: 2 weeks overdue, membrane sweep didn't work, was induced, waters artificially broken, 22h labour, had sytocin drip, epidural, didn't dilate past 4 cm, and so I had an em C-section.

DD2: 2.5 weeks early (!!), 5 hour labour, got to 4cm, then 10cm half an hour later, 3 pushes and she was out! No stitches or tears either.

4 weeks on and I feel absolutely fine, a million times better than I did after my C-section.

I LOVE my vbac story and tell everyone who can bear to listen

p.s Helips - the pushing the baby bit was not the painful bit - it's like doing a big poo.

By that stage you are just glad the contractions are over and you are about to see your lovely little baby!

Lovely story vanimal and congrats on your dd! Did you have her at home or in hospital? Glad to hear the pushing bit is not too bad too

Had her at hospital - contractions were at home from 7-11.30pm, then went to hospital and had her at 2.30am.

Pushing was fine. Just remember to keep your fanjo looking tidy in the weeks before the birth just in case ;-)

Chance would be a fine thing Vanimal, I'm only 24 weeks and yet already struggling when it comes to trimming the nether regions

Vanimal, I love your story and will hope for similar!

I also got to 6cm and had an em-cs. I have had an appointment with a consultant and today with a consultant midwife to walk about VBAC. Both have said that if you cervix has dilated before, you do have a better chance than someone who has not laboured at all - eg if your c-s was performed because baby was breech for example. I was encouraged to hear this as I had thought that, having not got to the pushing stage, I would not "benefit" from it being my seconf labour - but apparantly it does make a big difference in terms of VBAC success. HTH!

Another one here who got to 6cm in 24hours then em-cs.

VBAC:

Friday night - had some contractions but didn't go anywhere so went back to bed

Sat day - went for long walks, had a long nap to catch up on lost sleep

7:30pm put son to bed and labour started again. 2am went to hospital. 8:30am Sunday morning DD born in the pool (no continuous monitoring).

Took me a while to get my head round the sensations of pushing her out!

Similar to you OP had emergency c section after getting to 6 cm dilated for the first baby.

Second baby was a natural birth 5 hours from when pains started to when I delivered her! Fantastic birth. Really think the first labour had the effect of opening everything up.

So personally would go for a VBAC if no other reason not to.

Only sad thing was realising what I had missed out on the first time round.

I got to 2 - 3 cm in my first induced labour, i think being 39 + 1 , given diamorphine and an epidural and remaining on the bed immobile had a huge impact on my labour ending in c.s

second time around, had a leak couple of days before due date. went to be checked out, told nothing doing, woke up in labour the next morning at 7.30 . had contractions all day, getting stronger, longer, closer together, struggling to breathe through them, so went to hospital at approx 5.30 pm

was examined, told i was not in active labour !! monitor showed DDs heartbeat very high and due to her and my distress DH spoke to MW who had been all for getting me to theatre for a c.s...

he explained to her about how much i wanted a VBAC, so they kept me on labour ward, off teh bed, took gas & air off me and got me moving..

one hour later, i was 3 cm, had some pethidine to take the edge off and DD was born 3 hours 15 minutes later.

2 hours 45 to get to 10 cm and 30 minutes to push her out

no intervention and no tearing.

had a bit of a graze so had a couple of stitches

home 19 hours later