reassurance please for 2nd birth...

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if anyone can send me any 'go girl' type messages and useful words and imagery for my impending labour I would be most grateful.....first birth was not easy on many levels and so am pretty frightened to be honest.......

thank you..

Hi - I'm sure you'll be fine. My second labour was a breeze compared with my first - to the point where I look back with fondness not horror (as with my first).

Several of my other friends have had similar experiences.

2nd birth much quicker and I felt so much more "with it" afterwards too!
Go girl!

My second birth was much quicker and easier than the first (first baby got a bit stuck but no problem second time). I was terrified as I got closer to the due date but when i went into labour it was nowhere near as scary as I thought it would be!
You'll be fine, good luck

My second was like a walk in the park compared to my first, really, really good and I felt fantastic afterwards.

I'm sure you'll be fine!

you all rock! Thanks for lovely replies! So want to begin with positive attitude- it can only help....

My 1st labour was pretty awful - only 12hrs but had an epidural so was flat on my back for the duration, had a 2.5hr pushing stage and ended up with severe tearing which required 150+ stitches. Took a long while to recover from physically.

My 2nd was much quicker (3.5hrs), painful but no time for an epidural this time, which I was not happy about at the time but was really glad afterwards that I could move around etc without having to wait hours for it to wear off. 2 pushes and she was out and I felt amazing afterwards. I remember telling DH afterwards that it really was the best day of my life, I felt that good.

2nd labours are meant to be far easier than your first so fingers crossed it will a better experience for you this time.

One of my friends says that your first puts up signposts ('this way out'!) ready for your second. Second time was both quicker and less painful for me.

exactly what thePhantomPlopper said! dd2's birth was just brilliant-an amazing day

Just had my 2nd labour on Wednesday. Ok, so it hurt. Labour does of course hurt, especially with a whopper of a baby like mine(unless you can get an epidural - I didnt have the option) BUT

it was miles easier - for the most part because this little fella wasnt breech. DS1's birth was so traumatic - I wasnt prepared for that or the aftermath and whilst I'm no longer bothered by it, it affected me for a long while.

DS2's birth was so straightforward - under 4 hours and I had a healthy baby, couple of stitches which arent bothering me at all, was allowed to take baby home next morning (probably could have been sooner but I needed a scan for suspected blood clot before they'd let me leave - I didnt have one!)

I was so scared of labour this time around, both the birth itself and the thought that he might suffer like DS1 did. But it was fine. ( I would say piece of p*ss but that would be taking it a little far!!)

so pleased you all had positive experiences- that is brilliant. Congratulatons lynniep on such a recent birth- marvellous.

Love idea of DS putting up signs omicronpersei8- great image and explains a few things....!!!!

Fingers crossed.

I'd echo what everyone has said here - second labours are so much easier than first.

My first was 28 hours, had to have all manner of interventions starting with breaking my waters, oxitocin drip, etc (I wasn't dilating properly on my own), ending in an epidural so I had to give birth fflat on my back and I couldn't feel to push. Dd was in distress by this point and so when she did finally emerge she was intubated rushed off to the NICU. All's fine now but it was a very scary, very painful and very traumatic experience.

My second was two weeks ago and was as different from that experience as you can get. I'd wanted as natural a birth as possible both times and with my second I got it. In fact I got everything I'd put on my birth plan (apart from using the pool because there wasn't even time to put the plug in!). I was only in the hospital for an hour and a half before ds was born and I was able to get by on just gas and air. And I was able to have a natural third stage.

My second experience made me realise how amazing the birth of your child can be rather than it being tinged with the horrors of the first time. I feel very privilaged to have had that.

One point though - I went into the second birth with a completely open mind about how it would be. I was also really positive about it and didn't bring any baggage from the first one. But I could only have done that by having a counselling session - in my area it's called a birth afterthoughts service - where a midwife goes through your birth notes and talks through with you why certain things happened the way they did. If you can access something like this I'd highly recommend it. It made all the difference to my state of mind - which is a big part of having a positive experience.

Best of luck

thanks julietbat- i had a counselling session re. first birth and it really helped. they do it here and it was brilliant.

will make sure I go in with open mind- my birth plan only has a small list of 3 absolute no's and 2 absolute yes's (5 things!) and a small list of 'if possible, would love..' so I don't go in with too many expectations like with DS.

will start positive mantra...just got to get rid of this cold and I AM READY.....

Thank you kindly clever people.