Physical relevance of same partner second time round

[PastaBeeandCheese]

Had my booking in appointment this week. This is #2. The midwife asked if it was the same Dad and I confirmed it was. I assumed this was just for background.

I asked later if it is true second labours are easier and she said 'given it's the same Dad and the fact you gave birth naturally last time it should be'. Later on she referred again to the importance of the same Dad as though it had a physiological relevance.

I should have asked her why this was important but I only thought about it later.

Googling reveals nothing. Anyone got any ideas why or indeed if the partner has an effect on a second labour???

I'm curious now.

Different dad increases risk of preeclampsia. That's all I know! Or maybe it is rather that the same dad reduces it?

I guess if partner no 1 was slim build etc and partner no 2 is a hulking great rugby player then there could be noticeable differences in your experience but otherwise I can't imagine it makes a vast amount of difference. Perhaps it just means that the baby is likely to be in a similar range so your body is likely to be able to cope with it more efficiently having done it before.
Or perhaps she is just odd!

She is probably referring to preeclampsia risk - the risk is increased if it is a new partner or first baby

I guess. Perhaps it was a bee in her bonnet?! She did seen very knowledgeable though. Strange.

Can't imagine what difference it would make aside from PE risk.

Makes some sense re size. DD was 6lb 15oz so fingers crossed for similar.

I assumed it was meaning the baby would be similar to others, if a different partner was bigger baby could be built different, we have small babies.

There was a recent thread about whether size of partner determines size of baby, and apparently the baby will only grow to the size that the mother can deliver, irrespective of size of partner. My DH is a broad 6ft 4 and I am 5ft 3, our little bundle of joy is estimated to get to 6.5lbs full term. The baby does all the growing once it is born to catch up to its eventual adult size.

i think the pregnancies can be quite different with different dads, i.e being or not being sick, so maybe same dad expected similar birth but easier, new dad unknown quantities?

would be interesting to find out!

Chickpea - do you know if there was a link to that thread or the science behind that? Only because my ds was 11lb13oz and i am 5ft3 and pre-pregnancy a size 14-16, no Gestational Diabetes etc - but my dh is built like a brick shit house at over 6ft4 and just over 18 stone ... I doubt even his body could have delivered our child! How does your body determine how big the baby can grow to?

That all makes. The midwife referred to it as though it was more evidence based than a general idea that the babies are likely to be similar in size!