Second labour is easier, right???????

[Hellymummy]

I'm due any day now with 2nd babba and after a horrific 1st labour I'm hoping for brighter things. Please give me your second labour stories or second labour advice????????

Mine was, pushed for nearly 2 hours with dc1. Panicking the whole time and ripped to shreds. Dc2 I felt a lot more in control, 2 pushes and she was out. Established labour was a lot faster as well. About 3 hours instead of 9. I'm hoping my next one is just like hers.

Yup, so darn quick that DH had to deliver DS at home with help from 999 as we were waiting for the GPs to arrive to care for dd! Far more intense contractions, quite scary as I did feel out of control, but it was over quickly and I did also know that once DS arrived it would all stop, which I don't think I believed with dd.

Dd was forceps, 9 hours labour, probably not that bad but it took weeks to recover and I was certainly depressed for some time after. With DS it was lovely to be at home, he was born early hours of a Sunday and I took them both to preschool on Monday morning to show off but only 10 mins walk each way.

Both my mum and mil said second was easier, you know what might happen and your body has been there before. Have faith, it will happen no matter what and you will have your baby. It will be worth it. Good luck x

Forgot to add, the after pains were worse with #2. But the drugs dealt nicely with that. Accept whatever's going to get the placenta out. The labour and delivery I managed with nothing at all, the gas and air with the placenta was utter heaven.

Yes!

Dd:- 30 hours, 14 hours established,failure to progress, failed forceps, EMCS, massive PPH. Still semi conscious 4 hours after.

Ds:- 10 hours, 4 hours established, 1 hours pushing, G&A only, slight PPH, slight tear. Wandering along the corridor in search of chocolate biscuits 4 hours after.

Yes! DC1 was 12 hours with a ventouse (my request) at the end. DC2 was about 8 hours, but only the last 4/5 were eye watering - 3 pushes and she was out. DC3 was even faster.

My only advice is (if you can) stay upright and stay mobile. Good luck

Not sure about easier.
Faster (and a bit scarier because of that), yes.
Tore instead of episiotomy.

Didn't nearly die though, unlike the first time round, so probably easier on balance, yes.

A million times easier - far quicker recovery time too. Agree that afterpains were a bitch though!

A million times easier and about half the time! Good luck and please come back and update

Second was quicker but more intense however I did feel much more in control so that helped as I didn't have any drugs. First time I had everything and was spaced out. Agree with the afterpains - no-one told me and I was quite shocked at how much they hurt.

42hrs of labour with #1 - almost EMCS twice, eventually got her out with ventouse and seemingly every drug known to man. Horrendous.

26hrs of labour with #2 (not great, but still better!) - had a sweep, walked to the hospital in active labour 8hrs later, DS born 14hours after that. No intervention at all other than the doctor breaking my waters at 5cm to help me along a bit. No drugs, just a textbook straightforward vaginal birth.

Yep!

43 hours with first - excruciating contractions doing nothing, fighting the pain as it was scary, epidural that didn't work properly, flat on my back on bed as unable to move so very hard to deliver him, big PPH. Felt like death for at least a month.

9 hours with 2nd of which only 3 were established labour. Stayed mobile, stayed upright. Went with the contractions rather than fighting. Loved the gas and air. Stayed upright during delivery so only really had to do 2 pushes as I could feel her descending with gravity. Painful and intense but I felt so much more in control. Real euphoria afterwards and up and about feeling great very quickly.

After pains were so much worse though!

Imminently expecting DC3 and been told they can be really niggly so worrying that it will be worse!

Afterpains were quite bad with DC3 - worse than they'd been with DC2, which in turn were worse than with DC1. Take the painkillers, is what I say.

Well I'm back to update!!! Omg it was awful, so much worse, longer and traumatic than first! Guess I was unlucky!!!!!!!

Oh no OP sorry to hear that! What happened?!

Mine were identical, 14 hour back to back labour, failure to progress, emc. Twice, lol

It's over now!!!

My waters broke, contractions very strong and painful, went to hosp had gas and air them pore for pethadine, all pretty normal! I expected it to be over on about 3 hours but I was wrong!!!! In labour nearly 16 hours, he was very high up and wasn't moving down easy then when I pushed he came down but ducked back up when I stopped! Then they wanted to take me to theatre so could give me a spinal injection to numb everywhere so could use forceps to get him out! Oh he was facing upwards by the way! Eventually a midwife turned him and I had an episiostomy and they got him out without a trip to theatre!!!! Phew