How did labor start with second? how did it compare to the first?

[kodamomma]

Hello ladies! 39+4 here and beyond ready to meet my son. So far he just seems to be getting more comfortable as the days progress and my solemn fear that he will be 2 weeks overdue like my last is starting to hit home. Leaving me to my question, what was your second like and when did it start?

2 days overdue, spent all day on my feet (shopping and ironing) so had a show around 10pm that evening. Woken by labour pains around 2/3 am, had a bath and pottered around as they weren't too bad, dropped my 18 mth old son at my parents at what seemed a reasonable hour (7am) and as soon as he was safely there it was like flicking a switch. Pain turned to fast, agonising labour. Nearly had baby in car park.

So in many ways it started the same as previous but the second phase was ridiculously fast and could take you by surprise. I'd advise going in a bit earlier than you think?

First dc induced at 36+2, as waters had broken, second dc at 38+2 had day of reduced movements, show at 4/5pm so went to hospital for monitoring, all ok so was sent home at 9pm ish, had some supper and went to bed, struggled to get to sleep with what seemed to be upset stomach, nasty cramps etc.
Realised I was in labour around 11pm arrived at hospital at 2.30am, baby arrived at 3.30 am.

My second labour was faster. Had one contraction every 15 minutes for an hour and then contractions started properly and went from every 8 minutes to every 4 minutes I think for the next hour. The whole thing was 4 hours 23 minutes. Luckily I realised the first contraction was the real thing and phoned for dh to come home from work (he works about 1 hour 15 minutes away).

We arrived at he hospital and I was 8cms dilated, then my waters went and there was meconium in them so I had to be transferred from the midwife led unit to the normal labour ward. DD was born about 1 hour after we arrived at the hospital.

My first labour was easier I think, it was 5 hours 50 minutes from first twinge. The contractions didn't seem so painful the first time, and I had a water birth with DS which I think helped calm me down and help with the pain relief. I realise I shouldn't complain about a quick labour though!

I found I recovered from the labour better the second time around and I also felt much more confident with holding DD, changing her nappy and feeding her than I did with DS.

My first was a long drawn out labour and ended in a ventouse. 2nd I had been walking all day, my waters broke on the way back from the shop. No contractions for hours after, got to hospital once they established early hours of the morning and was 3cm, just over an hour later he was born.

I'm 39+5 and wondering the same thing! My first labour was text book: water broke on my due date, DS arrived the following day.

On Tuesday I had the weirdest thing happen. I started to get regular contractions that were 50+ seconds long and 5-6 minutes apart but they weren't painful, just uncomfortable (carried on eating dinner and watching TV!). Latest for about 2 hours then stopped and here I am three days later and nothing! Really confused about what happened and why nothing has happened since!

In my head this labour was going to be similar in how it started to the last but I'm doubting that hugely now!

With dd I had contractions down to every 5 minutes on her due date then they stopped. The next morning my waters went, then a bit later contractions started, so I went to hospital and the contractions gradually got stronger until she was born. With ds I was having contractions for about a month on and off. 3 days past due date I called my parents to babysit as contractions were down to every 5 mins lasting 30 seconds. By the time they had arrived the contractions had stopped. All the next day they started up again and by the evening were strong enough to go in to hospital. He was born that night. My waters didn't go until I was pushing right at the end. With both I had a stop start, and by my dates both were born the day after their due date. Both were born at night as well.