2nd baby - faster births?

[mamanALFA]

Hi all, I'm expecting my second baby on 5th jan. first one was born at 32 weeks after having PPROM at 30 weeks. My contractions started at 3am (every 8 mins) and he was born at 3pm.

Im now 35 weeks and pretty much in the 'unknown' stage! Never been this far in a pregnancy.

Now neither mine or my DH's family near us and I'm worried about leaving my 2.5 year old son.

Im basically hoping baby girl will come out super quick ideally in the day time so I won't have to leave my son overnight. He's never been left to stay without us/me before and he still wakes up at night at least 3 times looking for me.

Also, I have mild polyhydramnios (too much fluid) so at risk of early delivery.

Pls share stories of fast births! Or not so I can be prepared (at least mentally!)

Hoping for one response at least maybe? Thaaanks x

2nd births are usually quicker, yes. But I'm afraid they come when they come! DD2 from 1st mild contraction to birth was still 16 hours tho. Good luck!

Do you have a plan for childcare because it’s unlikey, though obviously not impossible, that you will have a quick labour in the middle of the day. Most babies are actually born at night.

My second labour was quicker and v straight forward but it still took 12 hours (6 of those in hospital) and I had to stay in hospital for 12 hours after the birth (not sure why!).

My second was 2 hours 15 start to finish, in the middle of the night.

My first was 3 hours 30 start to fully dilated but then took 2 hours to get out because of his position. So I obviously do quick labours.

Do sort childcare out the best you can because you don’t want to be stressing about it whilst in labour. Have you thought about taking a friend with you and leaving dh home with ds? If this would make you more comfortable.

What are your childcare plans for your son? My second came very quickly and ended up being born in an ambulance outside the house. I was very glad of in-laws nearby to collect our daughter as the whole thing would have been quite traumatising for her. We called in-laws at 7.30, baby was born by 9.45.

Sorry but my 2nd was twice as long ! Anything can happen in labour no 2 births are the same I would be prepared for an over night stay just to be on the safe side.

My first was 11 hours active labour, and 20 hours in total, my second was 1 hour active labour!probably 3 in total so a lot quicker for us, I was out the hospital 4 hours of giving birth. Most people I know personally have quicker easier second labours. Good luck!

My second was faster (6 hours) and not painful at all (no pain killers) but you need a plan! Check out the hospital policy because it might be better to have him with you then you be worrying - but if things don't go to plan your dp would have to take him out so he would potentially miss the birth (everyone I know who had their children with them brought a second adult just to care for the child or was having a home birth anyway). Giving birth is such an individual experience, we can feed you stories like mine but equally people where it went the other way - plan ahead! He will be fine, we left dd with a friend of my dh who she didn't know, if I had known how simple my birth would be she could have been with us but you simply don't know and dh had already missed the birth of dd1 so didn't want to risk missing dd2's! (He was on the wrong continent!)

Dd1 I went from no contractions to 7cm in about four hours. It took 15 hours before she was born though as it slowed down, meconium, in distress... but she came out. Dd2 was 3 hours, and would have been faster if I had not insisted on being taken to the mw unit rather than giving birth at home!

Second births tend to be faster but nothing is guarenteed. You might find that your ds is fine somewhere else overnight though. At 2.5 he will understand it as a little adventure. My dm kept dd1 for two nights and I was grateful for that bit of time with just dd2 as well tbh.

First was 10 hrs active labour, 45 mins pushing.

Second 14 mins active labour, 5 mins of pushing.

Hi! Didn’t want to read & run! I’m due our little girl the 6th of January & also suffering from polyhydramnios. My midwife has said that at my next consultant appointment I should be asking to be induced. The amount of fluid I have also means my baby is transverse, which the consultant said if she still is at the next appointment it will be an arranged section. We are thinking baby will be here earlier than her date to intervention. Could it be the same for you? X

DD1 - about 18hours Active labour ending with an assisted delivery plus another 24+ of contractions before that.

DD2 - 2.5 hours active labour & about 6ish of contractions. Fortunately my SIL persuaded us that DD1 should come to her when my contractions started (we were going to wait until they were more established). I went from 2cm to fully dilated in about 45minutes....