How similar where your birth stories to each other?

[taylor1990]

At my midwife appointment yesterday she asked me about my previous labour and when I asked if this time could be totally different she said it's most likely to happen the same way it did last time but just to progress quicker as second labours tend to be quicker.

After thinking about it over night I'm actually quite shocked as I didn't think similar labours were as common as saying 'most likely' or maybe that's just because of my friends/families experiences?

Did yours start/progress in the same way?

My first started with reduced movement, contractions for 24 hours before they got strong enough to call maternity, another 6 hours of contractions at home before I was admitted and was 4cm then waters didn't break until I started pushing almost 12 hours after that.

She said because my waters broke when I was pushing last time that will probably happen again.

Anyone care to share theirs? Similar or completely different?

Oh dear god please no, my labour with my son was absolutely horrific, long and complicated.

I'm now pregnant again and I'm convincing myself that every labour is different & hoping for a smooth and easy labour 🤞🤞🤞

My 1st and 2nd were quite different -

1st Labour was 33 hours in total, waters broke straight away, morphine, gas&air, eventually got to 10cm, 2 hours of pushing and nada so forceps & episiotomy delivery.

2nd Labour was 16 hours in total, started with contractions and had to have waters broken at 7cm dilated, gas&air only, 30 mins of pushing and done.

I think it's unpredictable with each pregnancy what will happen!

Mine were much the same, no problems.

I know plenty of people whose subsequent births were quite different, some easier, some more difficult.

Very similar. About 12 hrs of labour before going into hospital, then many hours of slow progression, in a lot of pain, finally epidural. Got them both out without instruments though.

The main difference was that wirh DC1 I gave birth within 30 min of receiving the epidural (just couldn't get her out because I was too tired and in too much pain) while with DC2 I got it while still only being 4cm dilated and had it in all night (after sobbing and begging for the pain to stop when told I was nowhere near being fully dilated).

I'm clearly not very good at getting the little buggers out.

Nope, couldn't have been more different here.
1st birth: induced, epidural, drip to increase contractions, lasted 23 hours, waters broke about 15 hours in, 2 hours of pushing.
2nd birth: spontaneous waters breaking, contractions started about half an hour later, got to hospital about an hour later, no pain relief (didn't really need it), baby born an hour later after 4 mins of pushing. Official labour time for 2nd baby was less than the pushing stage with 1st baby 😆 It sounds great, but actually I found the second one a bit too fast and was in shock (mentally) afterwards as nobody prepared me during labour for the fact that it could be happening fast 🤷‍♀️

First started with very milks contractions at about 3am. Gradually built up over the morning. Went to hospital about 10am. Had waters broken about 3 pm. Had episiotomy and they arrived at 5.40 pm.

Second was much quicker. Contractions started like a sledgehammer at 11pm. Eased off enough to get me to hospital and she arrived in her waters at 3.45 am.

The only real similarity was that I had MW led births and my waters didn't pop naturally.

Mine have all been different! First- spontaneous contractions but waters didn’t go until broken for me hours later. Longish but not too bad for a first baby. Second- waters went but no contractions & then was induced via drip so contractions ramped up very quickly & were very intense but my easiest birth by far & had no other pain relief than tens machine. Third I was induced (pessary) at due date. Back to back so more painful and a bit longer than 2nd. Also had waters broken that time.

All vaginal births but I wouldn’t say any of the labours were the same. Pushing was the same with all three I guess.

My four have all been pretty much the same, just quicker each time. Only my first did my membranes rupture before delivery though. I wouldn’t know what to do with myself if it happened with this one!

Mine were completely different.

My two were very similar. Short, straightforward and not too bad as labours go.

Nearly identical.

All mine were fast, rather intense experiences.

The third baby I had at home, in the birth pool. With the first two there wasn't time to get me in the pool by the time I got to the hospital. I was pretty disappointed with my home birth because it hurt pretty much the same as the first two. It was very nice to be home right away, though. I'd choose home birth again (not sure about DH, he was on clean up duty)

The first baby was a week late, the second two weeks early, and the third bang on time. That was the only difference.

Couldn’t have been more different!

DS - waters went at 41+5 with no contractions, induced by the drip as he was in destress. Born around 12 hours later, only pushing for 8 mins, tear & stitches. Weighed 8lb 1oz. Was home about 12 hours later going via Asda on the way home.

DD - born at 36+2 by emergency C-Section, I was in ICU with pre-eclampsia. Weighed 4lb 1oz. Went to ICU for a few days and was in hospital for about a week after.

Glad I went with an elective CS

I couldn’t have faced another 55 hours of labour

First labour was straight forward water birth, quick pushing stage. Great experience.

Second labour was a very long process and I was overdue too. Once admitted to MLU I was in the pool amd things were going well but once my waters broke there was maconium and went straight to the CLU. Ended up with epidural and monitoring. Doctors said I had to push then and it was thankfully straightforward. My labour with second was much longer than my first!

All three totally different. First was long, epidural but positive. Second was straightforward baby born while we were in an ante natal room but no drama, no stress. I was expecting a straightforward and quick third birth but DS2 had other plans. It was also long and epidural but no complications.

My 3 were pretty much the same. Too quick for an epidural, all contractions felt at the bottom of my back, waters didn't break until baby was about to be born, didn't push for more than 20 minutes with any of them. Needed stitches every time.

All three of mine were very similar, just got shorter and easier each time.

Mine have a similar pattern to them but not quite the same. I found this quite useful when trying to get prepared for DC3.

4 births, 4 inductions so on paper all the same. In reality completely different each time from 1 hour to 60+. Got to say my second one was my favourite, shortest and most relaxed labour.

Second was harder work but a better "experience" for me... but its all relative.

First... mild contractions, but regular. Continued up until waters went at 9cm. Still able to talk, walk around, no pain relief. Midwives thought birth wasn't imminent due to this, so I was left to get some rest. Baby was born a few minutes later in one go with no medical assistance or anyone else around.

Second birth... home birth. Midwives prepared for fast and no outward labour signs. Progressed some way (i could feel contractions, but they weren't painful). Delivery took two pushes, and baby delivered in a controlled manner.

Overall length of time similar.

They've all been different.
1st full induction due to high bp, epidural, fetal distress, vontouse delivery 3 days total, 7hr 38mjns after waters.
2nd slow labour of 6 days, meconium 8n waters, huge baby (10lb 12oz) unassisted vb with just G&A 2hr 19mins after waters with 14 mins pushing.
3rd 2 days labour, 11 mins after waters just a few pushes, back to back with big head so tore badly, unassisted delivery G&A until pushing stage.
4th breech & transverse twins so elcs at 38wk.
5th booked for an elcs in 3 weeks as she's measuring as big as our 2nd and I don't want to go through early induction again. If she decides to come earlier I will try for vbac though.

All very different for me - 1st my waters broke at 39+2 and I went into strong labour very quickly but for 10 hours, 2nd elcs for breech baby, 3rd induced at 40+10 and had quite gentle labour for 8 hrs then a quick final bit.

My three were similar just quicker each time. With all 3 I woke with contractions in the early hours, but the pain and the length of labour reduced with each pregnancy.

I think it's probably 6 and two 3's... Same as when people ask if old wives tales were correct or not for the baby's sex. You will either have had similar births or different births and it's probably 50:50 when you think about it.

My births were very different, but both fairly difficult/complicated in their own way.

DS1 - 40+1. Went for growth scan on due date - "he's a bit small" . Blood pressure had been through the roof on and off for weeks, always normalised when I went to get checked. This time, of course, it was high. Pre-eclampsia. Induction overnight, 12 hours labour next day ending in episiotomy and narrowly avoiding forceps. 8lb baby.

DS2 - 39+4 - worried my waters might've been leaking. Popped in for an assessment just to be sure. Struggled to find heart temporarily as baby was actually fully transverse and "big". I'd been very uncomfortable and had thought he might be been sideways for a while, but midwives always said head down (although not very confidently...) Thank god I trusted my gut though. 5-6 hours of waiting, prodding and poking by 3 doctor's, advised "emergency" c-section was best option. Started to prep and was waiting my turn in the queue when my waters suddenly broke. 8+ midwives rushed in, one physically leapt on the bed and held the cord inside me to prevent a cord prolapse as we were rushed to theatre. Baby born c.20 mins later as a "real" emergency c-section. 9lb 10oz

So interesting reading all these!

Hopefully not too long before I can tell you all whether mine were similar or not