What was your birth like second time?

[babyboybluex]

How did your first birth go and how did it compare with your second?

Second baby for us and it's bringing all the labour vibes back

DS1 10 hour labour but no stitches, just gas and air, baby born 8lb 12oz, 8 days over due 🤐

DS2 4hours 30min labour!! But had a 2nd degree tear, but I did heal very quickly, same amount of pushing as the first, born 8lb 13oz, but only 1 day overdue, yet 😁

I did find the my DS2 labour easier as in more relaxed as I knew what to expect, and I'd take stitches and alot quicker labour anyday! As I found no stitches vs stitches both the same wise as for recovery, pain, speed etc

Quick! First one was a marathon 24 hours of established labour plus about 24 hours of aching before that. Second was maybe an hour. I woke up to a normal day at 7-8, had breakfast, shower etc as normal and by lunch the baby was there.

Much less stressful. First time I hadn't slept and got utterly exhausted. Took diamorphine, ventouse delivery, episiotomy.
Felt awful after. Combo of a very uncaring midwife on postnatal ward, feeding worry.

2nd time:
Got a night's sleep even though I felt my contractions starting.
Stayed at home till I felt like going in.
Able to cope with pain through hypnobirthing and gas+air
Did most of it standing as that was much more comfortable and was more confident to saying no to lying down.
Felt much better after delivery and was up pottering about the post natal ward the next day.

Fast!

First child - labour for 3 days
Second - waters breaking to birth was 7 hours (so 2 hours or actual labour)

First was 31hrs, lots of interventions, finally had an emcs.

Second was 38hrs, fewer interventions before moving to emcs.

First birth was fine but very intense and a bit of a rollercoaster. 5.5 hours from first contraction to birth, but born just 20 mins after arriving at hospital. Water birth but a few complications afterwards. Found it quite overwhelming.

Second birth did LOTS of prep. Hypnobirthing and this book was invaluable: Juju Sundin's Birth Skills: Proven Pain-Management Techniques for Your Labour and Birth amazon.co.uk/dp/1741750970/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_fabc_SR8YFX8KDX1N8S7V8092]]

So the birth was another 5.5 hours from first twinge to birth but so different. I was on a total high. I had a home birth and the endorphins were off the charts - I danced and sang and actively ENJOYED labour which I know sounds totally bonkers but it is true. The last bit was still a bit eye watering but it was ok and it was a water birth in my living room. Still needed a couple of stitches but recovery was much easier.

DC 3 was different yet again but my second birth was definitely my favourite!

First labour - 39 weeks, great labour, woke at 2.30am with pain but it was okay so I took paracetamol and went back to sleep, about 11am after a couple of baths and struggling a bit I decided it was time to go to the hospital, got there and used the gas and air, baby born at 2.40pm, a big tear down the middle of my clitoris but otherwise okay. Stayed on all fours because it seemed to make the pains ease a little.
Second labour - induced at 37+5(or started), very long but not too painful until the day I turned 38 weeks then they broke my waters at 8pm at night to get things moving faster, I was still okay for about 3 hours, then it started to get very painful very quick, midwife checked me at 11.30pm(I have a photo of all the times written on the whiteboard 😅), I was 3cm, I said I felt like I needed to push and she said that I wasn't far enough along and I wasn't coping, she went to get pethidine for me to help me cope better, but she said it might be a while because it was at the back of a store cupboard, I went to the toilet as I was told I was 3cm thinking I needed to poo, my son's head come between my legs, he was fully delivered hovering over a toilet at 11.47pm. 17 minutes of active labour 😅 midwife was slightly bewildered when she came back in! Both great labours and if pregnancy was so awful I would do it again!

Dreamy!!
1st I needed to hormonal drip and forceps after a long 27 hours

2nd I was induced with the pessary at 7am. Established contractions began at 1, I pushed for 15 mins and had my son

I remember feeling similar. You know what to expect and it's daunting

Let your body do the work. Good luck!