Anyone with a short labour on their first child? If you had another child what was the labour like?

[suiledonn]

Not due til November but just wondering about this. I had my dd 3 days before her due date. When midwife first examined me she told me I was barely 2cm dilated and to expect a long wait. DD was born 2 hours later with less than a half hour pushing. I had no drugs that could have moved things on so quickly. The midwife didn't even believe me when I said I had a strong urge to push and only examined me when I persisted. I wonder if anyone had a similar experience first time round and what was subsequent labour like.

Congratulations renaissancewoman! Hope you have this birth at the speed YOU want!

ChasingSquirrels, I just looked at your pics. You actually look like maybe you just wandered in and held someone elses baby for a photo! Wow. I looked like utter death in my pics, black circles under my eyes, sweaty hair stuck to me, washed out- the flattering lighting in the delivery room made me look like a white flabby boiled cabbage next to my tiny tanned (jaundiced) newborn!

And ok so you ladies who had the very very short births weren't consciously brave, but it's still an amazing thing to go through! I'd hate it as it would scupper my plans for an early epidural (early as in I don't want to feel ANYTHING!)

I tore like a bastard both times. But then, I just went with it and had no management with DS2 as midwives were still on way. Luckily lovely doula kept me calm.

It was ace. I just danced like a wildebeest and out he came.

With both I was having mild to moderate contractions for about 12 hours before estblished labour.

After that DC1 was about 6 hrs, DC2 was 2-3 hours.

Found DC2s a lot more painful though because I dilated so quickly at the end. Didn't tear with either though, and recovery much quicker for DC2. Didn't feel battered and bruised at all (well, maybe a bit for a day or so!).

forgot to say their weights

dd1 (39 weeks) 6lb 6oz
dd2 (37 weeks) 6lb 10 oz
ds1 (38 weeks) 8lb
ds2 (36 weeks) 6lb 4 oz