Will my body know what to do this time?

[MiniMarmite]

When I had DS my waters broke and I started having contractions but two days and nights later they were not at all established and I ended up being induced with syntocinon. The dose kept having to be upped because my contractions never became established or regular. I ended up having a ventouse delivery.

I'm now expecting DC2 and would love to give birth in a low risk unit in a pool if possible (which is what I had planned for DS) or even consider a home birth (although less likely).

Has anybody else had a similar experience with their first child but gone into spontaneous and effective labour with their second?

At the moment I am aiming for a midwife-lead home from home style setting at a hospital that has a labour ward in the same building so that I can attempt the pool etc and then move if that doesn't happen. At the end of the day I'll probably be pretty happy with that (happy with whatever gets the baby out safely of course) but I want to consider all the options that might be realistic for me.

I'm otherwise considered a very low risk pregnancy btw.

TIA

minim good question, my first birth was similar to yours with a forceps delivery in the operating theatre. people just keep saying to me oh second births are always quicker but 2.5 years on I still feel traumatised by the last one!

I have no advice to offer but your story is the same as mine and I also wonder if my uterus will "work" on it's own this time . Hope your birth goes really well

I'm reading alot atm about the importance of staying off your back and trying different positions to keep labour moving. Also, keeping calm - stress can disrupt the flow of oxytocin (the contraction hormone) and make you tense up all over, meaning it's more likely labour will be long and difficult. And staying hydrated and fed so you don't get too exhausted.

I'm expecting my first, so no personal experience but what I'm reading about the above all seems to make sense. Obviously it won't be true for everyone - sometimes the baby is really stuck! But could any of the above have applied to your first labour?

Oh the other thing I read is that having a full bladder or bowel can slow or even stop labour - some women get catherterised when they can't pee and things are slowing down and then find labour restarts fine.

Thanks for your replies ladies.

Hevster and MadameCheese, I'm kind of glad I'm not the only one but I hope things work out the way we want this time!

Thanks Japhrimel, I was definitely well hydrated (the mw couldn't believe how much water I got through ) and stayed upright as far as the monitoring equiptment would let me right up until the ventouse but it is difficult to say whether I was relaxed or not. I don't remember feeling stressed but I was pretty excited about giving birth and I know the adrenaline can suppress the effect of oxytocin.

Can anyone that has already had their second advise us? Please !

My first delivery was like yours. The second I was in a consultancy unit due to high blood pressure. If I had not been in the hospital I would never have got there in time. A completely different experience. Had lunch conttaction started. Went to deliver room three hours later baby born in 12 mins.