Second labour - your experience

[supergolden88]

Labour with my first one lasted about 12 hours from established contractions to baby. Talking about normal labour with no complications or epidural/interventions.

I have been told that second time around it tends to be faster - is that your experience?

[The Nappy Lady]

- Yes....and for most people I know.

For me established labour times were;

No 1 - 5 hours 20 minutes

No 2 - 1 hour 30 minutes

Also 2nd time around was much less 'intense' over all, and the pushing bit was very quick - I'm told this was because she was so low - when I had a sweep the day before she came the midwife said she actually touched her hair (bit of a freaky thought, but all good I guess).

Good luck!

Molly

x

[supergolden88]

Are you saying that from first contraction to baby it took and hour and a half??!!

[prdarling]

True for me

Baby 1 12h from first twinge to delivery - 6h from when i needed G&A (1h pushing)

Baby 2 6.5h from first twinge to delivery - 3.5h from needing G&A (12 minutes pushing)

Still hurt like hell though :)

[supergolden88]

12 minutes pushing - I like the sound of that. I think I had 2h the first time!

Just hoping baby wont be breech. He was at 23 wk scan but I suppose that there is still time to turn

[Fuschia]

1st baby 3 3/4h

2nd baby from first cx to birth approx 2h

[tor]

1st baby - 3 days...yes, seriously...three days of contractions every 8-10 minutes, got to 3 cm

2nd baby - 14 hours of contractions every two minutes, got to 4cm

both ended in emergency c-sections - i don't 'do' birth well but even so the second time was quicker!

[Moi23]

I was 3 days with my first too. It was awful. Second time was less than 6 hours from the first niggles to the birth! I felt like superwoman after that...

[sillywoman]

1st baby, from established labour (4cms dilation) 14hours; 2hrs pushing

2nd baby, as above 6.5hrs; 1hr pushing

3rd baby, as above 5.5hrs; 3 pushes

4th baby, as above 15.5hrs (:-S don't ask); 1 push

but all bar the first preceded by about 12 hours (36hrs for 1st) of contractions before getting to 4cms.

Bummer.

[Vickster]

As a back up question, does anyone think the quickness second time around decreases the longer you leave between pregnancies? All my friends with 2 year gaps had a much better time second time around. My gap will be nearly three years adn I was wondering if this makes a difference?

Sorry if this is a stupid question, but it was something I had been wondering about!

[Moi23]

Not in my case, it's been over 3 years for me too.

[charlottep]

First labour 20.5 hours of established labour (from 4cms) following an induction.

Second labour 1 hour 17 mins in established labour. One minute I was told I was 7cms dialated and two contractions later my daughter was born - no pushing at all. My labour notes say 'S is born in one huge contraction'! The midwives were on the other side of the room writing up my notes while my daughter was floating around the birthing pool.

[Fuschia]

Hmm, if we count it from being at 4cm, T was probably born in about an hour!

There was a 5 year gap between my 1st and 2nd/3rd... but labour was very fast both times.

[Pickle]

I had inductions both times (3 weeks early), the first of which took ages to do anything - but with child 1 from waters breaking and contractions starting soon after to birth was 7 hours, but from 4cm to fully dilated only took 40 mins! The pushing phase took about 10 mins.

2nd child waters broke at 11pm and she was born at 2.30am, very quick as I had no contractions at all until after my waters broke, and once again the final phase of labour was super fast. I only pushed for 5 minutes, she was keen to meet me obviously :)

[Sanne Panne]

True for me too (both straightforward home births):

First baby: 2 hours from established labour (regular painful contractions) to birth. Of these 2 hours, 45 minutes were spent pushing (deliberately slowly). There were 3 hours from the first painful (but irregular, spaced out) contractions to birth. My waters broke 12 hours before the birth. This was the first sign that labour was coming (no prior contractions).

Second baby: 1 hour from established labour to birth (first painful contraction was also start of established labour with this birth). Of this 1 hour, 4 minutes were spent pushing (holy crap it went FAST!). My waters broke 3 hours before the birth. This was the first sign that labour was coming (no prior contractions).

Edited to add that my kids are 23 months apart so it may have something to do with the closeness in age.

[Fuschia]

Sanne Panne Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

>

> Second baby: 1 hour from established labour to

> birth

Congratulations! x

[The Nappy Lady]

With mine, I can't really say how many cm's I was dilated, but was told to count 'established labour' as from when the midwife arrived at the house (both home births).

So, with DD1 from first contraction to her birth was about 12 hours, first pains at 6pm, by midnight it was getting so I had to breath through contractions and midwife arrived at 1am. Baby arrived at just after 6am after an hour of pushing.

With DD2 I had had 'rumblings' for about a week, and when I had the sweep the day before the midwife said I was already 2-3cms dilated. Very mild contractions the next morning, so I spent 3 hours out walking with my sister to make sure things kept going. At 4.30pm I thought I was taking my eldest to ballet class still, but when I walked up the road I had to lean on a car during one contraction so I decided it maybe wasn't wise (errr yeah!!!), so a friend took her instead. Midwife called in at 5pm ish and checked me and I was still 2-3cms but cervix very think and soft so she said when labour kicked in properly it would be quick...but that they needed to get regular and stronger - it could be that evening or the next day so she left at 6pm.

DD1 went off to neighbours for a sleep over, and by 7pm we had the midwife back with me because labour had properly kicked in - the speed that all happened was amazing. At 7.45pm I got in the pool and DD2 was born at 8.37pm after just 3 pushes. I was truly amazed by the speed of her arrival, really didn't think it was the baby coming until the midwife said 'yep, that's her head'. I know I'm really lucky, always feel like I should apologise for my amazing births.

Re gap between births, I don't think this makes much difference, I think health and general fitness are big issues, and they always said to me that because my first birth was fast and easy that it was likely future births would be even more so, so I was prepared to a certain extent, but what was great was not having to push for so long - that was the bit I was least looking forward to as I knew how tiring it got even doing it for just an hour first time around. Getting her out in just 3 short pushes was flipping brilliant (and midwife says transition lated approximately 3 seconds!!).

Re delivering the placenta, I didn't really find this an issue, other than that you can't do much until it's out. But 2nd time around I was very comfortable in the pool (which was still amazingly clean), so baby and I stayed in, she breast fed, and we waited for the cord to stop pulsing (8.57pm). Then they cut it, and the placenta came at 21.12. Also, if you are not squeamish it is amazing to actually see the placenta - the midwives talked me through the workings of it, and I have to say it was so interesting - it is the only organ you grow and then discard in your lifetime after all!

This is what I mean about me feeling I should have been a midwife, I am so totally captivated by the process, and how clever our bodies are in a zillion ways.

Molly

[Moi23]

I remember being fascinated by my first baby's placenta because it had a knot in it. Very unusual apparently and lucky (particularly as it might have caused problems!)

[minder]

My 2nd and 3rd babies were an hour and a half from first contraction to birth - first baby waters broke three in the morning and he was born at 10.03 (seven hours later).

[katgod]

Baby 1 about 10 hours from first niggle to birth, baby 2 was 3 hours from first niggle to birth (waited for husband to come home, sorted out childcare for baby1 and arrived at King's already 10cm dilated), baby 3 was 1 hour 50 minutes start to end, but had my waters broken by the midwife, so all very quick after that. They have been quicker each time and also heavier, so am stopping at 3 coz have a mental block on bigger than 10lbs.......

[littleEDfamily]

Yep - I reckon chop it in half for the second one. The analogy of which I have grown fond is that the first is like a marathon, and the second like a 10k run. Both painful (second maybe even more so?), but at least over quicker. First was born in the water, second on 'land', so I think maybe the water helped the pain, but slowed things down a bit.

I'm amazed at the speed of some of you ladies' births! Wow!

Nappy Lady - mad how non-grossed out you are by birth! Expelling an organ (ie the placenta) is one of the foulest things ever!! I was quite stunned by the mess after the birth (seems worse if it's in your own home?) - the fact the waters only broke a few minutes before she came out didn't help matters. Uggh. Our bodies may be amazing, but their aint no getting past the gore of the whole process.

[ryedalema]

Umm conversely:

5 hours from first twinge to labour with first - about 5 mins of actual pushing (3 or 4 pushes I think)

9 hours with second - but one jet propelled push at the end was all that was required (and a baseball mitt).

I was expecting it to be really quick with second so mistook the signs and started pushing way too early - soon learned though.

Good luck x

[ludoscotts]

oh my god now im really worried! my first E was born in 2.5 hrs from first twinge to birth wasnt even time to get undressed properly when I got to hosp, really worried at how quick this one will come! bound to be when hubby is at work and it takes him an hour to get home!

[fearnpw1]

This is enlightening - I was hoping to have time to call my brother and get him to bring my mum up to look after my daughter while I go in and have number 2. But the drive from their house to mine is 2 hours. So this could offer something of a problem if the labour is likely to be so quick and I don't have a plan B! Oh dear.

[laurac]

Ditto - to get my partner back from work and then out to his parents with my daughter and back is going to take at least a couple of hours. Am due with my second in four days so have been reading this thread with interest. Very heartening that it is likely to be quicker although I am not sure I would like it as quick as some of you ladies! My first labour was probably 6/7 hours of established labour and 1/2 hour of pushing so hoping I will have time to get my head around it all before it's over!