First birth - 5 hours long from water breaking. 4 and a half hours long from first contraction and 3 hours of established labour! Vontesue delivery after baby got stuck and was pushing for an hour. 2nd degree tear and felt awful for AGES after the birth - the recovery was what scared me about having another not birth.

Second Labour - 8 hours from first contraction, 5 hours of established labour. Full dilated for an hour before MW agreed to break my waters - (WTF!) an then pushing for an hour and a half. No tears, felt a million times better than after the last birth, and was out the house the next day!!

just G&A and tens for both deliverys. Second labour was longer, but easier I think.

Second time around I was so scared because I knew what laour felt like lol my first wasn't a bad labour but i wasn't treated well at all by the hospital.
My second birth was great, easy ish lol and only was 4 hours start to finish (firet early labour 12 days thrn induced and was 7 1/2 hours) and I had him at home

Thank you for the experiences, and wowzer on one of your guys experience! One push crowned and a few more pushes out. That's amazing! If only all labors could be like that!

My first was a breeze I suppose; smooth pregnancy, labour, delivery and after. My second was a stress from start to finish. I had a hard pregnancy in terms of having aches and pains all the time, uterine complications, a hospital stay at 31w and strep B.

I then had 3 days of contractions 5 mins apart but doing nothing. The MWs told me I had to be in hospital at 4cm so that I could have the IV meds for the strep B, and because I was contracting so much, so continuously I just got stressed out trying to figure out whether I was ontracting or not. My waters broke and that's the only reason I was finally admitted. because they had to administer the IV meds they were constantly doing internals, so the labour seemed to take forever. she was born 8 hours after the waters broke. In regards to the pain ad the pushing, it was the same as my first labour. I was however in tears between contractions though because i my mind I remembered how bad the pain got and was psyching myself out.

One thing I have to say is that psyching myself out was the WORST thing I could have done. Your labour may be straightforward, so you may have nothing to worry about. Even if it's not, you can only get through it; crying doesn't help you cope with the pain during labour; it actually made mine worse because I was feeling sorry for myself and letting it get the better of me. During the labour itself you have to snap out of it and have your OH and MWs help you focus. I was on a roll once I stopped crying and I felt so much more confident.

oh Gosh Lara, that sounds horrible! 3 days 5 minutes apart... I don't think I could have done it. Contractions are the worst... glad you held strong. I prob would have passed out... Or wish I would lol..

I was also on only gas, so it takes a lot out of you. If you're losing your coccentration on top of that, you feel the pain so much more, and then it snowballs. If you're concenred about psyching yourself out during the labour itself, I strongly advise you to speak to your OH about it beforehand and tell him you may need coaching through it. I did, and it was a real help to have them spur me on when I was about to crumble. You only have a couple of minutes between contractions to rest, so if you're crying during that time you basically make things worse for yourself

Easier, much much much easier! A pleasure in fact lol xx

My second delivery was WAY quicker and easier. I had obstetric cholestasis in both pregnancies and was induced both times. With Daisy I was in hopsital in slow labour for 4 days after being induced, then the 'proper' labour was 17 hours long, baby in distress, strapped to monitor, on the verge of having to have an EMCS then finally had a traumatic forceps birth with episotomy and loads of internal tearing and Daisy came out with the cord around her neck not breathing. The room was full of doctors and midwives. I had so many stitches I could barely sit down.

Second labour. They broke my waters then 7 hours of pretty easy labour and only one midwife there and Tommy was born easily after a few pushes. I had a little tear but didn't need stitches. I was allowed to go home 6 hours later. Sooooo much easier.

My body didn't recover as easily second time round though. I got a prolapse and it took longer for my tummy to shrink back.

im in the same boat hun.
They say 2nd labours are quicker.
My first labour was 3 hours so im a little nervous about actually getting to hospital in time this time if 2nd baby comes quicker!!

Apart from being ridiculasly fast, my labour with Willow was brilliant.
I hope il be so lucky again this time!!!!!

xx

Hi.. i had my babies 17months apart... 1st labour from 1st contraction to delivery was 16hrs i pushed for 4hrs!!! 2nd labour was 12hrs and pushed for 5mins lol! İ was panickin while in labour witg mt 2nd bcos i knew what was coming! Lol.. She was back to back so contractions were much more intense But can honestly say overall the 2nd labour was better/easier
* İ didnt have pain relief in either labour bcos i didnt go to hosp until i was 7cm :s
p.s dnt panic about not feeling ready- by the time u r full term you'll be more than ready Goodluck
xx