# Is the second labour more painful?



## emyandpotato

Just wondering because I know they're often faster, so does that make them worse? And if second stage is faster is it more likely to cause tearing? Sorry, just curious!


----------



## horseybird

Hi I'm not sure if it was different for me as I was induced ( they broke my waters) 

But my labour with my second was 4 hours and the contractions were the same pain wise as my first ( spontaneous labour) I had a episistomy which I also had with my first.

If anything it dealt with the contractions better this time round as I understood the process more, where as first time I panicked a bit x 

Best of luck, ignore horror stories and stay positive xxx


----------



## nicki01

I didn't find it more painfull I thought I was managing really well as I new what to expect, then they broke my water....... I said 'oh shit, now I remember how painfull this is' lol. So when the contractions really hit you think oh god I'm doing this again and it hurts! But I managed better as nothing was a shock.


----------



## Srrme

I didn't find it anymore painful. My labors have all been around 3-4 hours long. I did tear during my 3rd labor, but it was because they made me push him out so fast and didn't give it time to stretch!


----------



## likklelis86

mine was more painful, but it was because he was twice the size to my first LOL my first was only 5 pounds, my second was 9 pounds!! :0


----------



## Eleanor ace

My second was more painful, but it was a longer labour than my first and I tore less, despite pushing for a lot less time (14 minutes, as opposed to 2 hours with my 1st). My second labour started off less painful- I wasn't sure whether I was in labour for a while, whereas with my 1st it was just full on from the start, but the contractions reached a more painful level with my 2nd nd pushing hurt more.


----------



## BunnyN

no personal experience yet but I think you are less likely to tear with a second labour.


----------



## Betheney

I always expected your second labour to have the same number of contractions as your first but jammed into a smaller time frame making it shorter but more full on. But that wasn't the case at all. I had a fraction of the number of contractions that my first labour had to get me to 10cm. It was way way way easier but the contractions were on the same pain level as before however after a days wirth with the first labour they start to wear you down and you start to crack and get hysterical (or i did)

However during my second labour my contractions once I'd hit transition were out of this world nothing like I'd experienced before. All contractions I'd always felt below my bump as my cervix dialated. These contractions i felt from the top of my bump, through my bump, around my lower abdomen, through my rectum and through my thighs and buttocks and stopped at my knees. It was like my body was actually exploding when these contractions happened. My thigh muscles and leg musclea curled into balls as if experiencing a hard core cramp. It FUCKING HURT!!!! For days afterwards these specific muscles were incredibly tender and achy as if i'd run a marathon (or as if they were reduced to horrific cramps during contractions) on the upside though my pushing stage wad 1 minute so these contractions were short lived


----------



## BunnyN

Well I had my second 5 days ago. I'd say it was a lot more painful, especially as labour got more advanced. However I had really soft contractions during my first labour that hurt a lot less than normal I think. It also made labour very slow. My first was 27+hrs active labour, my second was 9hrs. I had a small tear first time and no tear this time, even though baby was almost 11lbs!


----------



## Betheney

BunnyN said:


> Well I had my second 5 days ago. I'd say it was a lot more painful, especially as labour got more advanced. However I had really soft contractions during my first labour that hurt a lot less than normal I think. It also made labour very slow. My first was 27+hrs active labour, my second was 9hrs. I had a small tear first time and no tear this time, even though baby was almost 11lbs!

Bunny N

How big was your first baby? 

I had a 6lber and a 4lber but this one is measuring huge!!!! The only first hand stories i can find are of women who have had 10-11lbers after say 8-9lbers no one who's done it after babies as small as mine.


----------



## BunnyN

Betheney said:


> BunnyN said:
> 
> 
> Well I had my second 5 days ago. I'd say it was a lot more painful, especially as labour got more advanced. However I had really soft contractions during my first labour that hurt a lot less than normal I think. It also made labour very slow. My first was 27+hrs active labour, my second was 9hrs. I had a small tear first time and no tear this time, even though baby was almost 11lbs!
> 
> Bunny N
> 
> How big was your first baby?
> 
> I had a 6lber and a 4lber but this one is measuring huge!!!! The only first hand stories i can find are of women who have had 10-11lbers after say 8-9lbers no one who's done it after babies as small as mine.Click to expand...

Our girl was 9lb 5oz so not small. 

Are you going by fundal height or a growth scan?


----------



## Betheney

Bunny N

Both, my fundal height is measuring 2 weeks ahead but my growth scan was measuring a good 4 weeks ahead.

My fundal height in my previous pregnancies was always spot on.


----------



## BunnyN

My fundal height was measuring 5 weeks ahead, lol. I decided not to do a growth scan as we figured baby was big and I thought it was only going to worry us more. I'm glad we didn't do the scan because I was expecting a 10lb baby, not a 11lb baby so would have been stressed out! and as it was labour and delivery went pretty smoothly. The only hickup was that the first 1/2hr of pushing not a lot seemed to be happening so I changed position a couple of times and then he came quite quickly. I didn't even tear. At 26 weeks when I had my last scan he was measuring close to average so he must have shot up at the end.


----------



## Betheney

I had a growth scan because of my preeclamptic history. They wanted a biophysical profile and to double check the placental function and that baby wasn't suffering from IUGR even though no one expected baby to because I've been PE free this time.

Finding a giant baby in there was a bit of an added shock. Lol

Growth scans i know can be inaccurate but it's usually late term scans that are and every single measurement that was taken all consistently said 4 weeks ahead. So while I'm not putting 100% faith in it. I'm still trying to prepare. Thankfully my doctor is unconcerned so no early induction talk or anything will happen.


----------



## BunnyN

Funnily enough our girl was measuring much bigger than this one at 26 weeks so I guess the rate they grow at in the last weeks must vary a lot.


----------



## Harley Quinn

My second was much more intense, so yes I'd say more painful. Went from 24 hours of labour (2.5 hours of it pushing) with the first to 3 hours of labour (about 5 minutes pushing) with the second! 

I managed with just laughing gas through both of them, but I realllly wanted fentanyl during the second labour because the laughing gas was not quite as effective as the first time around! They couldn't give it to me, though, as I'd already reached 10 cm and was ready to push (THANK YOU, GOD!).

I also has a second degree tear both times. First time was probably because of baby's size (9 lb 4 oz) and second was probably because of the super short pushing stage, as baby was more 'normal' sized (8 lb 4 oz).


----------



## we can't wait

I had pitocin the 2nd time, so it was a little more intense... but I was still able to go med & epi free. I had a better experience my second time to be honest.


----------



## Lauraxamy

I was induced first time around and hated the whole being induced experience so my second labour seemed so much better and easier even though he was a much bigger baby. I think it's possibly only because I was so much more relaxed second time around, I got to go to the Midwife Led centre which I desperately wanted to with my first because they're all so lovely and I also didn't get there until I was 6/7cm because I managed at home before then which was nice, and it went quite quickly from then


----------



## kajastarlight

Yes it sure was. Durring labor and also for the days after. They gave me a strong epidurral though because they thought I would have to do a csection (I didn't) and THAT was marvalous! LOL I didn't even feel one contraction after they got it to work properly. The only reason I even knew when to push was because I put my hand on my stomach to feel the contraction and pushed with that. I had him out in 3 pushes! (as apposed to the 45 min of pushing with DS1)


----------



## stephaniexx

My first labour was awful and lasted 18 hours, she was 6lb 14oz. My second labour was induced by breaking my waters and she was here 7 hours later at 7lb 3oz, quite an easier labour than my first. My third was an absolute doddle and she was born just under an hour and a half after getting into the birthing pool. She was 8lb 7oz. Hoping when we have number 4 they are just as easy, my last birth was wonderful.


ETA: I had three stitches with DD1 and none with the others, just grazes. Very easy recovery 2nd and 3rd time.


----------



## krystalemery

My son was born 8lb 3oz, ventouse delivery, only used gas and air from 8 cm onwards, had to be cut with him and had stitches inside and out. He was 2hr 50mins from first contraction to delivering him. 
My daughter was born 9lb 8oz, no assisted delivery, all natural, gas and air again from 8 cm onwards, no cut or tear. She was 2hr 23mins from first contraction to delivering her.
I would say from my experience that baby number 1 was worse simply because of the cut, ventouse, stitches etc. However, there is 1lb 5oz difference between the 2 of them, she was significantly bigger, so for that reason I would say number 2 was worse because the weight of her considering I barely used any pain relief and no tear or anything was just shocking! They were both painful in different ways, so now I am wondering what baby number 3 will be like!x


----------



## Geo2

Absolutely not. My first labour was excruciating back labour in early labour when she turned and I started to push it was all fine, this time I wouldnt even describe it as painful, very intense yet not pain exactly, perhaps beyond pain!


----------



## Geo2

I think it depends on various factors, the position of the baby, your mental attitude towards the feelings of the contractions, whether or not your given syntocinon, ive also heard that smaller babies are more difficult to birth, bigger babies push themselves out! Thats certainly true for myself as last baby was 1 pound and a 1/2 heavier than first.


----------



## gidge

Contractions were more painful second time round, but I did go from 2cm to being born in 2 hours so they were very intense. But coming out hurt way less and he came out fast in 2 pushes. No stitches or grazes. 1st baby 6lb 6oz 2nd baby 6lb 1oz


----------



## Dolly84

I went from 3cm - ds being born within 3 hours with my first, I'm hoping for a similar experience this time &#128522;


----------



## ishvisahaani

May be I experience this in next year. Planning to conceive:haha:.


----------



## auntsas

Sure hope not...I had a 20 hour pitocin labor delivery. I was able to do it all natural only oxygen at the very end..I would say that was the most pain I could take though....hopefully 2nd time will be easier


----------



## NotNic

Not really, no. First was back to back and he got stuck. I lasted about 5 hours at home before I needed to go in to the hospital as the pain was getting too tough.

Second labour started more gently for me, with pains peaking and was much more manageable. I ended up going to hospital purely because my contractions were every 2-3min. I did tell the mw that the gas and air wasn't working and it was much more painful second time, but unbeknownst to me I was already in transition at that point and needed to push 15mins after getting into the pool. In hindsight it was far easier. I did tear along my episiotomy scar grr(!) but recovery was brilliant in comparison to first labour. Second baby was half a pound lighter and I think I tore because I was pushing against the water sac - he was very nearly born in his waters.


----------



## Feronia

No more painful, both were pretty manageable even though my first was 56 hours and my second was 2.5 hours. (Both home water births!) I really enjoyed both of them! I didn't tear either time despite the difference in time. :)


----------

