Contractions subsequent pregnancies

[Wish85]

Just to pass the time I thought it might be interesting to hear from any second time mums or beyond whether contractions felt the same as they did during your first labour? Were they weaker, stronger, a different sensation, quicker, slower, in a different location ie back vs front? Anything you want to share, don't hold back!

Also feel free to share the differences in how your labours started, at what gestation etc!

xxx

 

[sil]

Mine were incredibly different! DS1 I had intense back labor. The contractions were primarily in my back and extremely painful. They were a bit slow, and it took about 20 hours to have him.

DS2 was regular/front labor. With him my contractions were much faster (I had him actually within 20 min of arriving at the hospital), but also much less painful. I found front labor to be much more manageable than back.

I had DS1 at 38+5 and DS2 at 38+2, and they both started the same way (just random contractions). With both boys my water didn't break until it was time to push. DS2 was much more quick and intense and DS1 was much slower and more exhausting.

 

[x Zaly x]

With both DDs I'm pretty sure I started contracting in my sleep and woke in the morning to what i thought to be intense period like pains that id been having days before anyway. I then went for a very intense BM (tmi) (was told not to hold back) and both times after the BM the cramps got a lot more intense to the point I knew they were contractions.

The difference between the two was with DD1 it was all in the front mostly and was easier to manage, it came on thick and fast and by the time i went to hospital which was only like an hour later i was already dilated to 7! With DD2 my pains were felt in my back and it was just awful, when i got to hospital i was expecting to be dilated again a fair amount and was shocked to find i wasn't even a fingertip! Despite this the pain was unbearable! It was definitely worse the second time round for me.. I felt out of control the last time and took all the drugs available haha, I'm really nervous i will feel that way again with this one but I'm trying to tay positive. My waters got broken for me first time around and went themselves second time right before she was born.

DD1 came 39+6 with absolutely no help and DD2 40+3 with the help of a sweep i got the day before x

 

[xdxxtx]

My first was the most different than the others because my baby was so tangled up in the cord and during the pushing stage, the cord would drag him back into my body with every contraction. Long story short, and without making it sound any scarier, it was long, and we had to get me to do some HUGE pushes to just get him out already. He was born at 38+3 (my earliest), 7lb13oz and induced with Pitocin after PROM and was sunny side up, eyes wide open, looking around at everyone as he came out. Haha... Since he was positioned so badly and so tangled up, the contractions were really strange compared to the others. I never felt the urge to push, and I was able to sleep through contractions and even between pushes. Even though it was my longest and most stressful, it was the least painful.

With my second (39w6d, 7lb14oz, natural labor lasted 18 hours), third (40w, 7lb11oz, induced labor with gel + Pitocin lasted 9 hours) and fourth (40w2d, 9lb2oz, induction with Pitocin after PROM lasted 22 hours) labors, the contractions felt "normal". They were all similar. I didn't have epidurals with any of them. They were all much more painful than my first, but I'd found SpinningBabies by then and was able to get them into the correct position, so I didn't push more than three times with any of them. My third labor was the BEST, though. I'd take that labor and delivery again any day!

 

[Wish85]

Thank you girls for your responses, it's so varied. One of the things I love about pregnancy and labour - no two are the same even person to person.

My first started with bloody show, then 48hrs of contractions before he finally arrived. I had an epidural about 7hrs before he was born as I hadn't slept the whole time and physically wouldn't have been able to push when it got to that stage if I didn't have a rest.

Now I'm 5 weeks off my second labour and all I can think about is whether they will be similar or completely different. I know both the pregnancies have been chalk and cheese so I wonder if the same will hold true for my labours? A little earlier would be nice this time as I went 5 days over with DS1.

 

[lanet]

My first 2 were similar, I delivered before 37 weeks due to my water spontaneously breaking. My dr said since it was a pattern I should expect the same this time. Here i am 39 weeks and no baby yet!! This one has been totally different.

 

[Wish85]

GL Lanet, I hope it happens soon for you!