For those with more than one child, were your labours similar?

[laughingduck]

With my first baby I started losing my plug almost 3 weeks before giving birth. I had loads of braxton hicks too. My early labour (bh every 10 minutes) lasted days and the finally I went into real labour which lasted 16 hours. I am less than a week from my due date and have hardly any symptoms other than some occasional crampiness and a few bh. Im wondering if I am going to go way overdo this time, or is it more likley my early labour stuff will just not be as lengthy? What was everyone elses experience?

 

[babyjan]

Nope completely different labours

First baby I was losing huge globs of mucus plug 39+1 day and felt very crampy that evening my waters broke and I went into hospital straight away as I was gbs positive. My labour failed to progress do was induced with drip the following day. Contractions were really painful so was advised to take epidural which I did. Was in labour for 16 hours and had my baby boy 39+3 days after 2 hours of pushing and episiotomy

Second labour, I didn't lose any mucus plug throughout my pregnancy except 39+5 days I was losing the tiniest amount and just felt off that day. I was having huge pressure down below especially my on my rectum. Went to bed and woke around midnight for wee but felt even more pressure and pain. Woke again 3am to wetness (39+6) and thought my waters broke but I was actually bleeding! OH and I jumped out of bed and went to the hospital. I was 3cm and having painful contractions. 8am I was 5cm so was taken down to labour ward. Was wheeled into natural birth centre whilst using the gas and air, the pain was unbearable but I stuck it out with gas and air, midwife broke my waters around 11am and was having strong urges to push. I gave birth after only 5 hours of active labour (although I was in pain for 10 hours +)Pushing was tough again and baby was stuck and in distress so ended up with another episiotomy.

So much shorter labour and was a day before due date although going by my first private scan he was born on his due date. My first was 4 days early x

Btw Congratulations your so close to meeting your rainbow I remember seeing you around on first tri

 

[hmaz]

Mine were very different. I had a very painful 44 hr labour worth my son, I couldn't keep any food down I was being sick within minutes of eating so was exhausted by the end. Things slowed down Once i go to 6 cm but started moving again once the doctors broke my waters. I struggled with the pushing stage after having a rather dramatic reaction to pethidine abs needed an episiotomy.

With my daughter I had quite painful bh for a week or two before hand. My labour from start to finish (from waking with painful contractions) was 15 hours. I had a sweep at 3 cm to try to speed things up and it really did. I only had gas and air and gave birth in the birthing pool. It was a very relaxed calm birth, so different to my son's.

 

[Rhio92]

Mine were so different.

With my first, I laboured slowly for 36 hours, established labour went quite quickly though. The pain wasn't too bad and I did it on gas and air. When it came to pushing I never got the urge to push, which was quite stressful and my son was delivered by ventouse.

My second, I woke up at 8am with back ache and she was born at 8pm. The contractions were all in my back and I was in agony, I was begging for pain relief. But when it came to pushing, it was amazing, I did it all myself and it was so empowering, not stressful or scary at all.

 

[catty]

Different.

First was a 12 hour very painful labour with 2nd degree tear and 6 weeks of healing. Son went straight to neonatal although was ok after 24 hours.

2nd was 3 hours, painful but not even close to first and no tears, home the same day.

The lead up to it was kind of the same though, both i went overdue and had a few days beforehand where id thought it was maybe the real thing but contractions always died down.

 

[Midnight_Fairy]

First...2hr 10min....was sick and shaky, no pain relief,baby was back to back, no tears, waters broke by MW

2nd...55mins....baby back to back, waters broke by Mw, no pain relief or tears

3rd...waters broke in pool,not back to back, no tears, gas and air, perfect labour

 

[sns6848]

Totally Different.

First was a c-section because he was breech. Lost my plug in the morning and freaked out because it was my first and I really wasn't awake! Called the doc and he said to go to the hospital and get checked out. Told DH that I would call if necessary. He went on to work - lol. Called him at work and told him to get to the hospital. We waited for the doc to arrive then DS was born. No issues.
Second was a vbac. Was in labor for about 12 hours after my water broke that morning at home. Told the doc that I wanted him born that day - no way I wanted him born after midnight because that would have made his b-day on April Fool's day. Once labor got moving, it went pretty fast. Almost didn't get the epidural because it progressed so fast.
No two babies are the same, no two pregnancies are the same. Good luck!

 

[Jencocoa]

There were definitely similarities with all three yet differences as well. I wanted a water birth with all three but was not able to get one with any due to babies decreasing heart rates. That was the same across the board as well as very intense contractions. I know they see each labor is supposed to be faster but depending on size and position of the baby and probably certain other factors that's not always true. My son was much larger than my daughter who I had first and he was facing upward so he was very hard to deliver and it caused a much longer birth and finally with the vacuum we were able to get him out just moments from having to get a C-section. My third one came very very quickly she was the same size as my second but in the correct position to pop right out which she kind of literally did LOL

 

[tinkerbelle93]

1st baby-Never had any braxton hicks, bloody show in the morning then contractions started that evening, 12 hour labour, waters broke at home, baby got distressed so emergency forceps and episiotomy.

2nd baby- braxton hicks and upset stomach as labour signs, 5 hour labour, waters had to be broken by hospital staff, never lost my plug, pushed him put naturally