How did 2nd labor compare to first?

[PugMama22]

Was 2nd labor faster? Easier? Did you tear? Just wondering... I had a great first labor but had a 2nd degree tear, wondering how this birth will compare?

 

[Tasha]

Mine was the complete opposite of my first. The first was 27 hours established labour, two hours pushing, hard work in general and then a 12 stitches needed due to my tear. My second was 90 minutes from the first contraction to holding her, so so easy, no cuts or grazes, one push.

Recovery was also a lot easier, after my oldest I felt like I had been run over for about two weeks after but with my second there was just no recovery period at all. I was back to normal in about thirty minutes

 

[donnarobinson]

My 1st was so hard! 13 hours established labour 2 hours pushing , I was cut, hemoraged and recovery was hard!!
My second was so much easier , 6 hours labour pushed for 45 minutes, no cuts or tears, slight graze that didn't sting at all. No hemorage and I also felt back to normal really quick, !

My second was way easier x

 

[Yo_Yo]

First-4 hours start to finish slight tear

Second-40 minutes start to finish no tears. Water births are fab!

 

[Mummy2Corban]

First was a back to back labour, 16 hours from first contraction and 4 hours pushing through him being back to back and my contractions slowing. Tore and was cut.

Second 4 hours from first contraction, 6 minutes pushing and two internal stitches.

Hoping for a home birth this time!

Goodluck x

 

[ttc bubby no2]

First was 4 hours of active labour, 1 hour pushing and 2nd degree tear (Hospital).

Second was 2 hours, just over 20 mins of pushing and no tearing (Home waterbirth).

 

[fides]

2nd labor wasn't much shorter, but it seemed to go more quickly, maybe b/c i knew what was coming?

tore with the 1st, so tried not to push as hard and just had graze with 2nd

better recovery 2nd time (did placenta encapsulation)

 

[Eleanor ace]

I had good labour/births both times but my 2nd was best.
1st: 6 hours. Back to back baby, induced. Laboured upright/leaning until 7cm, then on my back for constant monitoring and labour slowed down. 2 hours pushing, 3rd degree tear, 50+ stitches in theatre.
2nd: Around 9 hours. Back to back baby. Laboured at home kneeling mostly, got to hospital at 8cm. Got in the pool. 14 minutes pushing, mild shoulder dystocia which sorted itself when I stood up to get out of the pool and DD was born. tiny 1st and 2nd degree tears, no stitches .

 

[ClairAye]

First - 38 hours from waters going, 37 hours of contractions, 10 hours established and 1hr 5mins pushing. LO was distressed, waters went with meconium, got an infection due to waters being gone so long, was meant to have an EMCS, got away with forceps and episiotomy. I had an epidural and it was topped up, morpheine twice and 15 hours of gas and air. All in all, it was horrible.

Second - 9 hours total, 8 minutes of pushing and a first degree tear that only needed one stitch. I used a TENS, warm bath, a small amount of gas and air or nothing for pain relief. That was a perfect experience for me

 

[MummyToAmberx]

1st : 27hr. 10-15 min pushing. small tear but only because my lil girl haf her hand on her ear lol.
recovery took weeks

2nd : 6hr20mins. 20mins pushing (found it harder as my waters hadnt gone) no tears. much more intense labour
recovery took days

 

[wishuwerehere]

bot were quick - first 2.5 hours second 1.5 hours, first I had 2nd degree tear and episiotomy, second I had a graze but no tearing. Both were quite similar in terms of progression and how they felt pain wise.

 

[Timewaster]

Wow. everyone's second labor seems to have been shorter than the first. Mine is the opposite.

1st labor - 9 hours total from first contraction - an hour pushing - 2nd degree tear
2nd labor - 24 hours total from first contraction - 2 hours pushing. - 2nd degree tear

 

[noshowjo]

First . 26 hours labour a good couple hours pushing . Episiotomy and over 25 stitches . Weeks to recover my stitches were so tight , and rather of had 10 baby's that day then one day with them stitches .

Sencond baby labour about 1 hour pushing 10 mins if that haha . 2 stitches but so so easy .

Hope this 3rd baby like my last .

 

[susan_1981]

My second time round was a breeze compared to the first time. With my first, I was in labour for about 15 hours, with contractions coming every 1-2 minutes and lasting about 40 seconds for the whole duration, with no pain relief. I had a superficial tear that time, nothing major.

With my second, I started taking raspberry leaf tablets at around 36 weeks (I think or maybe 33?) and I was in labour for 3.5 hours!!! The first hour of that, I just thought I had a stomach ache and then he just popped out. Contractions were every 3 minutes, gradually getting closer together and they were far less painful than when I was in labour with my first. I had a second degree tear with my second though, although I didn't find it too sore afterwards.

 

[Ganton]

1st - 13 hours in labour, with 2 1/2 hours of pushing. I had an episiotomy and lots of stitches, which took weeks to recover from. (9lb1oz baby)

2nd - less than 4 hours from first contraction, with about 1/2 hour pushing, if that. Small tear with a few stitches, but felt fine by the next morning (9lb9oz baby).

Second was a bit more painful for about an hour or so before I started pushing, probably because it progressed so quickly, but I still managed without any pain relief.

 

[dairymomma]

DS-19 hours of established regular labor, 10 minutes of pushing (3 pushes), and 5 or 6 external stitches that the dr said I may not have even needed if DS hadn't been in such a rush to literally pop out. (He came out in one full push. Dr didn't even have time to tell me to stop pushing so she could turn him. He just wriggled his way out and promptly peed down the front of her hospital gown.)

DD-19 hours from first contraction to delivery but labor didn't get very regular until about 14 hours in. 20 minutes of pushing (5-6 pushes) but I started pushing when I was really only a 9 1/2 and a lip of my cervix was caught on DD forehead. I relaxed through a few contractions to let my cervix finish dilating and then she came out on the last push. No tearing with her even though she and DS were virtually the same size.

 

[Jencocoa]

Unfortunately I did not get the experience of my second being easier or faster. My first went great my second was much more difficult, was longer, and I tore. He was facing up though and had hypotonia and could not help to push himself out. He was also 2 pounds and 2 ounces bigger with quite a bigger head then my daughter LOL

 

[george83]

My first was 4 hours of active labour, not sure how long I pushed for but wasn't long. I had an episiotomy and was in agony for days after.

My second baby was 3 and 1/2 hours from first contraction to holding him. With my first I don't know when my waters went - even now looking back I don't know - but this time I felt them go and that helped speed things up. I had a second degree tear and again was in pain for weeks after. I remember crying so many times with the pain of the stitches second time around it was so much more unbearable than actually giving birth

 

[Harley Quinn]

First labour was 24 hours start to finish, 2.5 hours of pushing, 2nd degree tear, and managed well with just laughing gas.

Second was 3 hours start to finish, less than 5 minutes of pushing, still a 2nd degree tear, and was begging for fentanyl as the laughing gas wasn't doing the trick!

I guess I'd say the second labour was easier, but it was also MUCH more intense since it was all condensed down into just three hours. The recovery was a thousand times better; the first time around I was SO sore all over from all the pushing. Like a PP said, I felt like I'd been hit by a truck. It also didn't help that I missed a night of sleep because I was in labour for so long. The second time, he was born in the early evening (and right after I had taken a long nap!) so I didn't miss any sleep. That made recovery much better.

 

[Ashla]

My first labour was 10 hours. It took me 7.5 hours of intense contractions to get to 3cm. Then I went from 3 to 10cm in 2 hours! I pushed for 20 minutes, no tear. Did almost the whole thing on gas&air then had a shot of pethadine 25 minutes before he was born because the stupid midwife wouldn't check me and told me I still had at least 5 hours of labour still to go. Grrr.

Second labour was 3 hours 45 minutes. I was induced as baby was late. It still took me most of that time to get to 3cm. At 12 noon I was 8cm and 15 minutes later I was holding DS2! No pethadine this time, just gas&air.

BUT I had retained placenta straight after the second birth and hemorrhaged as a result. I had to have a spinal block and a manual removal of the placenta. I was so weak from the blood loss that it was two days before I could leave my bed to even have a shower. Not to mention the stress of knowing that I could have died.

So quite frankly, I'd rather go through my first birth again rather than the second; even though, on paper, my second birth was the easier.