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]

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]

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.

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.