Later births faster?

[jaggers]

I've heard that each birth after the first takes about half the amount of time as the one before it. I was just wondering how true this has been for you ladies?
Thanks!

 

[KitKaboodle]

Well my first was 5 and a half hours long...the second was actually pretty close to that...so, id say its not true for everyone

 

[emmalouise09]

i think everyone is different chick.
with my son i was in for 13 hours and with my daughter from start to finish was an hour and half.
i wondered this when i was gettin close to my due date with Lilly.
i think they say the more you stay active the quicker it should happen.

 

[Chellxx]

Well if that's true my next LO will be here in 3.5 minutes lol. #1 was here in 8 hours, #2 was here in 7 minutes but I think the quick 2nd labour was more down to me keeping more active in labour than anything else.

 

[Pinkirish]

Was true for me. My 1st was 5hrs, 2nd 1hr 40mins and 3rd 20mins I barely made it to labour ward lol!!

 

[Guppy051708]

DS1 was 30.5 hours of labor. He was face up and born that way, so im pretty sure that had everything to do with how long it took. My water broke first, then labor started immediately. I was in transition for 9 hours and pushed for 6 hours. (again, his presentation had everything to do with that).

DS2 was 1 hour and 15 minutes! My water broke 30 hours before i got into active labor, but i wasn't in real labor during any of that. Then finally I went from 4CM to placenta in just over 1 hour. Had double peaking contractions. They would last like 2 minutes, then i would get a 10 second break (if that!) and get a 3 minute contraction. Much more intense but no back labor and im the type of girl, id rather do double peaking and get it done then have labor like my first. So for me, the theory about cutting labor in half wasn't true ONLY BECAUSE it was cut like 90% LOL

 

[jaggers]

To answer my own post for me, DD was 5 hrs, DS was 3hrs so pretty close to half!

 

[Guppy051708]

^awesome!

 

[aimee-lou]

1st took 43 hours in total with 13 hours of active labour (i.e. actual labour not just those little contractions that with your first you think are real lol)

2nd was in slow labour for 4 days (Wednesday morning til Saturday night). It then took 5.5 hours from my labour actually starting at 3.5cm (thanks to the Mother of all sweeps by a darling of a midwife) and Eddy showing up in the world.

So actual labour times are about half (13 to 5.5) but I'm not sure what was worse - long labour or slow labour. I'd rather have neither. Hoping for a shorter time this time. RLT will be flowing and I'll be marching up and down hills from term in an effort to get baby out swiftly, smoothly and not overdue! lol - not sure how big this one could get! Eeek! lol

 

[Floralaura]

my 1st was 6hrs labour with 28mins pushing, 2nd was 5hrs with 14mins pushing and last was 4 1/2 hrs with 5mins pushing..so my pushing gets shorter each time. If theres a next one I expect it will just fall out when I cough lol

 

[Midnight_Fairy]

First was 2hr 10min active labour

2nd 55mins active

3rd about 2hours 30 active labour not sure as was not examined till 10cm.

3rd was defo the best and relaxed. Also the easiest! My fastest labour was the worst.

 

[MumOfPlenty]

Wow, I'm trying to remember now.. Baby brains hit me early this time round!

My first felt like the longest labour in the world.. Induction.. was a good 18 hours or so.. Pushing for ages... Was hellish!

My second was a home birth - woke at 5am, with niggly contractions and a show.. Didnt start contracting properly til around what? 9am I guess.. Baby was born at 12.. so only a few hours really. Not long pushing either.. Was a freely moving birth, that one, gravity was my friend

Third was.. errm... thinking... long! Well, niggly-pain long. In and out of the hospital long. Not actually long, once it got going. Had a few arguments with the midwife about how far along I was - turns out I was right! Lasted in total about 3/4ish hours? Again, pushing was short too.

Fourth - he was lovely and easy! Early, niggly pains for a good few hours then real labour set in for maybe 4ish hours again. I think mental attitude is very important! Pushing was short and he was a lil one in comparison to my girl so I was very happy!

Fifth - Exactly the same as number 4 - A bit shorter, but not by much. Niggly pains didnt last as long (I forget what its called - the bit before you start dilating proper) And I stayed at home for about 2 and a half hours. Went to hospital and she was born about three quarters of an hour later.. Quicker but not by much. Her cheeks got stuck while I was pushing which my hubby and the midwife found amusing.. presumably cos they weren't suffering the ring of fire!

I think bodies just decide to do what they want to. But that a natural pattern is formed for your own body.. After all, it knows exactly what its doing.. we're just faffing around