Will this possibly make my labor faster?

[Skywalker]

Hi ladies Just a question and it might be a silly one... I haven't really had a definitive answer from my midwives or doula and I'm not sure if anyone here really has an answer?

Not this past February but the February before, I had a miscarriage at 8 weeks. It started at 2am and continued until I passed the baby at about 3pm and then contractions continued (but tapered off) after that. It was like every bad period I've ever had in my life put together and multipled by a million in terms of pain. In fact, I was in so much pain that I couldn't move or speak and refused to be moved to the hospital, only going to the hospital after it was done to get checked out. Anyway my point is when I went to the hospital and later saw my midwife, and even when I recently recounted the story for my new midwife group and my doula, all agree that I experienced something very similar to labor and definitely experienced comparable contractions.

So my question is:

Given that my active miscarriage lasted 13 hours before I passed the baby and I had full on contractions getting worse and worse as those hours wore on, do you think it's possible that a labor now would be faster? Will my labor this time be easier, since my uterus is familiar with contractions?

The reason I ask is that I've heard the second labor is faster. My doula isn't sure and she thinks it won't necessarily be faster labor for me this time because I didn't carry to term with the miscarriage, but that it might be possible since my body has had contractions I might be more used to it?

Any opinions or experiences are welcome If it turns out that it doesn't make it faster that's fine, just curious

 

[bookworm0901]

To me, I definitely think it would make a difference and count as a second labor and possibly be faster. I'm no midwife, but if your cervix dilated all the way to 10 before having your angel, then I think it mimic'd a labor. Supposedly, after having a baby your cervix is automatically always 1 cm dilated and I bet you have that too.

 

[Misscalais]

I'm not really sure, I didn't experience more then a few cramps with my 1st loss and it was nothing like real labour to me it was just like a mild period type pain for a few hours but it took 2 days for me to pass baby.
My 1st labour was 41 hours all up and 2nd was 22 hours all up so yeah 2nd time was much more quicker and easier but my MC was really nothing like what my births were like so it's hard to kind of relate to what you went though. But given that your body has gone through real contractions before I'd say it might be quicker with the birth of your new bub

 

[dinkery]

Obviously I don't have a professional's opinion on this, but I think it might help.

 

[susywoosy]

No I don't agree. A mc is so early and your cervix wouldn't dilate all the way to 10cms as you are passing something so small. Your cervix will soften and open to allow tissue to b passed but unless it was a late loss, both mine were 1st tri, then I am assuming there would b no dilation to that experienced in labour at full term. The pain u experienced may prepare u for labour pains but I would not say it counts as your body going thru a labour.

I had 2 mc prior to successfully carrying my DD to term. I did not have an easy birth with her. I was induced and it ended in an emcs, dilating to 5 cms before everything stopped and I failed to progress. I am attempting a vbac this time (no induction drugs will b used) and what my mw and consultant have told me is that as I laboured half way last time (getting to 5cms) my body should know what to do abd my vbac is very possible.

At no time has either of my mcs counted as labouring. So unfortunately your mc, altho painful, would not count as a 1st labour... or certainly my medical team would say no x

 

[Claire788]

I MC'd twice before my DS, I founds my MC was far more painful (although shorter in duration) than my labour.

I had my first contraction 7 days before LO was born (naturally) (Latent Phase) although from 0-10cm in 4 hours when it did eventually happen!

Swings and roundabouts really I guess!

 

[pinkpassion]

After my last loss, I had to have a d&c at 10 weeks and about 10 days after that I started getting a mild backache that progressed throughout the day, by night I couldn't move and was having extreme cramps like nothing I had ever felt before... I went in to the er and they checked me and I was dilated and they were going to send me for a scan but it took hours. Before I could get a scan the contractions became so close and so painful then I felt like I needed to go to the bathroom so the nurse helped me to the bathroom because I couldn't walk well and when I got to the bathroom I had to push and something fell out of me onto the floor along with a ton of blood... anyway it was pure chaos after that, but the pain subsided almost immediately even though I continued to bleed and have cramps... they told me before I went home that I labored left over placenta and material from the d&c, it was quite traumatic seeing all that blood pass.. but I knew that having the d&c didn't guarantee everything was gotten out, but I had to have it because I was getting an infection.. anyway I think if I can go through all that with No reward in the end then I can go through labor to get my miracle baby girl here!!!

 

[Skywalker]

After my last loss, I had to have a d&c at 10 weeks and about 10 days after that I started getting a mild backache that progressed throughout the day, by night I couldn't move and was having extreme cramps like nothing I had ever felt before... I went in to the er and they checked me and I was dilated and they were going to send me for a scan but it took hours. Before I could get a scan the contractions became so close and so painful then I felt like I needed to go to the bathroom so the nurse helped me to the bathroom because I couldn't walk well and when I got to the bathroom I had to push and something fell out of me onto the floor along with a ton of blood... anyway it was pure chaos after that, but the pain subsided almost immediately even though I continued to bleed and have cramps... they told me before I went home that I labored left over placenta and material from the d&c, it was quite traumatic seeing all that blood pass.. but I knew that having the d&c didn't guarantee everything was gotten out, but I had to have it because I was getting an infection.. anyway I think if I can go through all that with No reward in the end then I can go through labor to get my miracle baby girl here!!!

This sounds similar to the progression of what happened with me! I also had to get to the bathroom, felt like I needed to push something out, first was baby, the rest was what I described to the ER doctor as a "big glob" with lots of blood.

What I was told was the baby wasn't any bigger than a very large grape or strawberry, but the big glob that followed was much bigger, like an apple. If I didn't go to the hospital until afterwards but in retrospect wish I could have known how much I was dialted, but I'm encouraged by what I read in your responses above and one pp who said in your first labor you were dilated to 5cm before getting a c-section and your nurse said that for the second labor your body would probably remember what to do.

I don't know how to estimate cm's of dilation but if I had contractions for as long as I did and passed something as large as an apple, would that be close to 5cm dilation?

 

[Buggzxxx]

You really cant estimate by time how many centimetre you dilated. My first labour I had contractions for 10 hours before I went to hospital and was only 4cm when I got there.

It really depends on how fast you dilate as to how long your labour will be and because we can't know for definate how much you dilated with you MC its hard to guess whether you will have a quick labour. Sorry hun!

I've had a cervical procedure between births so I'm expecting to have scar tissue and a lovely long drawn out labour. I figure if I expect it to be long then anything less is a nice surprise x

 

[susywoosy]

I dont think its possible to say. By your calculations my full term delivery would have been my 3rd time going thru dilation given my two mcs at 8 and 10 weeks. My mcs were painful and lasted mayb 6-7 hours (painful contraction type pains) until my body expelled baby and tissue, placenta etc. So in theory i should have dilated quickly with my daughter but it took 42 hours to get to 5cm and then it was decided it would b emcs.

u might have an easier time but we cant know for sure how one labour will go to the next, never mind factoring in mcs. Just have to wait & c how labour goes x

 

[Loup89]

I don't have an answer to your question I'm afraid but it's something I've wondered too. I'm also terrified of having this baby because my mc at 7 weeks was the most painful thing I've ever experienced, I was throwing up every painkiller I tried to take and then when at it's worst I collapsed on the bathroom floor, I wasn't bleeding much at this point so it was all pain. At another point I couldn't see anything and my hearing was very distant, my husband drove me to the hospital, I just wanted to throw myself out the car, anything to stop the pain. When I was there I felt the need like a few of you have said to go to the toilet, I couldn't bring myself to look but as soon as I came out the pain had completely gone. This all lasted 2 maybe 3 hours so I worry I won't cope when the time comes with this baby, hopefully it does mean things will go quicker and even if it doesn't we'll have beautiful babies at the end of it so it will all be worth it.

 

[Bambino123]

I'm sorry for your loss. I would think that the birth canal would need to be stretched for a larger baby for it to make a difference. It's the baby moving down the pelvis and widening it that caused me pain rather than the contracting of the uterus or the dilation of the cervix. Best of luck with your new arrival!

 

[Eternal]

I don't think it could be classed as a second birth scenario, the process of giving birth to a full term baby is not the same as an miscarriage. However pain wise you may find this much easier, I think that although giving birth is painful, it's different to being in pain any other time, and a miscarriage is so much more painful as there is the emotional turmoil too, when I lost my baby I had a d &c and after I was in so much pain, not so much contractions but everything, I think for me at least the pain was tripled given the fact I was grieving too.

Birth is different, for one, you have staff around and support, excitement and drugs (if you choose) even though the pain is there you are aware of why you are going through this and what the end outcome will be, after, you are distracted by the new arrival in your arms.

You body does not go through the same process giving birth to a full term baby as it does for a miscarriage, but that doesn't mean this will be more painful, it could well be much easier, and you body as felt what contractions are like so that will help too.