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thread: Were your second and following births easier than the first??

  1. #1
    Registered User
    Add m+w=peanut on Facebook

    Aug 2008
    melbourne
    258

    Were your second and following births easier than the first??

    As it states in the topic I am wondering if your second and following births were easier than your first.

    I am experiencing a lot more anxiety about labour with this one than I remember having with my first.

    Tia

  2. #2
    Registered User
    Add helle on Facebook

    Sep 2008
    Bunbury, Western Australia
    3,963

    Yes.

    I even have video footage of the midwives saying I can push whenever I felt like it and me going "seriously? Already? But it's been so easy to have gotten this far already!"

    And then Dd shot out of me about 4 minutes later XD

  3. #3
    Registered User
    Add ElleJay on Facebook Follow ElleJay On Twitter

    Jun 2007
    Western Australia
    6,587

    I'm not sure. I'm actually nervous bout going into labour naturally before my scheduled c-section date, and that's sending my anxiety levels higher.
    Good luck!!


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk - even though I should be cleaning or sleeping

  4. #4
    Registered User

    Jul 2007
    Melbourne
    3,660

    quicker but in no way easier.
    it happened thick and fast, was not a fan of my 2nd labour at all.
    first birth was longish and back labour but def. preferable.

  5. #5

    Mar 2004
    Sparta
    12,662

    No. My first birth was a vaginal delivery. During my second labour I progressed faster but then at 9cm things went pear shaped and I had an emergency c-section.

  6. #6
    Registered User

    Oct 2008
    675

    Yes! I've had 2 babies so can't talk about anything after the second birth but the second was much easier. I had an epidural the first time and not the second and still found the second time a lot better.
    I think the things that made it better were a) physically the body doing it a bit easier because it had been there done that IYKWIM, and b) me being better prepared mentally because I had been there done that

  7. #7
    Registered User

    Jan 2011
    133

    yes definately, but partly due to the fact that with my first I was left alone in an "observation" ward (there was no observation) for 4 hours, where I went from 2cms to pushing in 3 hours. I had no idea what was happening, and was absolutely panic striken.
    With my second child, I had an epidural and had a student nurse with me the whole time. Even with deceleration's in bubs heartbeat from the first contraction I felt in control. Bub's was delivered 90 mins after first contraction.

  8. #8
    Registered User

    Jan 2010
    1,975

    First was an obstructed labour with episiotomy, failed ventouse and eventual forceps delivery. Total labour was about 5 hours.

    Second was a straightforward vaginal delivery, about 20 minutes of pushing. Total labour about 4 hours.

    Third practically delivered herself. About 10 minutes of pushing. Total labour about 3 hours.

    If I have a fourth I am expecting a fully developed baby to simply appear between my legs.

  9. #9
    Registered User

    Oct 2008
    Victoria
    4,601

    Oh definitely easier second time around in my case. My first birth was 22 hours long with a second stage of 2 hours, he wasn't presenting right and I had no urge to push. It was very long and difficult and I was in complete shock afterwards.
    My second labour was not quite 2.5 hours with a very short second stage. Like a PP mentioned he just about delivered himself in the end! I kept waiting for it to get worse but it wasn't anywhere near as bad as my first. I felt fantastic afterwards, it really was a great birth!

    Good luck!
    Last edited by ~Hestia~; January 4th, 2012 at 09:52 AM. : Good not goof!

  10. #10
    Registered User

    Sep 2007
    Brisbane
    5,729

    First was an obstructed labour with episiotomy, failed ventouse and eventual forceps delivery. Total labour was about 5 hours.

    Second was a straightforward vaginal delivery, about 20 minutes of pushing. Total labour about 4 hours.

    Third practically delivered herself. About 10 minutes of pushing. Total labour about 3 hours.

    If I have a fourth I am expecting a fully developed baby to simply appear between my legs.

  11. #11
    BellyBelly Member

    Sep 2007
    Queensland
    1,137

    Yes! Definately easier with my second.

    DS1 was 10 hours from whoa to go with about 4 hours of pushing (2 hours according to my notes though) and an vacuum extraction as he was posterior with his hand up by his head. My own mother said that I looked like I'd be run over by a truck after the birth.

    DS2 was less that 3 hours from first niggle and really quite a pleasant birth. The midwife said that I did a great job, and that I could have had the baby with only the cleaner in the room! And he was a big one too - 4.5kg

    Before DS2 was born I would get a bit anxious thinking that if things went worse than with DS1 I would end up with a C/S. But my midwives were really empowering - they gave me great tips about positioning while in labour at home (hand and knees with butt in air and head on the ground to turn a posterior baby) and were just great.

  12. #12
    Registered User
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    Aug 2008
    melbourne
    258


    Before DS2 was born I would get a bit anxious thinking that if things went worse than with DS1 I would end up with a C/S. But my midwives were really empowering - they gave me great tips about positioning while in labour at home (hand and knees with butt in air and head on the ground to turn a posterior baby) and were just great.
    This is exactly how I have been feeling!

  13. #13
    Registered User

    May 2008
    Melbourne
    1,838

    Definately for me.

    DS1 i was in labour for 23 hours and it was hard, i was getting so tired i just kept saying i can't do this anymore.

    DS2 was induced but i was also beginning to have my own contractions by that time, he was around the 3 hour mark.

    And DD was my best most enjoyable labour, i had contractions at home from the moment i got out of bed but carried on throughout the day to when things got really intense at about 5ish and she was born at 8:40pm. Definately my most empowering labour out of all three.

    All the best xo

  14. #14

    Jul 2009
    Out North, Vic
    8,538

    I wouldn't say DD'2's labour was an 'easier' than DD1's in regards to pushing etc as they were both quite quick and drug free but i felt more in control and a little more at ease going into it, my contractions etc didn't seem so intense and i was calmer so in that sense it was a lot easier.
    Both of mine were 'easy' in the sense of time (DD1 - total labour 9hrs, 20min pushing after waters broke and she was here, DD2 - total labour 5hrs, 8min pushing after waters broke) but it was still just as painful etc.

  15. #15
    Registered User

    Feb 2008
    Gold Coast, QLD
    1,563

    i had an epidural first time so easy but boring. the epidural didn't slow it down, i pushed ds out in 3 pushes.

    2nd baby was induced with gel and my waters broken but not syntocin. i was in labour for longer and pushed for up to an hour. it was very exhausting and challenging.


    (good grief, what happened to my post?)

  16. #16
    Registered User

    Jan 2008
    Brisbane
    5,039

    2nd and 3rd much easier. 4th back to first but no worse iykwim

  17. #17
    BellyBelly Member
    Add ~*Niadalla*~ on Facebook

    Jan 2007
    VIC
    2,199

    Yes and No I guess.
    First labour - gas only, 2 tears (1st degree urethera 2nd degree perenium), pushed for 1hr23mins total labour was 37+ hours.
    Second labour - Gas only, NO tears, pushed for 6 minutes total labour was 12 hours. It was quicker but I remember it being much more painful.

  18. #18
    Registered User

    Apr 2008
    Adelaide
    1,741

    My first was pretty good 8hours all up but the last two were hard work

    My second was better because I knew what to expect so mentally I was much better prepared and when I was in transition instead of panicking about the out of control feeling I realised I was close to the end

    Both my births were analgesia free vaginal births and I had a group practice midwife with me the whole time

    Good luck

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