that 2nd babies come quicker?

Im having this lil bean at a hospital 10 miles away instead of local MW unit, part of my reason is to have epidural available. Now ppl are telling me that with a 2nd they usually come too quick for epidural and you are lucky to get there in time for pethidine. Most seem to be gas and air only jobbys.

I keep thinking of Grace giving birth at home (No offence Grace if you lurking - no pain relief is my biggest fear!)

My length of labour for Caitlin is down as 5 hrs, from breaking water at 2cm to being born. I was induced but so cant really compare I suppose. Just shitting myself i'l get a twinge and they will be born 2 hrs later

Nothing like worrying about something 6 months in advance is there!

settle down woman! i would be worried too tbh (quicker than 2hrs 40 mins??? is that even possible????? will i just fart the next one out??!!!!!!!! these thoughts have crossed my mind).

but yeah, word on the street is that the second one is quicker - but you might not be induced.....or you might be induced already in hospital.......or you might have a nice 4 day long natural labour.........who knows?! it could be totally different especially as last time wasn't 100% natural (was that helpful? i dont think so somehow haha)

nope not at all! mt labours doubled each time so my 2nd was 36 hours xx

and my 3rd was a 3 day natural labour x

Mari it was helpful in the sense it made me LOL at you farting a baby out!

Katie, thats reassuing kinda but I dont like the idea of being in labour 3 days! Poor you!

A friends sister had labours of 20hrs + with her 1st 2 and then her 3rd only lasted 3 hrs and she would take a 20 hr labour any day over a quick one. She said it was so bloody painful and her body went into shock after.

I suppose no labour is going to be doddle.... its hard too factoring in getting Caitlin looked after if it starts quick. Hmmm I think I want to be induced on due date again. Would be good if my BP played up slightly in last cpl weeks so they would do that again. Natural labour scares the life outta me, I liked it being controlled and have no problem with being strapped to a bed, monitor on, epidural in ready to go! Im really not a mother earth natural birth advocate!

Mine was quicker, Andrew was 16 and a half hours from waters breaking ( they went first) to him being in my arms. Sophie was 9 and a half hours from first contraction to her being in my arms .. Perhaps the pain relief comment was because you deal better with the pain second time around or because your body knows what to do and you dilate quicker? I'm not sure but I was only 4cms getting to hospital after 6 hours contractions with Andrew and was 7 cms after 6 hours with Sophie.

I was terrified of this too as my labour with Ollie was only 2 hours and my hospital was 45 mins away, obviously i didn't go into labour with Amelia though so no help to you there.

My mothers went
brother 36 hours
me 25 mins
sister 6 mins

Your sister was 6mins????????? More info please!!!!

And you 25min????????

omg!! I was going to say the same thing! not sure if its a good thing or a bad thing, I think its good to get a bit of notice!

nope lol mine was 4.5 hours from 3cm to pushing with leo and with oliver it was 28 hours lol although the pushing bit was quicker
saying that i hear a lot do, my friend was 3 hrs then 1 hour and my mum was 3 days, 12 hours then 6 hours lol x

Nope, not true.

I had my waters broken at 3cm with Aimee (no active labour at that point), she was born in 2 hours and 40 minutes.

With Lily, I had a sweep at 11am, went home, contractions kicked in at 4pm ish, went to hospital at 7pm, she was born the following morning at 4.15am. I got to have an epi.

Lily was back to back, which did make it a little slower, but she was much much slower than Aimee.

x

I think 6-8 hrs from 1st twinge would be ideal

Wriggler I think you're right, it does seem to be the dialting that happens quicker 2nd time. Iv heard of people being turned away from hospital with their 1st because they only 1-2 cm and then with their 2nd arriving and they already 6/7cm. I think most places dont like to give epidurals once you hit 7/8cm as by the time it works the baby will have been born.

Pethidine is something im keen to try but!

Laura - I wonder if the epidural slowed things down? It didnt with Caitlin obviously - though in saying that I think she could have been born sooner had they bothered checking me before the 4 hr point and finding I was 10cm. Maybe had I not had epi I would have been able to tell them she was trying to poke her head out

with my first i was getting niggle most the morning , was checked at midday and 5 cms dilated , gave borth 5 hours later , with my second my waters broke at midnight and he was born 5 1/2 hours later , with my 3rd i was induced on friday morning and she came saturday at 4.17 ( my waters were broke around 10 am and i was on a drip to speed up contraction )

hmm eli was back to back too, i don't like to think how fast he would have been if he had been the right way round

6-8 hours? are you mental??? that sounds horrible, just get it over and done with!!!

6-8 hrs from first twinge isnt mental, is it? I have childcare to consider. If was day time my mum will have to get out of work, collect Caitlin and take her to other nana who doesnt drive, come back & collect us (Stuart cant drive and I think me driving up the M1 while contracting wouldnt be the smartest ), that could take hr-90 min to do all that...

Then I want my epidural so would have to only be 5/6cm then....

Erm ok 4/5 hrs minimum! What would you be aiming for?

hahaha ok well maybe with all of your driving to consider 2 hours would do me fine, drive up, pop baby out, bit of a snuggle, shower, toast, home

Is Elijah just going to sit on the end of the bed and get a life lesson?!

Suppose it would save you being in clare's postion this weekend having to explain pubes

hahahaha well no, obviously by then we would be able to afford a nanny or i would force a relative of some kind to stay with us

It better bloody had be quicker! With Stephen it was 3 and half days from waters breaking and I'm not doing that again! My best friend had 3 day labour with her first and then her second came in two hours

My sister was 17 hours for her first and 19 for her second although she was induced for both. My mum only just got to hospital for both my sisters though

Generally they are quicker.. my first from 3cm to holding baby was 11 hours.. my second was 3hrs15m hours having been having contractions all day went to hosp. at 10.30pm was told I was 3cm (which I dont believe ) - gave birth 01.44. Hayden I woke with backache at 7am, midwife arrived at 9 I was 5cm he was born at home (as arranged) at 11.46 4.1/4hrs.

Snoops you'll know when its starting and you have to go by that.. alternatively their is the ambulance service... they're quicker ;-)

oo i hope they are quicker. i was contracting with paige monday night. went into labour (4cms) by thursday but the hopsital didnt see she was stuck n i didnt have her until bloody saturday morning. too many hours n days of labour!

I dont think the epi slowed her down, it was just that she was stuck back to back, so I had to lay on my side so that she could turn and I could get her out.

*sigh, how I would love an epi next time too x

I'm at my mums now so just asked her and she said they are called shock births. I was born in the hospital foyer although my head came out in my nans car but she wouldn't say anythingbecause she didnt want my nan to see her bits lmao.

My sister was an iduction at 36 weeks because she was breache so she was already at hospital and it was basically as soon as her waters were broken she came. She ended up with 60 stitches because it was so fast and bum first.

hopefully its not that quick for you lol

Er Im so glad I asked this question Kayleigh!
I had an episiotomy & no clue how many stitches that involved but at least it was controlled. A 6min birth, with 60 stitches . I feel sorry for your mum!

I read today that the average length of labour for a 2nd is 8hrs and that pushing usually takes half the time that it did 1st time round - something to do with cervix dilates more efficiently and birth canal has already been stretched.

Also read that after birth your brain releases a chemical that gives you a form of amnesia to help you cope with the trauma/high emotions of birth. Explains why most people do it more than once.... also means I dont believe a bloody word any of you say about labour not being that bad - you're body has altered your memory in the hope you will reproduce again!