Question for STM's+

Zwolaka

We are expecting our second baby, and was wondering for those on your 3rd+ how labor/delivery was for you the second time around?! I had a really good experience with my son, and am terrified of this one (it's a girl!!) going the complete opposite. Any advice or stories on how yours births went compared to your first?! TIA

missnacholover

FTM here, but I'm guessing every birth and delivery is different.

meeshybee

There's really no way to predict how it will go. This is my 4th and all of mine have been different. I don't consider any of them "bad" experiences, but they were all different from each other.

ShelleyElla22

My two birthing experiences so far were completely different from each other, my first being longer with more "bumps" in comparison to my second.

soulcupcake

This is my 5th. My birthing experiences have all been easy and straightforward. I wanted a homebirth with my second, but there wasn't a midwife that attends homebirths in the area I lived at the time. So I planned for natural/low intervention hospital birth. It was a great experience. I planned homebirths with #3 and 4, and am planning another with this baby.

#1 - 3 hours with a few pushes (about a couple minutes)

#2 - 47 minutes, and she barreled through and after a couple grunts, she shot out.

#3 - 1 hour 40 minutes - took time for active labor to start due to the mechanical issues related to severely polyhydramnios, but all in all, it was a fast and easy induction process.

#4 - No labor. He was born quite unexpectedly and abruptly on my bed after 4-5 back to back contractions. I planned a waterbirth that time, but I didn't even consider making my way to the birth tub two feet away. That was not happening.

Not sure about planning a waterbirth this time. I'll just use the shower and birth wherever feels most comfortable.

kimberly_ann81

I'll give you the short version of both labors with the boys

Sweet Pea: water broke at 2:30 am, went to hospital at 5:30 am.  Started pushing around 6pm; born at 6:30ish.  I had some tearing inside only but broke a lot of capillaries while pushing, even had bloodshot eyes.  I looked terrible.

Peanut: work up to contractions around 5 am.  Very irregular so I went about my day, even stopping in for a baby shower.  Left for hospital around 9:30, med-free birth around 11:15pm; 2 contractions and 6 pushes.  Much easier the second time.

The boys were only 3 oz difference in size. 

MuchlyGen

My short versions of my home births:

Baby 1: About 7 hours, start to finish. Contractions really started around 9:30 - 10. Labored in the tub for awhile, coped with contractions with low humming. Pushing was about an hour, but I think would have gone much more quickly if I'd been in a better position - midwife wanted me on my back for baby's heart rate, a decision that I now side eye given the specifics, but oh well. Minor first degree tear. 

Baby 2: Active labor kicked in around 8:30. Was having to vocalize through contractions much sooner than with my first labor. Was way more intense, overwhelmingly so. My dad and my husband were working to fill up the birth pool when my water broke (haha, fun bonding moment) - at which point baby's head dropped like a bowling ball, and I was pushing uncontrollably. Pushed for about 7 minutes. No tearing. Baby was born at 11:20. 

So... first labor was overall gentler, but longer. Second was wildly quick and much more intense. Both were overwhelmingly positive experiences, despite their differences, and I'm excited to do it again. 

Zwolaka

Thank you for all the feedback! Def helps ease my mind a bit. I am aware that every pregnancy/birth is different in their own ways, but hearing your birth stories and how they differ is comforting. I am def going into this with a more open mind! I think I will def head to the hospital sooner than I did with my first.