How was your second labour compared to your first?

KatieKim0815 · December 2012

Not just in time etc but mentally? I am freaking the freak out because I know what's to come! First time I was just clueless as I had no idea what to expect!

HarrietNJMommy · December 2012

Much better since I knew what to expect. I've had 4 scheduled c-sections, so I have never actually "labored".

roxy_jj · December 2012

Mentally the second one was much easier. DD was a preemie, so when I went into labor I was not at all ready. DS was full term, so I was much more prepared and I wasn't so scared. With my first, when it came time to push, I was completely terrified. The second time around, I was much less scared, just a little nervous. Physically, with my second, my contractions were way more painful.

ETA: My recovery was much easier with my second. I was surprised by that because my second was almost twice the size of my first and I had some tearing with my second.

danienross · December 2012

The second labor and delivery was so much better for me. With my first I had a long hospital induction, bad reaction to the sutures and a 10mos long recovery. The second time I planned a home birth. It was much shorter than anyone expected and quite intense because of it and while I definitely hit a point where I said I couldn't do it I never wished for the drugs or to transport. That first week was a little rougher than I remember being with my first but that's mostly due to how much worse the after pains were. Oh and I didn't need sutures the second time which was my biggest fear after what I went through the first time!

jnksmom · December 2012

My second was much easier mentally and physically. My first was a preemie so I was not prepared and having a preemie is scary anyway. They tried to stop my labor and the med they gave me was horrible. Recovery was longer also because they did an episiotomy(sp?) which was unnecessary. It was not my doctor and the one who delivered does them to all his patients I learned after.

My second was much easier. DD was full term and I knew what to expect. It was quicker also. My recovery was much easier as well. DD and I were discharged exactly 24 hours after she was born.

NHbride129 · December 2012

second so much easier all around. i was way less nervous and way more excited.

memali26 · December 2012

I had two inductions. Both were long, but overall fairly easy labors and deliveries. The first labor was pretty uneventful once it finally got moving, except I had horrible back labor, and I pushed about 20 minutes. My second labor was 16 hours shorter than my first, but came on faster and harder than the first time. I actually don't remember the last 4 or 5 hours of labor with #2. I had an epidural about 13 or 14 hours into it, and it failed about 4 hours later. After the epidural failed, I just checked out mentally. DH told me he would try to talk to me, the nurses would check me, etc., and I didn't respond to any of it. Kind of scary hearing that, but I was fully alert by the time I made it to pushing, and pushed less than 5 minutes, no tearing.

hokies94 · December 2012

Quicker and a whole lot less scary. I was induced with both so I knew exactly what to expect. It helped me know I needed to ask for the epidural when they broke my water regardless of whether I needed it at that moment. With DD#1 it took them forever to give me one.

By the time I had DS (#3) it felt routine. DH even watched the US Open while he was being born. He was a really quick delivery (less than 5 minutes). I'm convinced this is why DS is now obsessed with golf at age 3.

StephNJer · December 2012

Much, much easier than my first. But also shorter, so much more intense. By the time I got to the hospital with #2, I was dilated at an 8 and in horrible, horrible pain. But, I only pushed for 15 minutes, compared to my first where I pushed for two and a half hours. Recovery was also much easier, but again, my first labor was a nightmare (4th degree tear, vacuum extraction where the vacuum kept popping off and caused heavy bleeding).

mrswright2006 · December 2012

My first one was my easy kid. From the time I was admitted (having no pains, but leaking AF), until birth was just over 10 hours, and aside from pushing, it wasn't bad.

DS - was induced 5 days early, because he was measuring 10 pounds .... he was 11. The pitocin was jacked up so high, I was in unbearable pain until the epi (which I hadn't needed the first time, even though they had put me on pit that time, too). We went through about the same amount of time, but he was stuck/not descending, so I was whisked off to a c-section. Nothing about DS was remotely like DD, aside from it being in the same hospital.

Oddly enough, recovery wise, the c-section was 10 times easier.

Saraevh · December 2012

I was super freaked out too the second time because I knew how horrid labor and pushing was

And while it did not dissapoint, the second time my labor was more intense and more painful but everything was cut in half - with my first I labored for about 18 hours, with my second it was about 9, with my first I pushed for 3.5 hours, with my second it was about 1.5, etc. Surprisingly my recovery was easier the second time around even though my DS was 1.5lbs bigger than my DD and I tore much worse.

Baby_Bunny_Hopeful · December 2012

It was more difficult... but then again DS2 was 1.5lbs bigger!

I was induced with DS1 and went into labor naturally with DS2.

Differences:

- DS1 was 15 hours 8 mins of labor and DS2 was 14 hours and 51 mins of labor (so pretty much the same- but no pitocin, etc with DS2)

- No stitches with DS1 but had a slight 1st degree tear with DS2 and needed two stitches as well as a repair from a skin tag remaining from DS1's delivery

- Recovery was super easy with DS1 (other than 7.5 weeks of bleeding vs. 4 weeks of bleeding with DS2).... but recovery was rough from DS2 since I bruised/fractured my tail bone during labor!!!!! PAINFUL!!!!!!!!!! It still hurts...

- Amount of time pushing was the same (22 mins with DS1 vs. 26 mins with DS2).

- DS1 was 8 lb 12 oz and 21.5 inches and DS2 was 10 lb 5 oz and 23 inches

hellopoppyseed · December 2012

Way way easier mentally and physically.

Penguin125 · December 2012

My first one was terrible. I was scared and alone through most of it so I think that made it all seem worse.

My second labor- I laughed, bounced on the birthing ball, watched Cupcake Wars on Food Network and when it was time for DS2 to be born the doctor checked me, five minutes later I said "I HAVE TO PUSH" the doctor came back in saying "You were only 7, you can't push yet" and as soon as they looked they were telling me to push. From 7cm to birth in 15 minutes, not terrible at all. In other words, I would say my second labor was awesome(Did I really just call labor awesome- well, okay, my second delivery was awesome). Once they put my sons on my chest both times I honestly didn't care about the labor anymore. I can't wait to do it again- now the rough part is TTGP! :0P

As hard as it is- the best thing is to just calm down, sit back and say "I've done this before. I'm still here, I'm still capable, and I get the best reward for going through it!" Don't psyche yourself out before it gets here.

brooketini · December 2012

The actual labor was about half as long (9ish hours instead of 18), and I pushed for about 1/2 an hour instead of nearly 3 hours. My epidural worked way better too, so I was much more comfortable throughout labor and delivery. The only thing about my second labor/ delivery that was worse was that DS was a big baby and had shoulder dystocia (his head came out, but his shoulder got stuck) which was extremely scary for about two minutes. Other than that, my second was much easier overall.

etude de la vie · December 2012

DD was fast (12 hours from contractions to her being born). She was 38 weeks, 6 pounds, pushed for 10 min or so, I tore like crazy and she bruised my tailbone from being sunny side up, and had a horrible recovery. Epidural was fine but worked too well!

DS was very very fast (maybe 6 hours) born 38 weeks, 8 pounds, pushed 3 times, didn't tear, no bruised tailbone, but had a very harsh reaction to epidural which brought my blood pressure to 40/70 and I was getting adrenaline shots. My recovery was longer because I had a toddler and couldn't rest (bleed for 6 weeks) but not as painful.

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