How was your 2nd or 3rd labor compared to your first?

[ponder]

Out of the blue, DH asked me this morning if our next labor and delivery would be like our first. Especially concerning him was that we delivered at 36 weeks, although everything was fine. We started talking about the two people we knew who had preterm delivery and each had 3 children delivered (all noninduced vaginal) roughly at the same week.

Also, was the actual length and labor and delivery experience similar or is it all just random chance?

 

[asscherisme]

First baby born at 39 weeks and 1 day. From the time my water broke (and thats when labor started, I was at home eating dinner and I literally thought I wet my pants when my water broke, it felt like a warm gush) to birth was 4 1/2 hour. I wanted an epidural but it was a small town hosptial and Dr. was at home sleeping and did not make it to the hosptial in time. I guess I should have been grateful it was a quick birth but I was expecting an epidual and was dissapoitned I felt every thing!

Second baby born at 38 weeks 5 days, more of an all day sort of cramps and I did not realize I was in labor until I went to pee and saw a lot of blood and put the cramps together with that and we headed to the hospital. So from the time I realized I was in labor (so before that not too intense) to birth was about 2hours. Very quick!

3rd baby we were living in a VERY rural area and my then husband had a super long commute and workied tons of hours and my doctor was afraid I would give birth on my living room floor all aone with my first 2 kids watching in horror. So that was induced labor and I was releaved because I was scared too of being alone when I gave birth or not making it to the hospital on time. I did not want to be on the 11:00 new "Woman gives birth on the side of the road". And it was a farily quick induction. Went in at 8am, pitocin drip started at 8:30, Dr. broke my water at 10am, gave birth at 1:30pm. Got an epidural and it was wonderful!Ideal induction because my baby was ready to be born. I was 38 weeks and 1 day. He choose 38 weeks to incude because my other babies were born right at 39 weeks or a day before and he was afraid if he waited past 38 weeks I would be all alone giving birth.

4th baby was a horrible birth. Also induced but induced earlier because I was having problems and was leaking fluid. Closer to 37 weeks (they did an amnio to make sure lungs were mature) and she did not want to come out! 2 days of awful pitocin induced labor and they would not give me an epidural until the very last second because they were afraid it would slow labor and even then the epidural did not work.

So my 2 natural labors were very similar as well as time frame for the babies to be born. The 3rd baby, even induced was quick because he was realy to come out. I think my 4th baby took so long because she was not ready to come out but due to my leaking amniotic fluid, she hsd to be born or risk infection and problems from low fluid.

 

[Clio]

#1 - My water broke at 37 weeks, but no contractions. After about 10 hours of this, I started pitocin, and 2.5 hours later, she was born. About 20 minutes of pushing.

#2 - Went into labor on my due date. Labor lasted 2.5 hours, including about 20 minutes of pushing.

#3 - Induced at 38.5 weeks because of baby size. Started pitocin in the morning, started feeling contractions around lunchtime, and baby was born a little before 3. About an hour of pushing because he had his hand up by his face.

 

[rockpaperscissors67]

My second labor was a freak of nature compared to 1 and 2.

1 -- Went into labor at 41 weeks + 1 day. Labored for 10 1/2 hours.

2 -- Went into labor at 40 weeks + 2 days. Labored for less than 2 hours.

3 -- Went into labor at 41 weeks + 4 days. Labored for about 5 1/2 hours.

1 and 3 were boys, but 2 was a girl. I''ve heard theories that white male babies need a bit longer to cook than girls, which might explain it.

FWIW, with 4 (girl), I went into labor at 41 weeks and labored about 5 1/2 hours, and with 5 (boy), I''m not sure when I actually went into labor because we had several due dates, but he was definitely post-dates. My labor was 14 hours, but 12+ of it consisted of totally easy contractions spaced very far out. Only about 1 1/2 hours was hard labor.

 

[waxing lyrical]

DD1: AROM at 5.5 cm and 80% effaced. Pitocin at 6.5 cm because AROM didn''t put me into labor in their desired time frame. Chock-full of unnecessary interventions, but very easy and fast labor/birth. 3 hours with 2-3 minutes of pushing.

DD2: AROM at 6 cm and 70% effaced. Very, very fast and easy. 47 minutes and 2-3 small pushes -- less than a minute.

DS1: AROM at 4 cm (unsure about effacement) and then pitocin. Tons of interventions due to the nature of the induction. 1 hour 40 minutes. No pushing.

DS2: Castor oil when I was a stretchy 4 cm-5 cm and 80% effaced. Black and blue cohosh late afternoon/early evening. From the time I *thought* I might be having labor contractions to birth was about an hour. Hard to say since I wasn''t actively timing them because there wasn''t a set pattern or intensity to them until about 15 minutes before his birth while I was talking to my mom on the phone. They did not become really intense until 5 minutes before his birth. Before then I was peachy and impatient.

I skip early labor and only had ''active'' labor with DS1. I was heading into or in transition when it started with my others.

 

[Maisie]

First baby, born 10 days late. I had pre-eclampsia and was induced. Labour lasted 12 hours.

Second baby, born exactly on due date. Went into labour naturally. Labour lasted 11 hours.

Third baby, born 1 week early. Induced. (I had gall stones and was having lots of attacks). Labour lasted 11 hours.

Fourth baby, born 1 week late. Induced. Labour lasted 4 hours.

Fifth baby, waters broke naturally on Friday evening. Contractions started around 3.30pm Sunday. Gave birth at 7.40pm. Labour lasted 4 hours ten minutes.

I had lots of babies!

 

[Anastasia]

#1 Born at 35 weeks, with no complications. My water broke, and contractions started shortly after (on their own). Baby was born roughly 12 hours after my water broke. I pushed for less than 15 minutes.

#2 Born at 37 weeks, with no complications. I think total labor was about 4 hours, but he was born within one hour of arriving at the hospital. I pushed for 5 to 10 minutes.

# 3 was born on her due date. Total labor again was probably about 4 hours. She was born within two hours of arriving at the hospital, and only needed two pushes to make her appearance!

 

[swingirl]

Date: 1/11/2010 12:16:14 AM
Author: Anastasia
#1 Born at 35 weeks, with no complications. My water broke, and contractions started shortly after (on their own). Baby was born roughly 12 hours after my water broke. I pushed for less than 15 minutes.

#2 Born at 37 weeks, with no complications. I think total labor was about 4 hours, but he was born within one hour of arriving at the hospital. I pushed for 5 to 10 minutes.

# 3 was born on her due date. Total labor again was probably about 4 hours. She was born within two hours of arriving at the hospital, and only needed two pushes to make her appearance!

We must be related! I delivered my first completely natural 20 minutes after I got to the hospital. I also did 2 small pushes. The baby was coming so quickly they asked me NOT to push.

I always want to apologize to the poor ladies who push for 24 hours.

Second baby came faster. I went in for a check up because I was a few contractions and when they discovered I was already at 10 cm they tilted up the examination table so my head was lower than my legs. Unfortunately that one was transverse and needed a c-section.

 

[upgrade]

1st baby: went onto labour at 38 weeks. From water breaking to ''it''s a boy'' was 6 hours, 20 minutes. An hour and a half of pushing, posterior baby.

2nd baby: 37 weeks. Water broke, but labour didn''t start. Went to the hospital and they kept me because he wasn''t engaged, I was a couple centimetres dilated (had been for a week) and they were worried about a cord prolapse. Hung out, ate cookies, drank tea and talked with dh and nurses for hours. No labour. Finally they started me on an oxytocin drip and he was out 45 minutes later. I pushed through 2 contractions. Maybe 5 minutes of pushing? Thank God my labour didn''t start when my water broke or I may have delivered in the car! Second one wasn''t posterior- that made a big difference to the pushing.

 

[Tacori E-ring]

I am SO jealous of all you ladies who only pushed for 10 or 20 mins! Wow!

 

[ponder]

SO...In general they are kinda the same, but there is always the oddball delivery?

I delivered a month early, had 4 hours of labor, and only pushed for 10 minutes. I am kinda hoping for a repeat, but I know that it will probably not happen. I am not that lucky

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