[G.K]

My first labour was a good experience and totally uncomplicated (Just long). My cervix at 41+3 was high, firm and closed, so when my contractions started it took a very long time to get to 2cm even with regular strong contractions. This was by far the worse part of my labour! It then only took 8 hours to get to fully dialated and only 25mins of pushing with no tearing.

Can anyone share their similar experiances? I would love to know how others got on second time around after their longer 1st labour? Thanks very much

[lozoodle]

Hi

My first labour was fairly drawn out, she was finally born at 40+3. I had a bit of a bloody show and then contractions every 5 minutes overnight on the Saturday from about 11pm onwards, which fizzled to nothing on the Sunday morning. Prelabour I guess? Then at about lunch time on the sunday my plug came away and contractions started up again at about 5pm or so. They were regular from the get go, just not full on intense yet. By about 11pm they started to get intense, so I finally went to hospital at about 4am on the Monday morning. They checked me after about an hour or two and I was 7cm by then, she was born at 9.02am. The birth itself was ok, but she was posterior which is why I think it took so long and there was so much prelabour.

With my second I was 40+6 I woke noticing my braxton hicks (which I'd been having heaps of) were a bit more intense and they were able to be felt in my back as well but I thought nothing of it and went to my scheduled appointment. Because I was overdue I saw the hospital ob rather than my usual midwife so she did an internal to check and said the baby was really low and I was 3cm already which surprised me, so she did a S&S and sent me on my way. I started spotting / cramping at about 11am but it was really super mild so I had lunch and then went to the beach. It got intense pretty quick though from about 4pm. By 6.30pm we decided to drive to hospital, she was out at 10pm. So yep a lot quicker this time around. The active labour part was shorter, and there wasn't the long prelabour like with DD1.

[HeartMyBoys]

Hi. My first labor was 10.5 hours and my second was only 1hr and 40 mins. Im pregnant again so im hoping i can make it to the hospital this time

[R2B2]

My first labour was 12 hours "active" labour
second was 5 hours active
third was 2 hours from start to finish

[~RM~]

First labour at 42w was 24 hours.
Second labour at 39+2 was 3hrs first stage, 2 hours second stage (as I ended up with an emergency CS first time). Your body has done it before and knows what to do Good luck

[G.K]

Eeep! Thanks girls

I would be chuffed with 5 hours! Time will tell I guess, but as RM said my body has done it before so hopefully it can do it a little better this time.

[Swahili]

My first labour was 24 hours of established labour and 2 days of prelabour beforehand. My second labour was 5 hours from first contraction.

[tick]

My first was af least a couple of days of regular contractions before DD1 was born via caesarean section. Second labour was about 7 hours I think, loads shorter.

[Georgette47]

I might be able to tell you tomorrow... I had a long first labour (posterior) and now I'm lying here trying to decide if my lower tummy ache is an early contraction (they were all in my backlast time).

First labour was 48 hours for waters breaking or about 40 hours from first contraction (12 hours from 5cm dilated). A bit shorter would be better!

[premmie_29weeks]

My first was about 12 hours beginning of active labour to ds being born. Also about 6 hours to get to 3cm, and then very quick to 10cm about 3 hours plus about half an hour of pushing.

Second was less than 90 minutes, so if I have a third my ob is talking induction to ensure I get there in time.