Hey J.
My first labor was LABOR.... 16 hours... But not too much pain...(all natural)...16 hours of walking, showering, and my husband rubbing my back.. also I had just turned 20. I'd grown up with horrible menstral cramps every month, so this was just like that, only turned up a notch or two...or three.
So When I got preggo with my second I thought the delivery would be similar, maybe quicker as I had always heard. Unfortunetly with this one my Midwive insisted I would need to get induced...(I had preclamsia toward the end of my pregnancy and I'd actually been having real contractions for two weeks....irregular ones, not the braxton-hicks kind either!!) I thought it (induction) would totally screw with the labor but thankfully my midwive and nurse decided I would only need a little pitocin and that's all she wrote baby.... I had my little baby boy #2 within 6 hours. I layed there for 5 1/2 hours; no pain, nothing, just watching the baby monitor and my blood pressure, and boom! my water broke and then double boom!! 5 to 10 centimeters in less thsn 20 minutes. Fast and furious. I was screaming like a woman being tortured, they had to shut the door and I woke my sleepy head husband... I wanted medication...but they wouldn't let me...Cuz as soon as I asked they said PUSH!!
This was soo much different than my first.... my first was like a book...very steady and slow, thought out, at ease, gradual. Totally the turtle. My second was fast and determined, in comand, striking me off guard with the intense pain... but fast enough that the pain didn't even have time to control me, It came and went. Definitely the rabbit. It's funny, too, as I see my boys grow up, their personalities are just like the labors....lol
Well that's that. Thinking about this and it being mother's day is making me kinda want another one.... however I need to drop about 30 pounds first...so I can gain it back (of-course)... God bless you and I really hope your second labor is a piece of cake....