Second Time Births

My first birth was very long and difficult; the second was a breeze. The doctor told me this was pretty typcial. The first kind of stretches everything out and smoothes the way for the second. Think positive thoughts...you will be fine!

Good luck with the baby!

M.
"Discover the secret of healthy moms and healthy babies"
www.GoodHealthMadeSimple.com

Hi K.!!

My 2nd birth was much easier than the first. With my first child, I actually went into labor. With my 2nd, I was induced. I thought the induction would be a lot harder on my body, but it wasn't. I was dialated with both of them. Like you I had a very fast labor with both my kids. About 5-6 hrs for both of them!! Gotta love fast labor!!
Congrats on the 2nd baby and good luck!!

H.

I am expecting my second as well, so I don't have first hand experiance to share with you. I too, have anxiety about my 2nd delivery since my first was so easy and calm...

But, my best friends and my sister that have multiple children have said that neither one of their births were alike. Some went fast and smooth, while others were horrible! So, just prepare for anything to happen and you will feel more calm.

Relax. I realize the first time is scarry, but somethings may be easier this time. Your body has been down this road before. You may not even need to be induced this time. But let's be honest, you can't say that if you did it that way the first time it will be that way the second, third or fourth time. No two pregnancies are really alike, but that isn't a negative thing. As I said, the unknown can be kind of scarry, but in a way it's exciting. It would be kind of boring if they were all the same. Every child has it's own birth story and it's an adventure. Just stay positive. If you believe in God, talk to Him about your worries. He'll understand. Then trust Him. He's done this thousands of times.

Hey K.,

I can only tell you my experiences with my kids... my first kid was HORRIBLE to give birth to! I was in labor with contractions for HOURS, and was actively PUSHING for over an hour! I wanted to give up because I was so tired!
My second one, I was having contractions for about 45 minutes, pushed for about 15 minutes and she was out!
I was induced for both births because of pre-eclampsia.
I have heard from numerous women that the 2nd one is easier and faster because you are already "loosened up". :) It was so true with my kids. And like you, I had them pretty close to each other. They are 16 months apart.
Good Luck! And let us know how the birth went!
E.

FIVE hrs???!? Jeeze. I was in labor for 26 hrs for my 1st. I wouldnt dialate past 4 cent so I was induced,therefore,that last 6 hrs was unbearable. I only pushed for 20 minutes though.
I am hoping I won't have to be induced this 2nd time around but I,too,get nervous when I think about it. I will definitely do the epidural!!

You have gotten lots of good answers, but I just wanted to add my experience. I just gave birth to my 4th child, and not one of my labors and delivery was like any of the others. Pushing has always been easy for me, but this little girl (who was my smallest) decided to turn herself sideways! I had never had to work hard to push a baby out,and the thing I kept saying is "something must be wrong, I have never had to do this!" I ended up afraid and in a great deal of pain, as the epidural didnt go great either. Now, for some, my labor would have been easy compared to theirs, but I just wanted to tell you to prepare yourself for different things emotionally. That labor is still something I think of often and it causes me to feel emotional because it was so hard for me. I think having had such easy (my first was 5 hours too) labors and delivery with the first ones, this really threw me, so I guess my point is to keep in mind preparing yourself emotionally as well as mentally and physically for anything. Best of luck with your little girls!! ~A.~

Hi K.,
I would recommend reading "Natural Childbirth the Bradley Way." It is great on describing what the body is doing and so forth, even if you get an epidural...it really prepared me more than anything for my labor.

Not to scare you, but my second was much worse. There is a reason though. As they often say, each labor is quicker, as what happened with mine. I thought I had enough time, but by time I reached the hospital, I was already an 8 and was told she was coming before my epidural would kick in (I had an epidural with my first and it was a piece of cake). So my only advice would be to keep that in mind if you do want an epidural. I know most women get there too soon, but don't do what I did - get there too late! It is true though, after the pain you completely forget about it. Good luck!

I will probably scare you but I will say it anyway. Of course keep in mind my children are 9 years and 1 day apart in age. I was scheduled to be induced on monday but I went into labor on Saturday. My oldest was a normall, no complication delivery. My son was a different story. I was in labor for 18 hours and have to have an emergency c-section due to infection setting in. Miserable but worth it.

2nd labor is easy compared to the first. I went to the hospital and the baby was here with in 3 hours. It was so much better than the first. Labor, Delivery and recovery.

With my first son, I was 7cm dialated and 25% effaced when I went into the dr that morning (was a gradual thing to get there). Even after that they put me on pic for several hours (I still wasn't feeling pain) and I still didn't progress. After they broke my water I was having labor pain on top of labor pain and insisted on an epidural. It took 2 hours after that to have him after pushing for quite a while (can't remember how long)

With my 2nd, I went in with 6cm dialated and 50% effaced. I asked for the epidural before any pic or before they break my water. They gave me the epidural, and broke my water. About 30 minutes later I was feeling pains and told the nurse my epidural wasn't working. After about 5 minutes of convincing her, she said she'd check my progress and ask for a 2nd epidural. My son was so far down, she scratched his head when she checked me! She said "DON'T MOVE" and called the doctor. I was scared to do it without the epidural, but they said it wouldn't do any good at that point. The doctor came in and told me to push when I got a labor pain. The first one I was scared and didn't hardly push. He told me to push harder the next time. The next labor pain, I pushed him out, surprisingly with no pain!! It was so much faster and easier than the first!!!

Congrats with your 2nd!!

I have 3 boys and each one was different. The first my water broke at home and lasted 14 hours. My second I was having contractions on and off and went in for my check-up and was dilated to a 5 and my doctor sent me over to L&D, she still had to break my water though and he came in 4 hours after that. My last one didn't want to come, I was induced and once they started pitocin my water broke on its own and he came in 2 hours!! You will find a different experience with this one, I don't know if that will calm your nervous feeling knowing that it won't be similar to your first one, but usually things get moving right along with each subsequent birth so good luck!

well...i have to say...epidural, epidural, and epidural. i was a nervous wreck with my first child, Ayden, he will be three on december 1st. i was so scared of delivering, but having an epidural really made me able to relax and once i got over the fear that i would boo boo during delivery it was all smooth sailing. i know that sounds horrible, but i am not the shy type, i like to be completely honost with expecting mothers. i was so excited when it was time for my second to be born, her name is Lola, she is 17 months younger than her brother. I was induced both times and didn't have any problems. I think giving birth is the absolute greatest experience to share with the person you love. it is an experience that creates this amazing bond that makes you so much closer. I did not enjoy being pregnant so much, i just wanted my body back, but if i could give birth a hundred times I would. just the anticipation of what they will look like is my favorite feeling. you will be just fine...i know it is easy to say, but you had a wonderful first delivery, and if you keep that in your mind, you will have an easier one the second time around. Lola practically came out on her own. it was easier the second time around for me, good luck and i wish you the most happiness.

i was over due with my first & had to be induced (i loved it it went very smoothly) with my second i went into labor at 35 wks, but i didnt really know that i was in labor bc i hadnt felt real contractions the first time, so by the time i went to the hospital they couldnt stop it & i had to deliver. my baby was 5wks preemie & had to be in the nicu for 12 days. but my labor went pretty smooth after i got to the hospital. dont worry too much, for me both times were very different but we had no real complications with the delivery.

I have two boys, a 17-month-old (8 lbs. 6 ounces at birth) and an almost 4-year-old(7 lbs. 13 ounces at birth). I was induced with both at 40 weeks exactly. The first took about 6 hours total and the second took about 4 hours total. My experience for the second was much better than the first because I got my epidural MUCH sooner my second go-around (I was stubborn and thought I could take the pain the first time). Oh - I was about your age too, 25 the first time and 27 the second. Good luck, I'm sure it will go great!

I have 3 kids and I was induced (by choice) for all of them. They were all very easy labors- went in around 6:30 am and they all came between 2:30-3:00 pm. No issues- no problems. I also found that with my second and third babies the recovery afterwards was much much quicker. You should be fine. I know that it's hard, but just try not to worry- it's only a few hours and then you'll have your precious baby girl.

My first delivery was awful too...I was induced and not dilated or effaced. It was truly a horrible experience. FOUR year later, we had our second child. That delivery was awesome...I was not induced and knew I wanted an epidural. I knew to ask for my IV and saline right away....not when I thought I might want it. I felt much more in control and not scared. It was like night and day for me.

Good luck!!!

I was induced with my first and had an 11 hour labor. It was very long and tiring for me. My second baby I let come naturally. I only labored two hours and was much less painful than the first birth. I think the more time you let your body prepare, the easier the delivery. Inducing just evicts the baby before he/she is done developing and before your body is prepared for labor (making it much harder on you!). I hope the best for your birth!

With my first I was dilated to 3 and 50% effaced by 35 weeks. My son came early at 37 weeks. I had an epidural, labored for 12 hours, pushed for about 20 minutes (3 pushes, I think). All in all pretty easy.

My second was going to be a scheduled induction because she was a week late; they planned to schedule it for 10 days overdue. On my 7th day overdue I did some jumping jacks (I know, in retrospect not the smartest idea) and started labor.
I asked for my epidural, but couldn't get it because she was turned and I had to work to get her back in position. I finally got my epidural after 3 hours. Total labor was 7 hours, pushed once and she was out.

All in all the second time was much easier, even though the epidural was late and only partially effective. I knew what to do, how to get through the contractions, and was more willing to try alternative labor methods (ball, shower, etc). I was also more outspoken the second time around about what I wanted, which helped because I felt more in control.

Congratulations! And remember every birth experience is unique. You'll handle this little girl's arrival fine!

I just had my second not even 2 weeks ago and I was induced with both my youngins. I found out that it is true what they say - every one is different whether they are talking about the child the pregnancy or the delivery. This one was nothing like my first but when it came to pushing delivery was MUCH quicker this time around. When I hit 10 with my first it took almost 2 hours of pushing. This time is was maybe 20 minutes! Good luck and congrats! It will all be fine Im sure! :)

K.,

My labor and delivery story for my 1st and 2nd child are exactly the same except that one is a girl and one is a boy. I had the be induced with both. Apparently I have a very long cervex which was why I never went into labor naturally. I never dialated, never effaced, never had braxto-hicks contractions, water never broke etc, etc,. It was actually kind of nice the second time since I have already been induced even though I was with a different doctor and hopsital I know what was going to happen. I was more worried before the second that I would go into Labor and didn't know what to expect with that. I due to deliever our 3rd in February and I expect that it will be like the first two, a scheduled induction. I think it is very natural for us to worry, because of course it could be different this time, but I will tell you that because you already kinda know whats going to happen and what to expect I think you recover a little quicker and bounce back a little faster.
Congratulations and good luck.

You will do great!! 5 hours of labor with your first is fantastic. I was in labor for about 14 hours total with my first. It was pretty tough, but the pushing was the hardest part....I ended up with a pretty bad episiotomy. With my second I was induced a couple of days before my due date......much easier. The labor and pushing and delivery were all easier. I think your body just kind-of knows what to do already!

So....just enjoy the next several weeks! You will be fine :)

My husband and I had gone for a walk and that night (3am) I started feeling small cramps. By 9:30 the next morning I was having contractions every 5 mins. We got to the hospital at 10:30 and I was 3 cm. They had to break my water. We waited around most of the day for my contractions to become more intense and to dilate. I got an epidural when I reached 7 cm. Finally I was 10 cm so I pushed for an hour with my nurse then sat for an hour while I waited for my doctor to show up. Then I pushed again for about 45 mins. Finally my baby girl was born at 6:30pm. 8 lbs 2.5 oz 21 in. 10 days early. Very exhausted

Second time around was just 2 weeks ago so it is still very fresh on my mind. This time we planned to induce. I was supposed to go to the McKinney hospital but there was a mix up between my doctor and her office. They scheduled me at the wrong place. We went ahead to Allen hospital and I wasn't real happy at first but once I got to see the nursery and meet a few nurses I was much more at peace with delivering there. Then I found out that my baby would stay in my room as much as possible. I was very glad about that. It was 12:00pm and I had to start some paper work. Around 2:00pm I finally got changed into a hospital gown and set up with the monitors. My body started contractions on its own but very unstable. At 3:00 my doctor came in and checked and I was 3 cm and 100% effaced so she went ahead and broke my water. At 3:30 they started me on Petocin. My contractions started getting much more intense so by 4:30 I got an epidural --6 cm. They worked with the epidural for an hour to get it to numb up my left side. At 5:15 I was 8 cm but still could feel some contraction pain in my left side. They had me role over to my left side and with in 10 mins I was numb, but I could also feel a lot of pressure (like I needed to poop) My nurse came back in at 5:30 and checked me again and I was fully dilated. The baby's head was in view. She got my doctor and with in 30 mins and 4 pushes I had delivered my little boy at 6:00pm. 9 days early weighed 8 lbs 2.7 oz 19.5 in.

Second time was a breeze. The hardest part has been finding time to spend with my daughter. She is getting jealous of her brother. He is a snacker and constantly wants to be nursed so it takes away from playtime with her. But he is 15 days old and doing great and we have made it this far-- I know it will get easier.

Good luck to you-hope everything goes smoothly. Don’t worry about inducing. Just make sure your baby is far enough along (38 wks) it’s never a good idea to take them out before they’re ready. You don’t want them to spend their first few days in the nursery.

K.,

Don't worry at all. If your induced labor only lasted 5 hours, I would bet your next labor will be even shorter. At least that was my experience. My first induced delivery (at 38 weeks due to pre-eclampsia) was a nightmare (19+ hours). My second child was 2 days late and I went into labor in the morning, but went into work and kept an eye on the contractions since I had a 2pm appt. At the appt, the doc examined me and put me on the monitor. I think the examination broke the water. I checked myself in at around 4:30 and my son was born at 9:22 pm. For me, that second delivery was a piece of cake compared to the first and my second child was over 2 pounds larger!

So, I would just enjoy these last few months of one on one time with daughter and not worry at all about the delivery of the next baby. Just keep active (a natural thing when you have another child around), eat right and above all, rest when you can.

M. B.

Hi K.,
I've had 3 deliveries. First one came on her due date, second and third baby, I was induced because they we past their due dates. The second by one day and the 3rd by 2 days. I too was nervous with the second birth, not sure why really, but I think it's because you know what to expect. I found myself not sleeping at times worrying. I remember my obgyn coming in to my room to check on me and I was almost in tears. Did not expect to react like that at all.
You'll know what to do, it all comes back to you.
All my pregnancies and deliveries were super easy. For me, the deliveries stayed consistant...meaning, 3 push.. they were out. I think you'll be in tune with the second delivery b/c with the first, you really don't know what to expect and everything goes so fast.
Try to enjoy it and congratulations!! You'll do just fine.

Hi K., First of all Congrats!

I have delivered 6 kids, and they were all kind of different. I have had epidurals and gone completely natural. The easiest delivery was with my second and I believe it was because they were only 17 months apart. If they are over 2 years apart I believe the body is kind of starting over. My first one took 72 hrs. and I was 10 days past my due date when I went into labor. Jumping jacks, running up and down stairs, spicy foods, intercourse, nothing helped me to go into labor! I didn't want to get any drugs as I was afraid this could hurt the baby or stop my labor. I was stuck at 7 cm for 4 hrs when they finally gave me pitosin. I was swollen from trying not to push as the baby had not dropped enough. Once they told me to push, in three pushes he was out. (7 lbs 13 oz)With the second one I was in labor for less than 5 hours from first contraction to delivery. My husband (now my ex) didn't believe me when I told him we had to go to the hospital (I had been having regular contractions 5 min or less apart for 3.5 hrs and they were now a minute apart) and ironed a shirt, gave a tour to our friend who was going to watch our firstborn, etc. By the time we got to the hospital and they measured me I was 8 cm, had one contraction and was ready to push. They made me wait about 15 min. so the dr. could get there and then I pushed him out in 3 or 4 pushes. (8 lbs 3.4 oz) It was very easy, I felt great instead of having ran a marathon like my first one. I didn't even get an IV! None of the other ones wanted to come out, they like it in my tummy. The third one was 17 days past the due date, I was 6 cm when I got to the hospital but the contractions stopped so I had to get pitosin again. This time I knew better to get the epidural. It worked except at the end, the epidural was gone as I felt everything. (8 lbs 4oz). With my fourth I was due on the 1st and on the 11th I went to the Dr and told him I had to have him that day as we were going on a trip on the 18th! (I had bought the tickets to go to my parents' before I knew I was pregnant). I had been having contractions for over a week but not the productive kind. I was already 3 cm and they induced me. I took the epidural from the beginning and it made the process a lot more relaxed. At the end it wore off again and I knew I was having a big baby (I felt it) so I really concentrated on relaxing and breathing during the contractions. It was harder to push him out, like 6 or 7 pushes. He was 9lbs 5 oz. With my 5th it was 7 years later and I was measuring big so the doctor scheduled me to be induced 2 days after my due date. I started the pitosin about 9:30 am and she was born at almost 6 pm. Same thing with the epidural. (8lbs 8 oz). My last one was 27 mos later and I felt he was going to be big too. I was induced the next day after my due date. I was probably about 2-3 cm dilated. This time the epidural worked all the way through and it was so nice! I still felt everything at the end but without the edge. They started me about 9 am and he was born around 3 pm. He was 9lbs 9 oz.

Since you were not dilated at all last time and your labor was only 5 hrs and they are going to be 20 months apart my prediction is that it should be pretty easy! :-) Enjoy your pregnancy and don't worry at all about the delivery. Millions of women do it every day and you've already done it well once! :-) Good luck and God bless!

Congrats on the upcoming bundle of joy K.!!

I've been through 3 births, and each were with the assistance of an epidural. All 3 were scheduled inductions, but my 2nd decided she didn't want to wait for the 7am appointment at the hospital, and started making her way into the world the night before my induction. When I went into labor with my 2nd it was a whole new experience for me. I never actually felt real labor pains with my first, so I had no idea what to expect. After 2hrs of labor I knew I couldn't handle it any longer, and called out for my epidural. (I salute you if you are going without one!) I couldn't imagine what a birth would be like without the epidural, and honestly I never wanted to find out.

Best of luck to you!

Hi K.,
I haven't read any of the responses, but I just wanted to say that you are not alone. I was always worried that my second child who was born in January was going to be horrible. I swore that I would be in labor forever, and of course I couldn't express my concern with anyone because the only thing people would say was that I was just driving myself crazy. HOW INSENSITIVE!!!!

Anyway, the pregnancy was a little different from the first. But the preterm labor started about 3 days early and I just knew because you learn from the first time. I stretched every night for nine months (or when I found out I was pregnant) while watching a 30 minute television sitcom or news. The day came that I started the contractions and felt like it was coming soon. Then the day it happened early Sunday morning they came faster than I can remember my first time to be. I swear if I would have waited a little longer to leave the house I would have had my daughter in the car. I arrived in the hospital and 20 minutes later to the tee she was born. Scary but great! I didn't have to push for hours I pushed once. As long as everything is going well, you need not worry. Keep up the kegals and walking and whatever else you do. And enjoy your pregnancy.