If you were induced with your first labor, how did your second labor go?

[Thalia]

I had an induction for my first birth at 41w6d. I was maybe 1 cm dilated, and I think 100% effaced. I had Pitocin but no pain meds. I'd had some contractions about 36 hours before, but they petered out on their own. The drip was started at 9 AM and DD was born at 9 PM after about 15 minutes of pushing.

One of the questions I'm trying to explore before my second birth is, can my body go into labor on its own? Intellectually, I know the answer is yes, but I'm still trying to wrap my mind around this and believe it deep down.

I've also had two miscarriages, both at 8 weeks, one before and one after DD was born. In both cases my body went into labor on it's own, but in the first case the baby died at 6 weeks, and in the second it was probably a blighted ovum.

So, if you had an induction with your first baby, how did your second labor go? Did you have to be induced again? Was your labor fast or slow? How did you handle any fears about going into labor on your own.

[ExuberantDaffodil]

For my first, I was induced at 39 weeks. I was already 4cm dilated. I had pitocin and AROM. Labor went from zero to transition. No pain meds. Labor lasted 4 hours.

I was nervous about not going into labor on my own the second time around. I did, though. At 40w 2d. Labor was 2 hours from when I woke up feeling a twinge to when I was holding baby. (a homebirth)

Personally, I feel like my contractions were drastically different. With my induced labor, I described them as "the most awful menstrual cramps I ever had." (And I had quite a bit of back labor as well.)

With my natural labor, I described the contractions as "the most awful gas pains I ever had."

The two experiences were definitely different, and I don't think I would ever, ever be induced again unless it was for a true medical emergency.

[finnegansmom]

I was induced with my first at what I think was about 39w5d but the Ob says 40w5d. Anyways, it was horrible. The baby wasn't ready to come, I was induced with pit and it took 15 hours to get to 10cm and 5 hours of pushing finally vacuum extracted. I was torn and bruised.

My second labor started on its own on 40w6d with my first contraction at 1045pm and he was in my arms at 407am....it was easy and relaxed and SO much less painful (all natural). I had complete faith that I would go in on my own (eventually). I did exercises in my yoga ball, drank pots of RRL, took EPO and the day I went into labor, I woke up with some menstraul type cramps for a while and walked for 4 hours at a town fair pushing my son in the stroller.


I did have a missed m/c at 13 weeks this feb, and ended up having a D&E.
I had no cramps, no spotting nothing even though I was nursing the whole time. It didn't seem like my body was ready to let go at that point. I still haven't let that taint my previous birth experience.

I'm sure your body will know what to do when the time is right.

[XanaduMama]

I wasn't induced with #1, but I did end up getting pit after my water broke and I had no perceptible contractions (tho the monitor showed I was having some) for 18-odd hours (and I was GBS+). At the time I didn't know any better, or I'd have waited (and treated the GBS differently). Once the pit started, it was 3.5 hours from first contraction to baby.

#2 was a HB. Also started with ROM, but I was thrilled that contractions started right away. I had a quick and really easy labor (7 hours from waking up with ROM to birth), really peaceful waterbirth...very healing and very affirming! My body CAN go into labor on its own! Wishing you the same

[LadyCatherine185]

Subbing..

I was induced at 41w5d (though looking back and recalculating, my date was off and I was actually just a little over 40w) with DS and I am planning a Homebirth this time around. I was 4 cm and they gave me some pit, turned it off once I got to 6 cm and in active labor. DS was born with no pain meds, and about a 17 hour total labor. My contractions were one on top of the other for the last 8 hours or so. And I pushed for 2.5 hours. Really hoping to go into labor spontaniously this time, and have a shorter labor.

[Thalia]

bump!

[umsami]

I was induced with my first.... 39 weeks due to GD. My Bishop's score sucked. It was a bad induction... where basically my Dh and I were fighting my OB to prevent either a forceps or suction birth (or c-section). We did succeed. The induction started at 6 a.m. and I delivered at 11-something p.m.

#2 came on his own... no induction... no epidural...in like 3 hours. Completely different experience. Honestly, I assumed I would be induced...and the day I delivered I had an OB appointment so wasn't expecting to have a baby.

[MamaChicken]

Induced with my first for pre-e. Not a pleasant experience! Cervidil inserted at 6 am, pit started at 10 am, baby out and off to nicu at 3:15 pm.

DD was a hypnobaby birth, peaceful, easy, pleasurable, and quick- 4 hours first twinge to birth.

My twins were also hypnobabies births although I joke that it came in stages... 33 weeks labor started and mag sulfate stopped it. I was at 3 cm. 36 weeks it started again and stalled on it's own with me dilated to 6 cm. Went home, and at 37.5 weeks it started again. This time I made it to 9 cm before it stalled. I opted for pitocin, which did not work and then AROM. Boys were born 30 minutes and 58 minutes later, easy, comfortable, and pleasant.

[harli]

I was induced with my first. My labor went very fast. Too fast in fact. I couldn't keep up with it. The pain was horrendous and I was vomiting a lot. I pushed for about 20 min's and had a small tear. If I remember right I was in labor a total of about 6 hours.

With my second I went into labor at about 3 am. I had an OB appt. that morning and I was always very nervous at that OB office. Labor pettered out for the appt around 7am then it started back up again probably around 9:30 am or so. I did some shopping, then went home and took care of my horse who had an injured leg. I was wrapping her legs and cleaning her stall through contractions. lol Then I came home and let DH know it was time to go to the hossy because contractions were between 3 and 5 min's apart. DD was born 3 hours later. My doc did break my water for some reason about an hour before. I wasn't informed he would do that and I'm not sure why he did since everything was moving along fine without him. DD was born with no tearing and two pushes later. Things didn't get really uncomfortable until after my water was broken. I was 40 weeks and 3 days.

[LadyCatherine185]

Keep these stories coming! It is so encouraging to see that the labors without induction were so different. I'm still going to expect a long, hard labor though, just in case.

[welsh]

Subbing...

I was induced at 42 wks. Cervidil inserted at 9pm, contractions started at 10pm and DS was in my arms at 2.05am! Hard and fast but as natural as a hospital induction could be.

I am now 41 wks pregnant and really hoping to experience spontaneous labour this week!!!

[Sharlla]

I was induced at 36 weeks with DS1 due to preeclamsia. I had DS2 at 40 weeks. They were pretty similar, delivered both 4 hours after first contraction. the pain level was the same intensity for me. the only difference was I pushed twice as long with my first than my second. Both times my water was broke pretty much at the end. Both were hospital births, the first birthing experience was way more positive surprisingly enough.

my 3rd was an UC at 29 and was wonderful. labored mostly on a birth ball then in a birth tub. pain was a lot less and i only pushed (not very hard either) 3 times before she slipped out. labor was 20 minutes less than the other 2.

[grumpybear]

I was induced when I was 39w1d for SROM past 24 hrs. When my water broke, we started induction with herbs, homeopathics and castor oil. I was past 24hrs when we decided to have a hospital transfer for a pitocin induction. The pitocin induction was pretty intense. It was very, very exhausting and found myself checking out a lot. Thankfully I was able to birth sans painkillers.

With DD, she was 41w1d before I started labor. And yes, by the time 40wks rolled along with no sign of labor, I had to start fighting feelings of doubt on whether I can go into labor on my own. I did this by listening to stories of friends that went past 40wks.

I guess the main difference between Pitocin-induced labor and spontaneous labor was the Pitocin was really overwhelming for me. As far as length of labor, from the time of Pitocin to birth of my DS, it was about 5 hrs. With DD (spontaneous labor), it was about 4 hrs from the time I decided to go to the midwifery to birth.

[Amanda L]

I was induced with my son at a day shy of 42 weeks . . . Subbing because I too want to wrap my mind around a "natural" second birth when I decide to have my next.

[columbusmomma]

Hi Thalia
I was induced with DS out of medical convience
With DD I went into labor on my own and thought wow!This is happening. I never had any friends who weren't induced(not that many of my friends have had babies). It happened when I was 39 weeks and 5 days. Throughout the day I was in early labor and didn't even know it. It wasn't until late at night/early am that I woke DH up and told him I was having contractions. I've also had 3 m/c's. First one was after DS and I had a d&c. 2nd m/c was after DD and was a blighted ovum. I opted for the d&c after a few weeks. Had another m/c after that and had it naturally, went into "labor" if you call it that after a few days of light bleeding and delivered the placenta,sac,etc. at home. Each birth, pregnancy, and labor is different as we all know. So sending you lots of " going into labor on your own" vibes for this fall!

[kcparker]

DS1 - borderline low fluids at 41 week NST and BPP made HCPs nervous. We nudged labor to start with acupuncture, stair climbing, sex, acupressure, and visualization. Went to hospital next evening for my mandatory check-in with the MWs, a little cocky and thinking I was in early labor and would be told to come back later (no such luck). I got cervidil inserted anyway because they didn't believe I was having anything more than prodromal stuff, but the nurse admitted I was definitely in active labor 2 hours after placement. Labored overnight and DS1 was born at about 8 a.m.

DS2 - first contraction about 3 p.m. a day after his due date. I walked home from work at 4:45, arrived home at 5:25. He was born at 8:03 p.m. Easy-peasy, right? I had no preconceived idea about how the birth would go except that it would be at home and in water. I was a bit astounded at the way things went down. I am not trying to sound smug - I fully realize that in the spectrum of labors, I got a super-easy one with DS2. This is just to say that sometimes, everything works well and your birth might be a piece of cake, relatively speaking.

I was never worried that my body wouldn't do it, partly because I framed the first induction with thoughts like "my body was about to do this anyway, it had already started, and even if we had done nothing, I would have gone into labor without the intervention, maybe a few days later (I thought I'd go the full 42 weeks), but it would have gone." I guess I was lucky to have that core belief in my body's capability remain intact, despite the HCPs' desire to get things going. On some level, I didn't believe that this was an 'emergency' or a failing on the part of my body and baby.

Go into labor is what pregnant bodies do at the end of the pregnancy. Your body will go into labor on its own. Your oxytocin receptors are primed this time around, so it will likely be easier to kick into labor than the first time. Do visualizations and affirmations - replace the negative ideas with more positive ones as soon as your brain starts saying to itself, "Maybe I can't..." YOU CAN, AND YOU WILL!

[mrsdocmartin]

I SO needed to read these! I am so scared of being pressured into an induction again and need to keep those positive thoughts flowing!! Thanks mamas!!

[mumkimum]

I was induced with dd1 somewhere at 41 wk 4 days or so? Nothing really notable going on with contractions previous to the induction, did have bloody show the day of it, no pain meds - was treated for pre-e during. Induction was started around 10 am - I was pushing from around 2-4am when she was born. Majorly tiring.

With dd2 I had an induction scheduled and I went into spontaneous labor the day before (at 40 wk 5 d). Regular contractions late in the evening that went away, then came back the next day around noon - intense and strong (she was posterior, so perhaps more intense than if dd2 hadn't been). We left the house at 3:30 and she was born at 5:40 at the hospital (I was probably there an hour, honestly, and it was pretty much all pushing time - maybe a dozen careful pushes to minimize tearing).

I had a lot of excitement at getting to deal with contractions and they were way more manageable on my terms than the pitocin contrax. It was pretty quick, especially in comparison (imo, because I was able to eat & and had a lot more energy). I didn't really end up 'dealing with' the whole 'can I do this' anxiety with it, but that was more out of having to deal with some major relationship issues that came up 2 weeks before that dh & I were dealing with instead. Actually, I was worried that the stress from that was going to keep me from going into labor on my own, again.

[brightblonde]

I was induced with my son at 41w for high BP. I was 3 cm, and had AROM first. Contractions were slow to pick up but 9-10 hours into it things really got going. Unfortunately I just couldn't relax and progress stalled out at about 4.5 cm 12 hours into labor. I got an epidural, got started on pitocin, and 3.5 hours later I was 10 cm and ready to push. I pushed for about 90 min without much difficulty and had only a small tear from where he delivered his own arm before everything else!

With my daughter, I really wanted a natural birth and especially to go into labor on my own. I saw my midwife on my due date and was barely 2 cm and the baby was high. Later in the day I noticed a backache which I thought was just from being 40w pregnant! I listened to my "Baby Come Out!" Hypnobabies track, and three hours later my water broke! An hour later contractions were 2 min apart, regular, and intense (although totally manageable using my Hypnobabies techniques). Claire was born just over 3 hours from the time my water broke, no meds, no IV, no cervical checks, no tears! Recovery was quick and easy and the whole thing was about the greatest experience of my life

[welsh]

keep the faith!!!!

Originally Posted by welsh

Subbing...

I was induced at 42 wks. Cervidil inserted at 9pm, contractions started at 10pm and DS was in my arms at 2.05am! Hard and fast but as natural as a hospital induction could be.

I am now 41 wks pregnant and really hoping to experience spontaneous labour this week!!!

Wrote the above post a few days ago....then.....

I went into labour on my own yesterday at 41+2 and had my perfect birth.....well, almost, it went too fast to fill the pool!