couple of ?'s for those who have given birth to 2+

[Kimberlytm]

how was your second birth compared to your first? If your water broke was it about the same time as your first? Can I anticipate the same "type" of senario with this second one?

[3_opihi]

My first birth was very long and diffucult--about 50 hours. I pushed for about 4 hours and had an 8 1/2 lb baby. My second labor was about an hour and a half, baby was born in the bathtub at home, came out in one push, weighed about 6 1/2 lbs.

Now, I'm on my third, I have no idea what to expect! I think there's alot of factors that can go into what kind of labor you have ,mentally and physically.

[Malama]

My experience is very similar to mammaya's. First birth was loooong (days), with 3.5 hours of pushing and second was about 4 hours of active labor with maybe 15 minuts of pushing. First baby was a pound and half bigger than his small brother.

The saying is that first births are long, second short, and third are unpredictable.

[fromscatteredtribe]

1st baby induced at 12 days post-due-date; pitocin tok two hours to be effective and then two more hours to completely dilate me, two hours of perineal massage by midwife and pushing like crazy and i needed an episiotomy, then he flew out...9 pounds 12.5 ounces

2nd baby i had mild labor pains the day after due datei didn't notice, bloody show around 4pm, took a slightly crampy nap on the wood floor of our just purchased condo i'd been mopping, and woke up to five min apart contractions, went to dinner, couldn't eat because i was in transition but could still talk and walk, went to old home to bathe and by then i was about nine centimeters (10:30 pm or so) i got to hospital and water broke as i started pushing and he was born 20 minutes or so after i arrived. 8 pounds, 6 oz.

3rd baby I felt totally minor cramping all day ten days before due date and finally noticed a pattern at about 10 pm of 5 minutes apart (although they never hurt until pushing-- i even told my husband to stay in arizona (we lived in chicago). it was a long labor but i was relaxed at home and felt no discomfort. i started pushing probably around 2am and he was born at 4am...9 pounds 8 oz.

[shelbean91]

my first 2 were the same, water broke early, almost no pain until 6 cm. 6 cm to 10 in 1 hr for my 1st, 30 min for my 2nd, 3 pushes they were out. Completely natural.

My 3rd was completely different. Water broke early, nothing for 36 hrs, end up having c-section. Blech.

[Celtain]

First baby, 17 hours of labor, 20 mins pushing, 8 pounds 6 oz. Second baby, 20 hours of labor, 20 mins of pushing, 8 pounds 7 oz. Third baby, 19 hours of labor, 25 mins of pushing, 7 pound 15 oz.

Good luck!!!!

[Shellie]

My second was a breeze compared to my first. I pushed for an hour with the first and less than half and hour with my second (and it could have gone faster, but I was taking my time, LOL!). I tore with my first and not with my second. My second was also over 2 pounds heavier than my first! The best part was knowing (generally) what to expect and not being so fearful about giving birth. I felt really empowered the second time--possibly also the result of reading many positive books about childbirth and doing lots of research.

[ccasanova]

in short, second time around will be shorter then the rest. your body know has the hang of things better, so your body has an easier time, cutting down the time. I had the longest with my 1st, also had back labor, shorter with 2nd, no back labor this time, and 3rd was an emergency c-section. Back labor won't nessasarily be something you'll have again just cuz you had it once, back labor just happens when your baby is facing the wrong side of your body-tummy instead of back. So if this baby is facing the right way, then you won't have a problem. HTH!

[HelloKitty]

My first labor was 16 hours but pushing was like 20 minutes and easy. My second labor was 15 hours but I pushed for like an hour and my third was 20 hours of labor and about two hours of pushing.

My water didn't break until I was in labor with my first two but for my third my water broke first and then labor started about 1/2 hour later.

[weebitty2]

both of mine were very short and very easy ... less than 4 hours total for each

[zonapellucida]

every birth is differrent!

[tofumama]

Hmmm...first baby was 51 hrs, with 6 hrs of pushing, and MAN did he have a cone head! Second was 'hurried' with pitocin (arg) b/c of my water breaking at 35 wks. That one was 22 hrs, 2 pushes and she was out. Back labor with 2nd also, b/c she was 'sunny-side up'. I could skip that this time, lol.

[AP Momma]

I'm on #5 and each one was completely different.

#1 was sunny side up and all back labor. I started contractions at 3am, 2 days before my due date, and delivered a 9lb 1oz girl at 12:36am. 2 hours of pushing and two tiny stitches. They broke my water at 8cm.

#2 Sadly was delivered at 20 weeks due to a chronic placenta abruption. Just a few pushes for his tiny body. Water broke on it's own some time in the previous night or day.

#3 was a heck of a birth. Contractions started again at 3am but this time 13 days past my due date. I labored in the tub which was fantastic btw, my water broke in the tub around 7cm. I kinda freaked because of the meconium and got out of the tub for some monitoring of the baby. Labor stalled at 9cm taking nearly an hour to get to 10.

During that time I decided to use the rest room when I was informed that I had some stool. Baby crowned while I was seated on the toliet. Again I freaked, refusing to deliver on the bathroom floor! Baby never dropped until delivery so it was a fast and furious delivery. She had a beautiful head! Despite perinatal massage, I ripped both inside and out delivering a 10 lb 1oz baby girl at 12:08pm.

#4 Sadly was delivered at 22 weeks due to a chronic placenta abruption. Just 3 pushes and he was delivered inside of the intact membranes. Dr. broke the sac post delivery.

#5 I'm hoping for a fast delivery of a "little" 8lb baby this time around.

Kris

[Kimberlytm]

wow, I guess it's just a coin toss at what kind of labor I may have with this next one. I'm just hoping for a shorter labor. hopefully this time I won't be so tired from being up for so long.

[AMum]

Both of my births were so similar it was sort of twilight zone-ish. Both 12 hours, both posterior occipital, first 9lbs, second 10lbs, 3oz. Both really hard labor all the way through. Heavy contrax. one on top of the other. It was crazy.

The big difference? Second baby was born in water. Far less back pain, far more exhuberant & energetic after the birth.

Leaves me a little scared about this next labor.