PeterPan Posted August 28, 2008 Share Posted August 28, 2008 Did you have a long labor (typical of 1st timers) with both of them, or did you have a shorter labor with your 2nd? I'll have 9 1/2 years between dd and the one due next month. Today my midwife tried to warn me that I could have a long labor again, just like with the 1st one, that my body might treat it as another 1st. My 1st was 23 hours, so I was really hoping for something shorter. Any thoughts or encouragement? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anissarobert Posted August 28, 2008 Share Posted August 28, 2008 I don't want to have to tell you this, but my kids are 6 and 4 years apart, and none of my labors were less than 24 hours. I have friends who always had short labors, no matter how long they were. I think it is hightly variable. I will hope you get lucky!:) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karenciavo Posted August 28, 2008 Share Posted August 28, 2008 I have 7.25 years between #2 & #3. I had a good labor with #3, 3.5 hours. #2 was insanity, less than an hour. #1 was 14 hours. She said it might happen, if she thought it was very likely she would have said it would probably happen. Does that help? :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kat19 Posted August 28, 2008 Share Posted August 28, 2008 It was 11 years for mine and labor was awful. I was in the hospital a week before baby was born because I had problems~high blood pressure and so on.. I had to be induced..They started the IV at 6:30 in the morning. Baby didn't come until 11:20 at night. It was a rough delivery for me, but I had some problems and ended up on oxygen and then I thought it made it harder to push. Hopefully you won't have any problems and baby will be ready to make his/her appearance :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mom31257 Posted August 28, 2008 Share Posted August 28, 2008 Mine are 6 years apart and the labor was definitely shorter with the second. I did have to be induced the second time, though, because he was a week over due. Our dd was born on the day she was due. My labor time with her (not counting some starting and stopping for a couple of days) was about 10 hours. My labor with ds was 4.5 hours. I had to push for 1.5 hours with her, but only about 5-10 minutes with him. Their weights were exactly the same, 8 lbs. 2 oz., but he was 21" and she 19.5". I did deliver with epidurals both times, if that makes any difference. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Confuzzled Posted August 28, 2008 Share Posted August 28, 2008 10 years between #2 and #3. Both labors were about 8 hours. Kris ETA: Labor with #1 was about 12. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OnTheBrink Posted August 28, 2008 Share Posted August 28, 2008 My dc are 10 years apart and my first labor was 15 hours, from the water breaking until birth. My second labor was 5 hours of induced labor. Dd was transverse, so they hit me hard with the pit to get her to turn around, which she did. So, the variables with my labors were different. Regardless of all that, my doc did tell me that it's normal to have a "first labor" again when the pregnancies are so far apart. So, my encouragement to you is, don't worry about it! :D While it's normal to have a long labor with a second child so long after the first, it's not a given. Relax, and things will go great! :grouphug: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mamasteff Posted August 28, 2008 Share Posted August 28, 2008 :001_huh: Don't know if this thread is helpful to you at all... I think that all labors are different, no matter how far apart. My girls are 7.5 years apart. The first labor was 8 hours, the second was 26. Although, the first I pushed for way too long (2 hours) and got exhausted, and the second I only pushed for maybe 10 minutes - even with the years, I knew what needed to get done and did it better the second time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted August 28, 2008 Share Posted August 28, 2008 :001_huh: Don't know if this thread is helpful to you at all... I think that all labors are different, no matter how far apart. :iagree: My mom had a 13 year gap between baby #2 & #3. While baby #3 wasn't fast or short, baby #4 was her quickest and easiest of all her kids! You're going to do great. :grouphug: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PariSarah Posted August 28, 2008 Share Posted August 28, 2008 The first induction took about 12 hrs. The second never really got started, since ds didn't tolerate the pitocin. We moved to a c-sect pretty quickly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Angel Posted August 28, 2008 Share Posted August 28, 2008 6 years here. I was COUNTING on a shorter labor :D Dd#1 was 22 hours (pushed for 4). Dd#2 was 17 hours (pushed for 2), so it was shorter. I was hoping for one of those 2 hour births that I have heard so much about:D I think my body is just no good at giving birth. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karen sn Posted August 28, 2008 Share Posted August 28, 2008 6 years here. I was COUNTING on a shorter labor :D Dd#1 was 22 hours (pushed for 4). Dd#2 was 17 hours (pushed for 2), so it was shorter. I was hoping for one of those 2 hour births that I have heard so much about:D I think my body is just no good at giving birth. Be careful what ya wish for! I've had friends tell me the intensity of a short labor is insane. Although I would take my chances with one! Because now that I am writing this....I would rather go intense and get it over with than be stuck wondering, "Will it ever end?" So scratch that previous comment. Pushing is soooo much work when you're at it so long. Your 2 hours makes my push time seem like nothing. (I don't really know how long I pushed 30 to 45 minutes? Maybe an hour? I know it wasn't 2 hours! But my dd had the biggest cone head I have ever seen). OP: Just visualize what you want. Imagine a smooth short labor. I don't care what anyone says - your body will *remember* and so there is the chance of a shorter labor. And you have BTDT - you KNOW you can do it again. And so if you relax and limit the amount of people in the room and they are quiet and calm you will probably go faster. Just keep visualizing what it is you want for the birth and when you get there remember to breathe. I am due before you. I am actually in my window.....but not due for 2 more weeks. I have decided I am not weighing myself anymore. I just don't even want to know. I will let you know how the labor goes - shorter or same. I am doing water birth at home with an awesome midwife. ETA: Babies 11 years apart. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nicole not in CA Posted August 28, 2008 Share Posted August 28, 2008 My labors were about the same in duration and intensity. 4 hrs. 20 min. with my first and 4 hr. 34 min. with the second. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nicole not in CA Posted August 28, 2008 Share Posted August 28, 2008 Be careful what ya wish for! I've had friends tell me the intensity of a short labor is insane. Karen, I don't know if 4.5 hrs. qualifies as short labor (I think it does), but I would agree with this. During labor I felt like I was trying to just hang on to get through the wild ride. I had hard hard labor the entire way through with no rest in between contractions. It really was not gradual at all. The L&D nurse told me (with dd #2), "Honey, you are fast and furious. Your labor patterns are just as good if not better than we would ever hope to see with someone on pitocin." Except I didn't have pitocin that time. :glare: I've read that the average labor is 12 hrs, and that short labors are so intense because one's body is accomplishing in such a short time what would normally take much longer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
momzilla333 Posted August 28, 2008 Share Posted August 28, 2008 My first was long (at least I thought so) with forceps. number two was so quick we delivered him in the bucket seat of our car, No kidding, and it was the easiest of all. 10 years later with number three, we headed to the hospital way early and she was born in two hours. So I guess the time between them didn't make much difference? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterPan Posted August 28, 2008 Author Share Posted August 28, 2008 Thanks everybody, that does help! And Karenciavo, you helped me understand what my midwife meant. She wasn't saying it WILL be long, just that it COULD be. Now I understand, thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nicole not in CA Posted August 28, 2008 Share Posted August 28, 2008 number two was so quick we delivered him in the bucket seat of our car, No kidding, and it was the easiest of all. 10 years later with number three, we headed to the hospital way early and she was born in two hours. That great that your short labors were easy! I think that ultimately everyone is different, and there is no "normal." I have to say, it would be a bit unnerving to me to deliver in a car. :001_smile: I think my dh would pass out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nicole M Posted August 28, 2008 Share Posted August 28, 2008 Mine are 5 years apart and my second labor was exactly half as long as the first, so 8 and 4 hours. I drank lots of raspberry leaf tea the second time around, and I planned a home birth and had lots of support. I would like to think that because I was proactive about preparing for the birth, and because the second pregnancy was planned and because I was in water for the most difficult part of the labor, because I wasn't in a Stadol-induced stupor -- I'd like to think that all that stuff shortened the labor, made my labor super efficient. Please trust that your body knows what it's doing. It may have been a while, but you know you've done this before and you know your body can do it. The idea that "your body" might treat this like a first birth, as if "you" are separate from your body... that is silly. Don't let your midwife put a hex on you, planting a seed of prophesy! I personally think that half the battle with labor is yielding to the process. You know how to do that, right? (And all you other readers! I am not in any way implying that women who have needed C-sections were at fault for any reason whatsoever, or that y'all failed to yield!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nicole M Posted August 28, 2008 Share Posted August 28, 2008 I've read that the average labor is 12 hrs, and that short labors are so intense because one's body is accomplishing in such a short time what would normally take much longer. No kidding. This is why I don't know how you people give birth in the open air. Water is a godsend. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carrie12345 Posted August 28, 2008 Share Posted August 28, 2008 I haven't had a very big gap between children, but I don't buy into predictions! #1- a "gentle":glare: induction- 34 hours #2- a "straight up" induction- 8 hours #3- 100% natural baby - 6 hours #4- sort of natural (tried a little boost, didn't sit well with baby)- 16 hours Babies have their own agenda. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nicole not in CA Posted August 28, 2008 Share Posted August 28, 2008 No kidding. This is why I don't know how you people give birth in the open air. Water is a godsend. Oh man, you have no idea how much I would have loved to go the water route. I would have loved to have a home birth or use a birthing center with my last. Unfortunately, my deliveries are very high risk, so the risk of delivering outside of a hospital is not an option for me. And hospitals aren't great at offering alternative options. :( Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
momzilla333 Posted August 28, 2008 Share Posted August 28, 2008 That great that your short labors were easy! I think that ultimately everyone is different, and there is no "normal." I have to say, it would be a bit unnerving to me to deliver in a car. :001_smile: I think my dh would pass out. Well, unnerving is putting it mildly:blink:. But it all turned out well and I swear the bucket seat is a whole lot better than a table or bed. And DH did just fine. But a home waterbirth sure does sound great. :thumbup: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
susie in tx Posted August 28, 2008 Share Posted August 28, 2008 I had the shortest period of time between my 3rd and my 4th, but I had a lot more pre-labor with that 4th one and it lasted longer. There will be about 5 years in between these next two. I'm expecting it to be about the same, but I dunno. I'm enjoying reading these stories because I hope that this one is not as long as the last. FWIW, my pushing has been at about 20-30 minutes since my second. The first one was much longer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sassenach Posted August 28, 2008 Share Posted August 28, 2008 My last kid, who was also my closest spacing, was my longest labor. They went like this- #1- induced, 1 day early, 6 hour labor #2- emergency c section, no labor #3- vbac, 2 days late, not induced, 8 hour labor #4- vbac, 5 days late, not induced, 17 hour labor I think my hard labor was about the same with all of them, about 3 hours. Pushing was also the same with all of them, about 3 pushes. I'm not sure that there is any rhyme or reason to the rest of it. They come how they come : ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rafiki Posted August 28, 2008 Share Posted August 28, 2008 . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mamasteff Posted August 28, 2008 Share Posted August 28, 2008 I just want to say that no matter what the labor is like, I LOVE the gap between my girls. It works well for me and for our family. The baby loves her big sister and does anything to try to be like her. The big sister loves the baby but is able to close the door or wait 5 minutes for the baby to lose interest. It is a GREAT thing, and you will learn to roll your eyes at the "wow! big gap!" comments... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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