Subsequent labours

[charula]

Are subsequent labours quicker then the previous in your experience and do you think the length of time between kids/labours have an impact on duration??

[mrsd]

In my experience, the second labour is much easier than the first.

However, other factors also make an impact. The most important is your physical fitness. The fitter and healthier you are, the easier for you to cope with labour (and therefore, the easier it will be).

Posterior (backache) labours, which are very common for your first, are always drawn out and more difficult (though not as long for later labours as for your first).

Personally, I had:

A (now 16) - backache labour - 25 1/2 hours
B (now 15) - 8 hours
C (now 13) - 2 1/2 hours
D (now 11) - backache labour - 7 hours
E (now 8) - 6 hours
F (now 6) - 2 1/2 hours
G (now 4) - 6 hours
H (now 10mths) - 6 hours

I don't think age gaps have much impact except with your fitness levels, perhaps.

The size of the baby can have an impact on the "pushing" part but not necessarily much (H was 11lb 7ozs and 1 push!). G should have been much faster but I was exhausted - I'd stayed up to 2am the morning before to finish work .

Hope it helps.

[mumma2ajem]

mine were quicker dd who was born march 09 was 3 hr 46 mins ( that's what i say my labour was that's from waters breaking to her being born but on paper from cx to her birth is 1 hr 46 mins )
ds born dec 2010 according to me is 1 hr 16 mins ( but on paper from cx to him being born is 20 mins)

dd weighed 2.5 kg born at 38 weeks and ds weighed 3.2kg born at 36 weeks

[lil miss]

I think it depends on the woman. My first was 7 hours (inlcuding 1 hour pushing) from first contraction to birth- went from nothing to 5cm dilated in under 30 mins. The midwife said it would have been a much shorter labour but my blood pressure sky rocketed so I was given an epidural and it slowed everything down. DD1 was born 7 pound 7 ounces (3.51kg)

My second was 2 hours from first contraction to birth- from 5cm dilated to birth was 45 minutes including 15 minutes pushing. DD2 was born 6 pound 3 ounces (2.9kg). No pain relief at all.

I am 27 weeks pregnant with our third, will be interesting to see how this one goes.