Hi ladies. For those of you that have already been through labour once, I'm just wondering what it felt like when you went into labour second time around? was it similar to the first. I amk currently 36+3 and DD is only 20 months old but I'm still struggling to remember what the early contractions felt like! I remember getting mild period type pains, and then then the obvious really painful ones mid/ late labour but can't remember anything in between! Like do they go accross the whole of the bump, or just the bottom? Are they sharp/stabbing at any point?

Just asking out of interest as starting to get some strange pains and wondering if it could be early labour.

Thanks a lot.

my first labour was so random, it didnt hurt for so long i didnt think it was labour but it was, then suddenly it was like someone pressed the OUCH switch and i knew they were contractions as they built up and then peaked and then relaxed again.

i also had my waters go which helped me know it was labour.

I would love to know this too - how similar was your first & second labour ladies?! I had a relatively nice first labour - less than 7 hrs - what are my chances of a repeat event?!!

Thank you xx

My labours were completely different! With my little boy, he was b2b and i went in to labour 12 days over due at 8am. I had 3 sharp pains on my back in 30 minutes. Within an hour pains were between 5 and 7 minutes then half an hour later were every 3 minutes. Pain was excruciating in my back and i couldn't sit down. Got to at hospital at 12pm waters broke when I started to push and i was pushing for 4 hours! In the end I had to have an episiotomy and he shot out at 4.57pm.
With my daughter my waters broke 6 days before edd and contractions started 2 hours later

Sorry, phone wouldn't let me type anymore!
Anyhow... And all the pains were in my pelvis area but again were very quickly 3 mins apart. The pushing feelings were completely different and i was quite sure what was happing to me when less than 2 hours later my little girl was born!

Good luck ladies x

Mine we so different!

First 4 days late, full blown contractions from the start, 36 hours long, waters had to be broken for me..

Second 37 weeks..waters broke with a gush at the local carnival then contractions straight away..lol was very suprised! And my white linens weren't the best wardrobe choice aha..

I think every labour is as individual as the baby, but with both i had a bad tummy the night before..a really good clear out lol TMI!

xx

My 1st started with contractions followed by a show and my waters breaking during an internal examination at 8cm dilated, the whole labour lasting 49hrs. My 2nd labour started with a show and was then stop/start contractions(BH) until I eventually hit established labour with no doubt whatsoever the contractions were that intense, my waters had to be broken at 8cm dilated and with that everything really kicked off and the pushing time was a lot shorter with DD2 literally flying out onto the bed. You'll have blotted out most of your 1st time memory but you'll still know when it's the real thing 2nd time around.

My first and second labours were both short and fairly similar - tightenings with no pain and then very definite painful contractions. Before going into labour second time round I had a lot more braxton hicks, twinges and tightenings for a few weeks before giving birth.

Second labour was only 15 mins! (compared with 1hr 11m first time round).

I've had three children and it got easier each time - I think knowing what to expect made me relax. The first baby made an appearance after some twinges and my waters broke, the second vacated the premises after my waters broke unexpectedly in the middle of the night, the third had me in slow labour for over a month (much to the dismay of my poor midwife who kept assuring me I'd have had him within days...) then when my waters eventually broke I didn't believe I was in labour...and kept up this denial until he actually popped out. Literally. I was pushing and saying it was too soon and that I must be imagining it...and even when my OH looked and said "nope, he's definitely coming out" I still thought he was lying.

In short...I don't think experience necessarily helps with recognising the signs, but I believe it can help with the labour itself!

My 2 labours were very different.
DS1 was 14days overdue - I went into natural labour on the day I was due to be induced. First labour started with period pains which gradually intesified but never got unbearably painful. I had my waters broken because I wasn't dilating fast enough and the MWs were concerned I'd get too tired. After waters were broken things progressed really well. The MWs had to tell me to push because I didn't get that overwheming urge I'd heard so much about. I think I was pushing for 45mins-ish. DS1 weighed 8lb10oz. I never saw my labour notes so I don't know how long my labour was recorded as.

DS2 was 6days early - I had gestational diabetes so I knew I would have to be induced. I was expecting pessary then drip etc but when I was examined, the MW discovered I was dilated enough to just go ahead and break my waters . Within an hour of breaking waters I was having definite contractions and my god they hurt! The contractions were getting too much for me so I called the MW in, she examined me and I was distraught to learn I was only 5cm. I couldn't believe it because I thought I was getting the urge to push, the MW explained that in 2nd labours it's quite common to go from a small to dilation to to 2nd stage in a matter of minutes! Sure enough DS2 made an appearance about 5 contractions later. When the urge to push came there was no mistaking it, I swear wild horses pulling in the opposite direction wouldn't have stopped him. DS2 weighed 6lb8oz. Labour was officially recorded as 51mins.

Liz x

cant comment on second labour yet as just had my first 4 months ago but mine started with period type pains in pelvic area and round my lower back. very irregular and not painful at first. this started aroud 10pm. we were at the hospital at 1.30 as pains were coming every 3-4min but still not painful enough for me to believe i was in labour (even though i was 2 days overdue). at 1.45am my waters broke and i was examined, was 3cm so officially in established labour. it took only 3h from 3cm to fully dilated and boy did that hurt! from waters breaking it got sooo painful. the midwife totally missed how fast i was progressing though cause i started screaming for an epidural during what i now know was transition and got one and as soon as it was in she told me i could start pushing. a bit rubbish but at least i pushed him out without any intervention or episiotomy.

hi ladies

like jvl with bean, i had my first 4 months ago and not had a 2nd yet. Started with irregular period pains that came and went, for 2 days - not awful but couldnt sleep through them. had been 5-7 mins all night and then my waters went - crashing pains every minute. It started with this feeling where my whole body felt hot and i felt overwhelmed, then the pain radiated through my whole tummy and back - i thought it would feel like bad period pain but it didnt feel it was specifically where my uterus is - it was my whole tummy, back, legs - all of me. not like period pain at all. It was overwhelming - but my LO was back to back, head tilted up and to the side which explains labour not being able to establish. I was 3cm at the hospital and eas pushing like mad - so hard i felt like my insides would fall out (sorry if TMI - this is what it felt like!) was gutted to learn i was only 3cm, i had an epidural and after it was in i was 4cm. So i never felt labour beyond this point! thanks for this thread though as even though LO is only 4 months i often think about the time ill have another one. I think if the labour starts to repeat itself ill make similar decisions but would love to have a few hours start to finish in the pool if things are different. I ended up with a ventouse which meant a nasty episiotomy for me and a neck injury for bubba so would like to avoid these things if possible x