Second babies come faster?

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-28-2006
Second babies come faster?
8
Sun, 04-02-2006 - 9:55am
Everyone has told me that your second born usually comes faster (during birth)and comes before your edd. Any truth to this? I am praying so!!!
iVillage Member
Registered: 09-29-2005
Sun, 04-02-2006 - 10:32am

Generally speaking, second babies are thought to take about half as long as first babies (assuming you had a vaginal delivery with your first), because your body is already experienced in giving birth, your muscles are more lax than the first time around and your contractions are more productive.

My first daughter took a little over 10 hours (including an hour or two of pushing), while my second took about 4 hours and only 2 or 3 pushes.

I've heard that first babies often go a bit past their due date, but not that subsequent ones come before it. I think generally if you went around your due date with the first, you'll probably do so with the second as well (unless of course the pregnancies were closely spaced, and in that case it is more common you will go into labor a bit before your due date).

Incidentally, I had both my girls on their due dates, and I am due in less than three weeks with this one (closely spaced, since my younger dd is only 15 months old, but no baby yet! LOL).

HTH

~Kelli


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iVillage Member
Registered: 06-22-2003
Sun, 04-02-2006 - 12:07pm
Um...I don't know. I've heard that too but I kind of wish it wasn't true! My firstborn came exactly two weeks early and my labor was only six hours long! It was a breeze! I'm scared that a second baby would come TOO quickly-like in the car! So I'm worried about this. Also, I wouldn't want a baby to come any earlier than two weeks early. It was nice not to have to go through the last two, uncomfortable weeks of pregnancy but any earlier would be nerve-wracking. Good luck!
iVillage Member
Registered: 06-25-2004
Sun, 04-02-2006 - 1:50pm
In my experience, faster, yes, earlier, no! My first dd was born the day after my due date after a whole weekend of slow but steady contractions. I was all prepared for dd#2 to arrive on time or early, but she had other plans - 12 days late!!! I was due to have an induction the morning she arrived if I hadn't gone into labor on my own! Anyway, I stayed at home as long as possible, thinking my labor would be slow again, and she flew out 30 minutes after we arrived at the hospital.
HTH! All the best,
Jodi
Mom to Pippa and Romilly
ehk8apThanks, mom2jess_n_ky! <
iVillage Member
Registered: 10-13-2005
Sun, 04-02-2006 - 2:10pm

I agree with the delivery being faster - not sure about the due date.


My 1st dd was 10 days late and I was in labor for a total of 17 hours. The 1st 10 hours - I was dilated at 4 cm.

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iVillage Member
Registered: 06-14-2003
Sun, 04-02-2006 - 5:53pm

Labor does TEND to be shorter w/ subsequent births. There are always variations to the rule, though, so don't absolutely count on it!

As for the birth day itself, there is also a general rule that subsequent pregnancies TEND to be shorter but I can attest that that is absolutely not always the case. DS #1 was 18 days late; ds #2 was 1 day early; ds #3 was 8 days late; ds #4 was 10 days late!

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-27-2003
Mon, 04-03-2006 - 12:01pm

My first was a very long labor that ended with an emergency c/s. But that was due to her position.

My second (my first vaginal delivery) was a 13 hour labor with about 40 minutes of pushing. I had gotten to 6 cm with my first and then during the labor with my second I got to 6 cm incredibly quickly. Your body does have memory.

My third (my second vaginal delivery) was a 5 hour labor with only 3 pushes (including a trial push!).

Avatar for aprilmay78
iVillage Member
Registered: 04-24-2003
Mon, 04-03-2006 - 12:26pm
Thanks for all your posts!

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iVillage Member
Registered: 10-24-2005
Mon, 04-03-2006 - 5:16pm
Well, I just had my first baby 2.5 weeks ago (vaginal) and I am also curious as to how fast second babies come. I was induced due to high blood pressure 4 days before my due date, but had been 2cm dilated and about 50% effaced for the past 2 doctor visits. I had been having irregular, uncomfortable contractions for several weeks. When the checked me the morning of my induction, I was 3cm 80% effaced at 8am. An hour later I was 4cm and 90%. They started the Pitocin to induce. By 10:30am I was 6cm, and by 11am I couldn't take the contractions any more...got my epidural. By 1pm I was completely dilated and fully effaced, but my OB was in a c-section that lasted longer than she anticipated. So I had to wait to push for 2 and half hours...and so I had my baby girl at 4:36pm and only pushed for an hour. So all in all, my labor was only about 5 hours long. I live an hour away from the hospital...hopefully when #2 comes along, it won't be born in the car!