I'll be 28 weeks on Monday so I still have a longish way to go until labor and delivery, but a couple of things have been on my mind lately...
Part One: I have been having Braxton Hicks contractions since about 23 weeks. It's to the point now where I have several every day (Two or three in the morning and two or three again at night). I read a theory on another forum that women who have a lot of BH contractions have a faster/easier labor and delivery. Do you think there is any truth to that?
I had, what I consider to be, a pretty normal amount of BH contractions when I was pregnant with Oliver. I think they started at around 30 weeks and I had them a couple times per week until about 36 weeks. At about 36 weeks, I started having them every day (Some days I had so many, that I actually started to time to them). Oliver was born one day after his due date, and it was a pretty easy experience... 10 hours from start to finish. But, since I'm planning to try to do it without drugs again, it would be nice to have an even shorter/easier labor and delivery with Elizabeth, which brings me to...
Part Two: Everyone says that second labor and deliveries are faster/easier than the first one. Was that true for you?
And yes, I know that all labor and deliveries are different and that no one can tell me for sure exactly what it will be like. This is mostly just for fun! :)
I had them with both but I had real contractions that early with my oldest because of being sick. I don't know if they help anything at all. I know my sister in law's first was fast and her second one was slower but I think every baby is different.
Didn't have many BH with either child.
First one, I was in labor 12 hours. Two hours of pushing, complications for both of us, although was fine in the end.
Second one, I was in labor 12 hours. 20 minutes of pushing. Face-first baby (thank you, epidural, or I've been told it would have been excruciating), so I tore a lot. Easier delivery, rougher recovery due to the tearing.
1st one labor for 13 hours, push for 20 min.
2nd one in labor for 6 hours, 1 push.
No BH with either.
I don't really recall much about BH with any of my kids. I know I had some, but not to a degree that I remember.
Each of my deliveries was faster and easier than the last.
- First was 22 hours of labor including an hour of pushing, 42 weeks
- Second was 9 hours of labor with 10 minutes of pushing, a day shy of my due date
- Third was 5 hours of labor with 3 minutes of pushing, a week early
- Twins were a bit of a wildcard - induced at 37 weeks, about 5 hours of labor until time to push and then a few minutes of pushing for the first baby (baby girl) and 40 minutes for the sunny-side up baby boy. So early and fast labor, but artificially started on purpose.
Child #1 very few BH. Was finally induced 2 weeks after due date.
Child #2 lots of BH. Went into labor 10 days before due date! :)
I had Braxton Hicks all three times.
#1- 39 weeks. 14 hours total. Water broke at home prior to contractions. I was 0 cm dilated when I got to the hospital. I needed Pitocin and the labor was miserable until I could get the epidural at 4cm. I pushed for 30 minutes.
#2- 37 weeks. 7 hours total. Water broke at home again. Was 3 cm when I got to the hospital. They gave me the epidural right away, and it was the best/easiest of my three labor experiences. I was able to rest and relax for the next five hours or so, then pushed for 20 minutes.
#3-38 weeks. 6 hours from the time the contractions started coming hard and regular until birth. But, I felt like I'd been in labor for 6 weeks. I had early contractions and had to go to L&D 5 times. The first 3 times, they stopped the contractions with meds. The 4th time, they didn't give me anything to stop it, but the contractions died down and they sent me home. A week later, I went in for my 38 week appt and asked to have my membranes stripped. I walked out of there and knew it was going to happen that night. I had irregular contractions until about midnight when they suddenly became very strong and regular. When I got to the hospital, I was 7cm. They gave me the epidural after making me wait an hour while the dr. was busy. Two hours later, the dr. came in and broke my wate, and it was time to start pushing. I pushed for 45 mins as he was sunny side up. #3 was definitely my hardest.
So, long story long...My second was easier than my first, but my 3rd was the hardest of all!
BTW, I love the name Elizabeth! Beautiful choice!
I had lots of BH contractions - some were even painful during the last trimester.
1st baby - one wk late - 2.5 hrs labor start to birth
2nd baby - 2 days early - 1.5 hr labor start to birth
My labors come on like a hurricane of pain, no pre labor stuff here! lol! but then they are over quickly! No drugs either, maybe that helps keep them moving along fast????? idk - runs in my family, but no one had them as fast as me - 5-7 hrs is more the norm with my mom and sister.
Nope and Nope.
First was quick and easy. Was not dialated nor effaced at all the day before she was born.
Second was much worse, took longer, was 2 weeks over due, was huge. Was 2-3cm and 80% effaced 3 weeks before my due date. Still went 2 weeks over due.
Not for me. My second pregnancy was constant B&H from early on...it turned into a terrible L& D resulting in an emergency C-Section. And my first delivery was much easier than my second. Sorry!
Well since you do understand that it doesn't matter how many children you have, that ALL deliveries can be different, here is my experience.
Out of 4 kids, I had BH with 3 of them, nearly the entire pregnancy. The 3rd & 4th kids I had the most BH. The 4th kid was 12 days early. I was very uncomfortable so went to hospital cuz I also had a large fibroid in uterus w baby and baby didn't seem to be moving much. The nurse checked me and I wasn't dilated. Then my water broke and she was born 40 minutes later.
The other 3 were born in 2-4 hours
Having a baby in 40 minutes, starting at 0 cm and going to 10 cm was BRUTAL.
I don't know the answer to the question about BH contractions. I just want to say that sometimes you can't tell the difference between preterm labor starting and BH, so don't take chances if they last longer. Get in to have the doctor check you. (Having had preterm labor starting at 24 weeks, I went through this - not fun.)
I'll also tell you that I had 23 hours of labor with both children. With the first, it took forever to get to 4 cms, and with the second, I quickly got to 4 and then stalled.
V. Rae,
The difference between BraxtonHicks and labor is the Braxon come and go....labor is consistent every 10 minutes, etc. It's good that you time them.
With my boys - oldest labor was 4 hours 57 minutes. Second - 3 hours 32 minutes. With the oldest, I went into labor at 26 weeks and delivered at 34 weeks. We knew he was going to be early so my doctor gave me the steroid shot to build up his lungs.
My youngest was 4 weeks premature - born with pneumonia - given a 50/50 chance to survive as he had stopped breathing 3 times on his first day of life. He flatlined on me when I was able to go visit him in the NICU. It was scary.
Hope this helps! Good luck!
My first was a C-section, so I don't think that's relevant to the delivery bit. But I definitely had a LOT more BH and early labor with my second. He was delivered just shy of 42 weeks, 12 hours of labor, 2 hours of pushing. I think my body really needed all of the early contractions to get ready to push out my 9 lb 2 oz kiddo :) Everyone that I know that had 2 vaginal deliveries had an easier time with the second. No guarantees, but here's hoping that is true for you!!
