Faster labor 2nd time, do I count?

[smjmekg]

Ok so I know you supposedly go through labor faster the second time around but does it count if it's a VBAC?

[ng15]

Hard to know how far you'll make it, every pregnancy can be very different. I have a friend who went 41 weeks 2 days with her second. Hope you make to 40 though and that your delivery is smooth!

[smjmekg]

My OB has already okayed the vag delivery pending any issues. I was 1cm and 50% effaced at 33 weeks with my son, and stayed that way until the c-section at 39 weeks. I'm wondering if I'd even make it to 40 with this one if I had the pressure of her head on my cervix...I had Braxton Hicks from before 20 weeks with my son, and I've had them since 17-18 with this one. At 25 weeks with my son I had to get a shot because they were 5 min apart.

[ng15]

With a c-section with your first baby, you are essentially a prime (1st baby) when it comes to delivery. The reason 2nd babies tend to come faster is because your body has already done this before, but with a scheduled c-section, it hasn't. It doesn't necessarily mean you will have a long labor, I have seen woman have fast labors with their first babies. Still, your cervix needs to dilate and all the tissues need to stretch to allow baby to descend. Good news though, since your first c-section was for a breech presentation (as opposed to failure to progress or descend), there's really no reason to think that this baby can't be born vaginally. Good luck!! (PS: I'm a labor & delivery nurse).

[Limonada]

I had vaginal births both times so, sorry, I don't know about VBACs.....but I can tell you that the "labour is quicker the second time around" thing doesn't work for everyone, lol.  I was induced both times and had an epidural both times - really needed the epidural the first time.....the second time I wonder if I couldn't have maybe done it on my own, but that's a moot point now.  Anyway, I was in labour for 8 hours the first time and 12 hours the second time.  I count from when active labour started in both cases (ie. hard contractions that I could no longer talk and interact with DH and the nurses through.  

[smjmekg]

*bump*

[5n1]

Well I am not experienced in VBACs, but, I was in labor for 16 hours(all natural) with my first, and with my second literally my water broke and 1 hour later, I was holding my baby...So, yeah I would definately say you could go quicker....But shoot with this one I am carrying, I was supposed to be scheduled for an induction tomorrow, but, my cervix is unfavorable, so now I have to wait and find out wednesday if I can induce...I am almost 40 weeks, and my cervix is 4cm, not effaced, soft, but, posterior. I will pray for you to have a quick and safe delivery

[smjmekg]

LOL! Definitely the coolest dorks ever! But what else is a SAHM to do?

Yeah I think terbutaline is what my pregnant brain is trying to think of. I don't think I could do just one more...I'm not a three kids person, it's gotta be two or four, yeah I'm a crazy dork!

Lol, I bet she will be a mini me! Elijah was my mini me exactly! He still looks like me but he's looking more like his daddy the older he gets :-P.  

[Ashelen]

hehehe that's hilarious that you said that on FB that's totally what I was doing..we're such dorks...but the coolest dorks EVER!!!

anyway didn't mean to hijack your post hopefully *bump* someone with csection/vbac experience knows the ansawer :D night girly!

[Ashelen]

terbutaline? or whatever? yeah you know I'm not one of them either LOL. I think I've got one more baby in me, but it's gonna have to be at least 2 years down the road so my body can recover 'cause I can't afford to go through an end of pregnancy like the one I just went through.

Okay we'll say 38+5 then and a happy early birthday present to your mom LOL.

but heck if you had full-blown pre-term contractions with Elijah you'll probably make it to exactly 37 or 38wks but no longer...which is of course just fine if baby decides she wants to be an early bird (early by 3 or 2 wks Miss Mini-Sabrina...no EARLY early appearances missy!)

[smjmekg]

NO!!! Not 39 weeks!!! That's my mom's b-day, lol. I've been told Dec 5 is allowed because from the 1-6 have b-days already except the 5th. I'm thinking Nov 30. 38+5...that's only 18 more weeks, lol.

With Elijah I had to go to the hospital a few times, but only one time at 25 weeks did I have to get the...um, t word shot to stop them, they were 5 min apart...THAT was scary! And then after I went a couple times because they said before 36 weeks come in if they were 10 min apart, and of course I'd get to the hospital and get hooked up, and MAYBE one would happen while I was there. But oh well, I'm not one of the ones that go from day one to delivery day with NO complications, NO issues, No nothing!

[Ashelen]

you should be fine as long as you continue to hydrate then.. I had awful BH from fairly early on with Grey...our bodies are just getting good at pregnancy by the second time around ;). Hmm I'm thinking (and praying for you!) that you'll pop at 39wks all on your own with a nice upside-down baby....and that it'll be a nice easy, fast L&D!

[smjmekg]

Lol! Ain't that the truth!

I guess it was because of the BH that I think I won't make it if I have the pressure of a head on my cervix...19 weeks and 2 days until we find out for sure if I'll make it to 40. I don't care either way the closer to 40 the better, but hopefully not over! I've already been feeling BH with this baby for the last couple weeks, and I'm only 20+5...kinda worries me, but I'm not working and I don't stay on my feet all day, and I'm drinking constantly.

[Ashelen]

ohh that's right now I remember! hmm hmm hmm...yeah I say it'll still be a shorter labor than you would have if it was your first birth..but maybe I'm just hopeful for you LOL.

I swore I would never make it to 40 with Kahlan...and I did. exactly to 40..and with this one I kept swearing black and blue I wouldn't make it past 38...and when they induced me at like, what..39+2/3? my body was already starting labor on it's own but I might've been closer to 40 without the induction...babies have a way of frustrating us just when we feel like we've figured 'em out.

[smjmekg]

It was a scheduled c/s since Elijah was breech. I had been having BH contractions since before 23 weeks, and am again with this one. At 33 weeks with Elijah I was 1 cm and 50% effaced. I wonder if I would have gone to 40 weeks with him if I had his head putting pressure down there...I told my mom I don't think I will this time around, if it's similar.

[Ashelen]

Probably...I mean, you got cut shortly before you would've started pushing so the only part that was shortened was the pushing stage, and some women don't even end up pushing for as long as a c-section takes so yeah I'd say it counts...unless...was it a scheduled c-section where you didn't labor? I don't remember you saying it was, but I'm not sure.

I mean I only pushed for like 25 min first time and like 6 mins second...so it was shorter for me than a c-section would've been.