You know how everyone says that with their second baby their labor was a lot shorter than the first. Well, would that still be the case if you had a c-section with the first?

ARe you pregnant? Are you planning on a V-Bac? Is your first one 7 months? I am sorry I have a hard time keeping up with all the pregos! From my time in L&D...about 8 1/2 years...it seemed that V-Bacs went faster if they had had some labor time before their first section and it wasn't just scheduled. Also if there wasn't a lot of time between babies. Not everyone goes faster; but as a rule, if you don't go more than 4 or so years between babies, your labor is faster as the pelvis has already been stretched and the uterus too. I went from 7 1/2 hrs to 3 hrs to 1 1/2 hrs to 40 minutes...but all mine were vaginal with no epidurals.

Hi Leslie, no I'm not pregnant. I forgot to say that. But DH and I have been talking about ttc#2 at the beginning of the year so all this has been going through my mind. I will tell you a little bit about my labor with dd. I was 20 labor with her and ended with an emergency c-section. The first part of labor went beautifully, I was progressing well. I got up to 9cm and stopped dilating. I was like that for 12 hours and it was horrible bcuz I had the urge to push for that long as well and wasn't allowed to. But I think that had I progressed normally I would have coped with labor no problem. It was just that horrible urge to push. So with my next baby I would like a VBAC even though I'm scared now. I just don't want the same thing to happen. The reason I stopped dilating was bcuz dd head was tilted the wrong way. Anyway, I was just asking the question bcuz I was wondering if my next labor might be a bit shorter than the first. I think I would regret it if I never got to experience a natural labor. Anyway, thanks for your help.

I seriously think that every pregnancy is going to be different no matter how many kids you have. My second labor was shorter and I think that they most likely tend to be. But just keep an open mind. I did deliver both of mine naturally though. As long as you have no complications (heaven forbid), the baby will probably come quicker. Just make sure that you get a good doctor that respects your wishes on the natural birth. I don't know how they are in Scotland, but they really try to push women to have more c-sections after they have the first that way here in the US.

And good luck! How exciting that you are already thinking about having another baby! Timing will be perfect for them age-wise. :D

Like the others said every birth is different. I had two vaginal deliveries and DS#2's labor was much longer than DS#1's. But I pushed for DS#1 2 1/2 hours and I pushed only 4 times for DS#2.

And I don't know what what the story was with your daughters tilted head. But DS#1 had a tilted head in utero hence all the pushing and my OB said that it wasn't likely to happen again, it just depended on how the baby decided to situate itself.

Just talk with your doctor or midwife about your concerns and God will plan your perfect delivery.

Well, I don't know about policy on V-Bacs here in the states any longer ( they were pushing for women to V-Bac around 1991) and I certainly don't know about V-Bac policies in Scotland. I surely would wait at least a year before ttc if you do plan on a V-Bac. You are considered at risk in any pregnancy if conceived in less than a year from the birth of the previous child. Women do it all the time, but with wanting to V-Bac I would not want any lable of "at risk" to interfere.

Every labor is different...and the odds of the baby presenting in the same fashion would be a small one. Plus just going through the labor you went through might have created more room in your hip region. I delivered my second posterior (face up) and though the labor was shorter I pushed 25 minutes for him where as for the first I only pushed 15 minutes. I have baby making hips, the doc used to tell me. :lol:

Obviously God is in control of it all and the key is to have a healthy baby. I can see why you would want to experience natural childbirth though. I would be sure to talk about it with your doc...and of course pray about it. It will all turn out fine I am sure. Will be sure to keep you in prayer for that outcome should you ever reach that point in the future. Keep loving on that little one now. :D

I've heard that so many times but my second labour was actually longer. My first was 5 hours 20 minutes. My second was about 7 hours.
It just depends on the situation. With my first I was induced. With my second I was meant to be induced but they hadn't done it yet and my waters just broke LOL So I guess maybe because my second happened all on it's own that may be why it was a bit longer.

HTH

Thank you all for responding.

Leslie, yeah, I planned on giving my body a year to recover from the section so we will try for another one when that year is up which is Valentine's Day. Plus, I'm still b/f Abby and I plan on continuing until she's one so i wouldn't like to get pregnant until I've stopped b/f. I'm just trying to plan ahead I suppose. My mind constantly thinks about labor and babies. I'm obsessed with labor. I think I have a problem :lol: Anyway, that was the reason for my question. It's just been going through my mind lately and I just wondered what the odds were. Thanks for your responses.