It is common remarks that people pass about subsequent birth are usually easier and faster to go through. To some extend, I believe it is true because scientifically if the cervix has been dilated before, it does not take as much effort to get it dilated again.
However, from my experience, I had a hard time dilating during labor for my second child despite my first child was born naturally. At 37 weeks, which was qualified for full term pregnancy, my obstetrician brought me the bad news that my water level was dropping and she had to induce me within the next few days.
Given that I was already ‘tired’ carrying this little boy in me for couple of months, I was more than happy to go for labor. The risk about induced labor is that if I did not react to the tablet inserted in me after third attempts; I had to go for C-section. Tablets were to be inserted every 6 hours to stimulate dilation of the cervix. So, after the first attempt at 2am, nothing happened. My husband and little boy in me apparently were too sleepy and decided not to start any labor. I was awake the whole night hearing the heartbeat monitor and was too anxious to fall asleep. At 10am, the nurse inserted to second tablet and I started to dilate shortly after. However, dilation was at snail speed and I got so tired lying down. By the time I was fully dilated, I have not’t got much energy left to make my first push.
You wouldn’t want to hear this but my obstetrician actually said, ‘Justina, believe that you are very angry with my hand and you want to push it out!’ Up to today, I didn’t want to know where she placed her hand and I couldn’t feel much of her hand because of the epidural effects.
After much sweat, teeth biting and yelling, my son was finally born. To my surprised, I had pushed too hard that my blood vessels busted. I was on the catheter throughout my stay at the hospital because I couldn’t pass urine naturally. I almost was not qualified for discharge because I was struggling to pass urine naturally and unable to meet the discharge criteria. At home, it took me 5 weeks to come to a complete recovery.
If anyone were to ask me whether subsequent births are ‘easier’, I would answer ‘no’ without much thought.
Justina Wang
Hi
I’m new here. Read your experience. I thought so that 3rd delivery would be easy. I too had my 3rd child but didn’t expect it would be so fast.
My Doc. told me that the each pregnancy is different and it will get easier with each one and process of birthing will be faster when I was pregnant with my 3rd.
Finally the D day was approaching. We were excited and eager to see our princess after 2 princes. On my last antenatal visit to my doc. which was 4 days before my due date.there isn’t any prominent symptom any so he gave me another last appointment which is 2 day pass my due date. He told me that if I am not due by then I would need to be induced. So we when back and happily doing my CNY shopping at Chinatown. Everyday I was busy shopping until on my due date I was still working in my office as there’s nothing happening! So I planned to shop again the next day.
I work up in the morning happily as I planned. As i was preparing to send the boys to the childcare I had a to go to the bathroom, so my hubby had to send the boys. About 15 mins later, I had another urge to go to the bathroom and nothing’s out. I went in and out of the bathroom 3 to 4 times with nothing out. I went back to my room and couldn’t come out as I had terrible pain that seems never ending. I call my hubby to come back fast as I was sitting helplessly on the floor in pain. He called the doc asst. before rushing to the hospital. Upon reaching the hospital I was being wheel to the labour ward I was frantically asking for epidural, not knowing that the process was so fast. The nurse ask me to push after 3-5 pushes approximately 15 mins my girl was born.