Birth of a second child
5 Surprising Facts About Giving Birth the Second Time
There’s no question that preparing for giving birth the first time can come with a lot of questions. For many, the first time they experience birth is when they are giving birth themselves (except for watching it on TV—which, P.S., is almost never accurate). When it comes to giving birth a second time, you may find that you still have a lot of questions. Sure, you’ve done it before, but giving birth is always a big deal, and it’s natural if you find yourself wondering whether your second birth will be different from your first.
Every birth is different. This is especially true if the “type” of birth differs—for example, if you had a C-section birth the first time and are planning a VBAC (vaginal birth after Cesarean) for your second birth. If you are having a second vaginal birth, it will likely be at least a little different than your first—though it’s impossible to say for certain how your second birth will differ.
What you might experience giving birth the second time
1. Your second labor might go faster
While first labors usually last an average of 18 to 24 hours, second labors tend to clock in much shorter, with an average of about 8 hours. Certainly, this will vary, but many pregnant people do experience a faster birth the second time around.
Once you’ve given birth, your muscles and ligaments will relax into the process more readily, since everything has been stretched already, so the baby will move down more easily. Your cervix can also dilate (open) faster.
Related: This viral photo of the cervical dilation process is incredibly eye-opening
2. Pushing is often faster in a second birth, too
The muscles and ligaments in your pelvis and vagina have already done the work of making room for and pushing out a baby, so the second time generally goes faster. This varies too, but first-time moms can push anywhere between 20 minutes and 3 hours, while second-time moms are usually done within an hour (often even faster).
Learning how to push can be a little awkward at first. But second-time moms already know how to do it, so they tend to push more effectively from the get-go.
3. You may–or may not—go into labor sooner with your second birth
Your baby’s due date is at the 40-week mark of pregnancy. You’ve probably heard by now that your baby’s due date is just an estimate based on the first day of your last period.
The average first-time mom will give birth at 39 weeks and 5 days. Anecdotally, second-time moms often say that their second baby arrived a few days earlier than the first, but surveys show they generally arrive right around the same time as the first. The idea that second babies come sooner may be a myth.
However, one study found that if the gap between pregnancies is shorter than one year, the second pregnancy is more likely to be slightly shorter.
Waiting for the baby to come never gets easier though. If you’re at your due date and want to try to get things going, here are some ideas.
But as you know, once it starts there is no turning back, so try to enjoy these last moments as a mama of one!
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4. You might feel more cramping during postpartum this time around
Many experience cramping for the first three to five days when they breastfeed or chestfeed. When the baby latches, your body releases the hormone oxytocin, which helps you fall in love with your baby, but also makes your uterus cramp in order to stop the postpartum bleeding and to shrink back down to its pre-pregnancy size.
Related: Yes, your pregnancy hormones plummet after birth. Here’s what to know about the postpartum hormone crash
5.
You might feel more confident—in birth and motherhoodEven though your second birth will be different than your first, you have been through the process, and know a bit more about what to expect. You’ll trust that your body can do it, and above all, you know what you get out of it all—the sweetest little reward ever. Many moms find that they enjoy motherhood more the second time around, because they worry less and trust themselves more. And if you don’t, remember you can always reach out for help.
A version of this post originally appeared on May 17, 2021. It has been updated.
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Second baby: will I have a different birth experience? Your questions answered | Pregnancy articles & support
Will your second labour be a re-run of your first? Or is there no link between the two? Here we find out what you can expect second time around.
Will my second birth follow a similar pattern to my first?
Every birth is different, and although some women’s labour follows a similar path, others have a very different experience.
If your last birth was difficult, you might have a more straightforward experience this time.
Couples often say that they feel more prepared and able to use the strategies they learnt more easily than first-timers.
If you have worries or anxiety about a previous birth, it’s really important to talk them through with someone. Maybe you could chat with your midwife, a supportive friend or your partner (Rcpsych, 2018). Most hospitals offer a birth debrief or listening service so you can chat through your notes with a health professional.
If I have a bigger age gap between children, is the birth more likely to be different?
This doesn’t seem to be the case. But there are a lot of factors that might influence the gap in between your children that may make your labour different. For example, you may be planning to give birth in a different place, have a new partner or have learnt new self-help strategies.
It depends on the reason for the previous caesarean. If you would like to have a vaginal birth for this baby, then the odds are in your favour.
About three out of every four women who have had one previous caesarean go on to have a successful VBAC (RCOG, 2016).
Is labour likely to be faster second time around?
Yes, labour is likely to be shorter with a second or subsequent birth (NICE, 2014).
It is especially likely that the early part will become stronger more quickly, so you might need to consider getting to the place where you will give birth earlier than last time. The average duration of established first stage for women who have given birth before is five hours rather than eight, and it is likely to be shorter than 12 hours instead of 18 (NICE, 2014).
Unless you had a caesarean before, the active (pushing) part of labour is also likely to be shorter too, within two hours rather than three. That’s because your muscles and vagina have done this work before (NICE, 2014).
If I had a fast labour first time, is that likely to happen again?
Yes, for most women their labours are shorter with their second baby. So if you struggled to get to hospital or a birth centre last time, you might want to consider a home birth this time around.
Will I need similar pain management to last time?
If you didn’t have much pain managment last time, you probably learnt which coping techniques worked for you. This time, you might feel more confident and able to manage the strong sensations again using the same methods.
Even if you found it difficult to cope last time, knowing what to expect could mean that you are able to prepare. For example, you could learn a toolkit of breathing techniques or ensure you have a supportive birth partner.
Will my second birth be less painful?
Although the sensations of the contractions are likely to be the same, most women say that they are able to cope with them more easily.
Knowing what to expect and preparing beforehand play a role in this. As labour is often shorter, you won’t feel so tired either (NICE, 2014).
If I had a straightforward birth first time, will that happen again?
The good news is that second births are much more likely to be straightforward.
If you’re planning to give birth at a midwifery unit or birth centre, you have a 97% chance of a straightforward birth, compared with 76% last time (Coxon 2014; NPEU 2017).
If you had a straightforward birth last time, this is very likely to be the case again (Coxon, 2014).
Could I have a completely different birth second time round?
Of course, there may be circumstances that make this time more challenging. Overall, most women find that second births are a more positive experience.
I’m feeling afraid of giving birth again, what should I do?
It is very common to have negative feelings about birth after a traumatic experience. You might also have these feelings if you had a straightforward experience before. A fear of birth for a woman who has already experienced birth is known as secondary tokophobia.
It is very important to open a dialogue with your midwife or GP as early as you can in your pregnancy, so you get the support you need (Striebich et al, 2018).
You could also want to see what help The Birth Trauma Association (BTA) has on offer on their help page. They’re a charity that supports women suffering from birth trauma.
If you’d like extra support and updated knowledge about the birth process, your birth rights and siblinghood for your other child, you could attend an NCT refreshers course. NCT refresher courses give you a fantastic opportunity to meet other expectant parents having their second or subsequent child. You will also have an opportunity to practise the physical birth skills that can help you to have the birth you want.
The good news is that there are lots of positive stats around second birth experiences. The Birthplace Study found that women who had already had one baby had just as strong a chance of a positive outcome at a home birth as in a hospital (NPEU, 2017).
This page was last reviewed in November 2018.
Further information
Our support line offers practical and emotional support with feeding your baby and general enquiries for parents, members and volunteers: 0300 330 0700.
We also offer antenatal courses which are a great way to find out more about birth, labour and life with a new baby.
Make friends with other parents-to-be and new parents in your local area for support and friendship by seeing what NCT activities are happening nearby.
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| Benefit calculated from the average monthly salary of workers in the republic | Benefit amount | Amount, in rubles nine0498 | Amount, in rubles |
| from 08/01/2022 to 01/31/2023 | from 02/01/2023 to 07/31/2023 | ||
| Benefit for caring for a child aged up to 3 years (monthly): |
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| on first child | 35 percent of average monthly salary | 556. | 605.99 |
| on second and subsequent children | 40 percent of the average monthly salary | 635.48 | 692.56 |
| on disabled child under 3 years old | 45 percent of the average monthly salary | 714.92 | nine0523 |
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| Benefit calculated from the subsistence minimum budget per capita on average | Benefit amount | Amount, in rubles | Amount, in rubles |
| from 11/01/2022 to 01/31/2023 nine0498 | from 02/01/2023 to 04/30/2023 | ||
| Childbirth allowance (one-time): |
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| at birth of the first child | 10 times the highest living wage budget, valid on the date of birth of the child | 3398. | nine0523 |
| at birth of the second and subsequent children | 14 times the highest living wage budget, valid on the date of birth of the child | 4757.62 | 4780.72 |
| Allowance for registered women health care organizations up to 12 weeks of gestation (one-time) | 100 percent of the largest subsistence budget minimum effective on the date of birth of the child | 339.83 | 341.48 |
| Family allowance for children aged 3 and over up to 18 years of age during the period of raising a child under the age of 3 years (monthly) | 50 percent of the largest subsistence budget minimum | 169. | 170.74 |
| Benefit for children over 3 years of age certain categories of families provided for by law (monthly): |
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| on children over 3 years of age raised in such families (except disabled child) | 50 percent of the largest subsistence budget minimum | 169.92 | 170.74 |
| on disabled child older than 3 years | 70 percent of the largest subsistence budget minimum | 237.88 | 239.04 |
| Disabled Child Care Allowance under the age of 18 (monthly) |
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| with I and II degree of loss of health before the child is 18 years old and with III and IV degrees of loss of health before execution 3 year old child | 100 percent of the largest subsistence budget minimum | 339.     Welcome
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