# average 2nd labor is 6-8 hours?



## VBMama (Jan 6, 2004)

This is what my midwife told me yesterday - no matter how long your first labor was, second labors almost always average 6-8 hours. Can anyone share their experience with me if that is a valid statement?


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## shelley4 (Sep 10, 2003)

well, my first labour was only 8 1/2 hours.. short for the first time, and my second labour was 2 hours from 1st contrax to placenta coming out.

i've heard that 2nd labours are always shorter than the 1st time (barring weird baby positioning), but i've never heard 6-8 hours


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## saritabeth (Jun 25, 2004)

I have heard to half your first labor....That being said, every birth is so different. I had a doula client who had a 6 hour labor with her first and ended up with a 20 hour labor with her second...he was larger. Even so, these are all general things...No one should get too locked into a time frame, cause its discouraging if things take longer, but need to!


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## Baby_makes_4 (Jun 28, 2005)

I've heard half as well.
My first was 3 hours
My second was 42 minutes.
Depends I suppose.


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## kerikadi (Nov 22, 2001)

My first was 12 hours
My second was 22 hours - smaller than his older brother
My thrid was 6 hours
My fourth was 45 minutes

So, if you take out my second labor they definitely follow a pattern but I would not say that is a guarantee. A good friend of mine had her longest and hardest labor with #3. I think saying your second labor is generally shorter, maybe even half your first labor is usually safe and I know that I am the exception to the rule but it's important to know they are exceptions.

Good luck,
Keri


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## KC in KS (Feb 24, 2005)

Ha! I guess I'll let you know in August. But halving my first labor still puts it over 24 hours.









I guess if you go by the doctor's measure of when active labor began (she
didn't start counting until 3 cm - 30 hours after contrax began) I'm still looking at a 12 hour labor. And that sounds like a breeze to me!


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## mominchina (May 31, 2005)

We're using a practice of dr's that do homebirth...and they've all mentioned to me that my second labor will most likely go quicker. They had said the 6 hour average too. My first labor was 27 hours, so you can bet that I'm hoping for a shorter one! But, I do realize that it could be just as long or longer, so I'm trying not to focus too much on any timeline. I do think it's nice, though, that the odds are on my side that things probably will progress more quickly. I mean, my body has done this before, so if baby will just cooperate things should move along nicely.


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## lilyka (Nov 20, 2001)

My first was 8 (and for 7 of those eight hours they were doing everything in thier power to stop/slow it down - so who knows how fast it would have beeni f they had just let me go)

second was 6 hours

third was 2 hours


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## time4another (Mar 28, 2005)

First was 26 hours

Second was 10 hours

I hope hope hope third is like second or shorter!

Heather


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## cottonwood (Nov 20, 2001)

Is she talking about natural labors? Well, if she was talking about active labor only, maybe... where is she counting from? (My first midwife did not think my early contractions counted as labor







: )

Anyway, my second was 14 hours. It was shorter than my first by quite a bit. I never got under that though, my third was 32 and my fourth was about 14 again.


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## veganf (Dec 12, 2005)

First labors are 14-15 hours on average. Mine was 14 hours.
I didn't know about an average for second labors. But mine was 1 hr. 40mins.
How about an average for third labors? Anyone know? LOL.

- Krista


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## boscopup (Jul 15, 2005)

My mom's labors cut in half each time - 5 hours, 2.5 hours, 1.5 hours (that was me







). I was almost born in the parking lot.









My first was 2.5 hours, but my water broke 4 days earlier and the baby was only 3 lbs 13.4 oz (29w4d). That's measuring from first contraction to hearing baby cries. I don't expect my second labor to be faster than that, but I wouldn't be surprised if it were similar timeframe, barring weird positioning or something. But that's just how my family labors. My sister had similar first time labor time as what my mom had (she hasn't had a second, and probably won't).

I imagine the average 6-8 hours is kind of like the average for first time moms being 14 hours. If you were above or below the average the first time, you might be above or below the average the second time too (but as PPs mentioned, anything can happen and you can have some wildly long or short labor that doesn't match your other labors!).

I can tell you in November how my 2nd turns out. At least, I HOPE it's November, and not August.


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## EmmalinesMom (Feb 9, 2003)

Interesting.... my first labor was about 19 hours, and my second was about 13 hours.


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## littleteapot (Sep 18, 2003)

First labour: 44 hours
Second labour: 2.5 hours tops

My mom's first labour was 90 minutes, and second (me) was 23 hours. Lots of interventions in the second one, none in the first.


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## momtokay (Apr 29, 2003)

my first was 72 hours from the start of regular contractions to baby out, and about 9 hours from when i hit 3cm. my second was 8 hours from when my water broke, 4 hours from when i had the first ctx, and about an hour from when i thought i might be in early labor. i didn't even realize what was happening until baby was almost crowning it was so different from my first labor.


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## septmommy (Dec 21, 2003)

My first labor was 33 hours, 12 of them VERY intense
My second labor was 12 hours, only one intense hour


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## VBMama (Jan 6, 2004)

It's interesting to hear everyone's experiences!

My first labor was 38 hours from the time ctx became regular, so I won't mind if this one is shorter! It sounds like chances are good. The midwife brought up this "average" when I mentioned that I plan to labor at home as long as possible - I suppose as a mild warning that I shouldn't assume things will go the same way the second time around.


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## SABE (May 22, 2005)

#1: 69 hours
#2: 36 hours
#3: 23 hours

Those times are all from the onset of regular contractions until birth.


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## Kellie_MO4 (Jan 14, 2006)

My first was 12 hours (induced)
2nd was about 10 hours (began naturally)
and third was about 5 1/2 hours (induced)
Can't wait to see how long #4 will take! *well, I can wait til July







*


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## AutumnMama (Jan 2, 2004)

Hmm, I've always heard shorter, but I've never heard such a specific time put on it; we're all so different









DC #1: 20+ hours

DC#2: 3.5 hours (!!!)

I'm not sure what to expect this time!


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## Peppamint (Oct 19, 2002)

My first was 8 hours (induced at 38+1 already 3cm)
My second was 4 hours (walked around 4cm/90%/waters bulging for three weeks with prodromal labor, active labor began naturally)

I'm waiting to see how this one goes. I'm in prodromal labor land already so I'm figuring shorter rather than longer labor, provided you don't count the weeks of pre-labor.


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## Zyla (Nov 27, 2005)

My first was 12 hours.

Second was 53 hours.

Third was 16 hours.

Each one began with fiercely powerful, frequent, regular, profoundly painful contractions and got more intense from there. And, interestingly, they each began at 11pm.


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## RedWine (Sep 26, 2003)

First labor was 7 hours, from start to finish. Only 10 minutes of pushing.
Second labor was 26 hours and VERY intense. 6 hours of pushing.


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## orangefoot (Oct 8, 2004)

#1 7 hours - overnight
#2 less than 4 hours - late evening
#3 was noted as 11 hours active labour (malposition) - that was a surprise! overnight again

#4 will be what it will be but I'm hoping not to have to stay up all night!


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## anniegirl (May 17, 2005)

Interesting topic. Both of mine began with my water breaking, so from that point to baby it was:
15 hours with #1
14 hours with #2

The really hard intense labor was quite a bit shorter the second time though (less than 3 hours vs around 6 for #1).

I think my 2nd labor would have been much faster, but I wanted to wait for my mom. She hopped on a plane as soon as she heard my water broke (baby was 2 weeks early). I really wanted her there and as soon as she got there I relaxed and hard labor kicked right in and out came baby!


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## shireen (Oct 30, 2014)

From the first contraction until birth; I always went into labor on my own:

First DD - 1 hour 48 minutes
Second DD - 1 hour 45 minutes
Third DD - 1 hour 30 minutes
Fourth DD - 1 hour
Fifth DD 40-45 minutes

I've also heard the half theory, although I don't think I could have cut mine in half!


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## USAmma (Nov 29, 2001)

My second labor was 2 hours longer than my first labor. 10 and 8 hours.


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## MammaKoz (Dec 9, 2003)

Just thought I'd chime in









My first was 32 hours, my second was about 4-6 hours and we just about didn't make it the hospital with the second baby!









HTH!


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## Raven (Dec 15, 2001)

first labour = 9hrs
second labour = 2hrs 40mins
third labour = less than 1hr

nak


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## boscopup (Jul 15, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *my4girls*
I've also heard the half theory, although I don't think I could have cut mine in half!

















Yeah, at some point, you just can't cut it in half anymore... Just think, by your 5th, you could have had a 6 minute labor! Wow, wouldn't that be crazy? You'd pretty much HAVE to UC that one!


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## semomama (Jun 27, 2004)

I kinda like this theory. My first was prob. around 24-30 hrs from beginning to end. The thought of 6-8 is nice. I just hope I take the contractions seriously and not put it off to long. A car birth just doesn't hold much appeal.


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## JayGee (Oct 5, 2002)

I sure hope this is true!

#1 - induced 40 hours of labor ending in c-section
#2 - natural VBAC with 30 hours of labor (first contraction to delivery)
#3 - we'll see in about a month! 12 hours would be a DREAM labor for me







!


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## mamato3cherubs (Nov 30, 2004)

I am almost floored that any midwife would tell you that! every labor, birth, baby are different. There is no way to know. I general 2nd labors are shorter than first because your body already knows how to respond to labor, but positioning and sometimes size can make a difference too.

My first was about 10 hours,
2nd was about 5 hours,
3rd was about 16 hours

Those are active labor times meaning, not counting early labor, this is at least 4cm and a good prodictive labor pattern. most labors that you hear of being days are including all that early labor time that can take forever but is not strong or very productive, even if it is a regular pattern.

Good luck on your 2nd one!


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## VBMama (Jan 6, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *mamato3cherubs*
I am almost floored that any midwife would tell you that! every labor, birth, baby are different.

That's what I figured, so I just nodded and smiled! I'm seeing a practice of midwives, so I may or may not have her for the birth.

What I WAS floored at though was that she recommended that I read a book on raising boys by James Dobson! Gah! I told her I didn't believe in corporal punishment so I'd be skipping that one...couldn't keep my mouth shut there!


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