YOU’VE DONE THIS BEFORE
But is birth easier the second time around?
If you had a lovely birth experience with your firstborn, you’re hoping it will be the same this time. If your first time giving birth was difficult, you may be worried. Here’s how second-time births are different – and not: If you had a straightforward vaginal delivery last time, then the news is good. “Second deliveries are generally shorter and easier if a previous vaginal delivery was successful,” says Your Pregnancy’s consultant obstetrician and gynaecologist, Dr Bronwyn Moore. You have proven that a baby’s head can fit through your birth passage (there’s no cephalopelvic disproportion, in medical speak). “But complications can arise in any labour,” cautions Dr Moore. “I have had a patient with three previous uncomplicated vaginal deliveries, whose baby suddenly went into severe foetal distress at 6cm and I had to perform an emergency caesarean section. There are no guarantees and you always have to manage each labour according to its own set of variables.” If you had a C-section before and are having a C-section again, then “be aware there’s some scar tissue from your first C-section, and that carries a slightly higher risk of bladder injury during the second operation,” says Dr Moore. “Everybody scars differently though so this may not be an issue for you.” How you feel about your second C-section can depend on your history. “If your first C-section wasn’t planned and happened at the end of a long labour,” says Dr Moore, “then if your next C-section is elective, chances are better you will enjoy the second because it’s taking place in a calm and controlled environment.” In terms of recovery, some women report that their second C-section was easier because they knew what to expect, whereas others say they experienced more pain the second time. If you’re attempting a vaginal birth after caesarean (VBAC), the picture can be a little more complex, depending
particularly on the reason for your previous C-section. “But if you had a vaginal delivery before your last C-section, and your C-section was not for reasons such as a big baby, which are likely to be repeated during this delivery, you are a good candidate for attempting a VBAC,” says Dr Moore. “In any VBAC, the usual precautions should be followed: the mother must go into spontaneous labour and the labour must progress well without medical interference.”
HOW COULD MY SECOND LABOUR BE DIFFERENT?
One thing is for sure, no matter how you will give birth: you already have one child to care for, so you’ll be quite a bit less focused on the labour and birth process than you were last time! Instead, you’ll be worrying about who will look after your first-born when labour starts, and how your precious will cope with their sibling, and whether you’ll love both your children the same (you will: your heart will expand). If you feared the birth, you now know what to expect, so you may be feeling less worried, calmer and more in control this time.
WHAT IF MY FIRST BABY ARRIVED EARLY/LATE?
Second-borns do tend to be a little bigger than the first, but there’s no evidence for the common belief that they’re less likely to be overdue than their older siblings. “It’s a myth that second babies come sooner than their siblings; instead, there appears to be a familial link, so that if your first baby was early, your second baby is also likely to be premature,” says Dr Moore.