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1st LO - labor was 37 hours long with 45 minutes of pushing. Born at 41+2

2nd LO - labor was 3.5 hours long with 7 minutes of pushing. Born at 39+4

With my first: Contractions came out of no where and were 4 minutes apart right from the start. It was about 12 hours from first contraction to baby out (about an hour and 45 minutes of that was pushing). Never needed any Pitocin or anything else to help labor along. Though getting my epidural did allow me to relax which had me start progressing more quickly than I had been.

With my second: Water broke at 1am. Went to the hospital, I was still at 3cm which I had been for about a week, and my contractions weren't very regular or strong. My husband had stayed home with our 3 year old and planned to drop her off when day care opened at 6:30am and then come to the hospital, so I asked the hospital staff not to start Pitocin or anything else until my husband could get there, which they were fine with. So we started Pitocin around 7:30am. I had an epidural some time around noon. By 3pm I was only at a 5. I was having a really hard time. My epidural kept failing on my left side, and the baby kept having a lot of sleepy periods which meant they had to keep me on oxygen and couldn't increase the Pitocin. When the OB came in at 3 I pretty much had an emotional break down because I wasn't progressing and I was worried about the baby. She told me she would give me a C-section if I wanted one, but she didn't think we were there yet. As we were talking through the options, and waiting on anesthesia to come fix my failing epidural I was getting really agitated and uncomfortable. The doc decided she better check me one more time before she left the room, I was at a 9! They had to stop me from pushing so they could get extra nurses and everything they needed for me to deliver. I pushed about 3 times and he was delivered at 3:33pm (only 33 minutes after I had been checked and was at a 5).
ETA: He came out with the cord around his neck twice which accounted for all those sleepy periods but it was loose enough that they could pull it over his head rather than cut it and he was totally fine.

My labors were very similar. Started with my water breaking, no real contractions, and roughly the same time in labor and pushing. I'm hoping for the same this time, I've had easy labors.

With LO1 labor started at 4/5am. I was 41+2w. Baby was out by 10am. I was a 5 at around 8am. Contractions were intense from the get go. No epi.

With LO2 labor started at 11pm with mild contractions but they wouldn't let me sleep. I was 38+4w. I got to the hospital at 7am. At 1:10pm I was still only a 4. By 1:35pm my DD was born. No epi.

So my labors were similar in the sense that they progressed quickly once a certain point was reached. I'm scared mindless on how fast a potential third labor would progress.

I guess similar except that the second was on extreme fast forward.

First: woke up at 6:30 am with mild contractions. Very gradually intensified thoughout the day, I'd say active labor didn't start until that night, had her the next morning. 25 hours from first contraction to birth. Water broke in the hospital a couple hours before she was born. Born one day before due date.

Second: I had been having contractions every night leading up to it, so they started again around 7 and I did my usual rest and drink lots of water. Started getting a bit more intense so I thought it could be real. Said goodnight to toddler and told her I might be having the baby that night. Contractions got way more intense very quickly, had baby about 3.5 hours from when I thought it might be it. Water broke during pushing. Born at 40 weeks exactly.

So yeah other than the speed it was fairly similar. I have a friend whose first birth was like yours and second was nothing like it.

My second labor was much much faster.

With my first my water broke around 12am and he wasn't born until 4:12pm the next day. I had an epidural with him and several failed vacuum attempts that resulted in an emergency c section.

With my second contractions started around 6pm and were consistently 4 minutes apart, got to the hospital at 8pm, water broke at 10:20 pm, pushed a few times and he was born at 10:52pm and no time for an epidural.

So 2 very different experiences.

First- slow contractions that got stronger over 25 hours, went to hospital when water started leaking. Labored for another 12 hours at hospital.

Second - ready to go to hospital an hour after contractions started. Water started leaking after I got there. Labored for 6 hrs at hospital.

Both - despite time diff arrived at hospital 6-7 cm and fully effaced. Pushed a few times, 2nd degree tear.

Mine were pretty similar, but started differently--LO1 started with water breaking, and contractions started maybe 3 hours later. Went very smoothly and I dilated a lot once epi was placed. Pushing was 20 min. 9 hours total.

LO2 started with contractions that got gradually more intense, and then my OB broke my water at 7cm. Epi again helped things progress, and I pushed for 9 minutes. 7 hours total.

Similarities: both times I knew labor was coming about 8 hours before I felt contractions. I just felt off. I wanted to be on hands and knees for labor and delivery. I was hungry and ate a ton in labor.

Differences: Labor 1 came on intense and lasted 51 hours. Labor 2 was barely noticeable at first. It didn't hurt at all until contractions were 2 min apart. Active labor was under 2 hours.

DD- Over two days from first contractions, first contractions overnight, slow down speed up slow down speed up etc, back labor almost 100%, water broke while pushing.

DS- 15ish hours from first contractions? first contractions overnight, woke up at 3am and regular by 6 or 7, epidural didn't work quite as perfectly but it worked when I was on one side and for pushing, water broken by dr, meconium.

I thought DS' birth was pretty ideal. DD's was tough.

They started the same way - regular contractions pretty much as soon as they started. The biggest difference was an unplanned c-section for Charlie on his due date, and an unplanned VBAC with Olive 5 weeks early.

Everything went opposite than my plan!

they started differently but it was kind of similar towards the end (faster for #2 of course!)

lo1 - water broke in the early morning, contractions started soon after, 4cm dilated and i got my epi, and contractions continued until i delivered in the early afternoon

lo2 - started feeling light contractions during dinner, they were pretty consistent throughout the evening (altho 10 min apart). since i knew i was 4-5 cm dilated already i went in to get checked. they could see contractions every 2-3 min but weren't super strong. i walked around the hospital for an hour and they started to pick up. got to 7cm before i got my epi. an hour or two later they broke my water and i delivered 45 min after that!

@Cole: well semi. My overall time in labor with my second was longer but the "effective" and painful part was only 20 minutes long the second time.

My water broke first with my first child, and then I immediately started to have contractions. I had contractions first and then my water broke with my second.

I went 40 weeks with my first and was a little over 36 weeks with my second.

First labor was 3 hours, 2nd was less than 20 minutes.

First vacuum delivery and episiotomy, major tearing. Second minimal tearing.

First hospital birth and second was not a hospital birth, LOL.

I vote crapshoot. My entire second pregnancy my midwives and OB was telling me that it will be similar to my first pattern but well they couldn't have been more wrong.

Lo1: induced at 41 +1 with pitocin bc she didn't want to come out. With pitocin, steadily and slowly progressed over a 24 hour period. Water had to be broken after epidural. Got to 9cm and it was stuck there for 4 hours and ended with a csection where doctors informed me she was sunny side up.

Lo2: went to my 38 week appt where I was barely dilated and midwife told me that I was similar in my pattern with my first and to go ahead and schedule an earlier repeat csec date (I wanted to have a vbac). That night, contractions started at 2ish, got to hospital at 3am where my water broke as I was walking in, and baby was born in the next hour. So super fast that it was too late for an epidural.

I want to mention that I also did nothing special or different with my second pregnancy. The most I did was Google "ways to have a successful vbac" but didn't get around to doing anything