What week there are more often the second birth according to statistics, how they pass and how long it lasts?

A common concern among expectant parents is how their second child’s birth will differ from their first. Knowing what to anticipate can help reduce some of the uncertainty, even though the experience may feel both familiar and unfamiliar.

Second births typically happen earlier than first, according to statistics. Second-time mothers may go into labor a little earlier, typically between the 38th and 39th week, whereas first-time mothers typically go into labor around the 40th week. This can, however, differ from person to person.

Also, second births typically progress more quickly. Because the body has already experienced labor, the dilation and delivery process can proceed more quickly. Though again, every birth is different and can take longer or shorter depending on a number of factors, many women report shorter labor times.

When to give birth?

For the second child, most Russian families are being decided today. In the USSR, the second child was considered, if not a luxury, then the maximum number of children per family. Today, the attitude to large families has changed, and more and more parents make a decision not only about the need for the birth of a second baby, but also the third and fourth. The second child is a more conscious choice of parents than the first -born. It is no secret that the first baby is often born because of “it happened”, among those who come to the hospital for the second tiny, “unplanned” are not so many. Parents already know what they are getting into, what difficulties and responsibilities they will have to face. The second pregnancy usually goes more smoothly, unless, of course, it is associated with complications and pathologies. In the process of carrying a baby, the mother is familiar and understands a lot. She already knows what tests she takes and why, why she needs to visit a gynecologist at the appointed time. But regarding the timing of birth, there is more that is unclear to the pregnant woman than when carrying her first child.

A popular rumor says that the second child is usually born earlier than the first child. There is some truth in this. Urgent births in obstetrics are considered to be births that occur in the period as close as possible to the EDD – the estimated date of birth. But the date indicated in the exchange card is only an approximate guide. No more than 5% of babies are born on the specified date. Timely births are considered to be those that occur from the 37th week of pregnancy to the 42nd inclusive. Second children are rarely carried to 42 weeks, even up to 40 weeks not every baby “sits” in the mother’s tummy. The cervix of a woman who has already given birth is weaker, it softens and opens faster, and therefore the pressure of the baby"s head on it from the inside ultimately leads to the fact that labor begins before the 40th week. Most often, the second birth occurs between the 38th and 39.5th week of pregnancy.

The state of the cervix and birth canal in the mother, however, is not the only factor that influences when labor begins. The fetal factor is another. Labor won’t start if the baby isn’t ready to be born for any reason.

In order for regular reflex labor to begin, it is necessary for the woman"s body to produce a sufficient amount of oxytocin, estrogens, and the concentration of progesterone to decrease, so that the cervix becomes soft and smoothed out, so that the uterine tissues are prepared for contractile activity, so that the fetus gains the necessary weight and the placenta is sufficiently mature. The process of onset is very complex from a chemical, biochemical and physiological point of view. An amazing fact: the second birth is often “ordered” by women. If a pregnant woman initially sets herself up to give birth to a baby by a certain date – by her husband"s birthday, by the beginning of his vacation, then with a probability of up to 80% this is exactly what happens. It is difficult to give a clear explanation for this from the point of view of medicine and science, it is possible that an auto-training effect is taking place.

Duration

Another common popular opinion regarding the second birth is the duration. It is claimed that labor lasts less than in the first case. There is also a large grain of truth in this. If for primiparous women the entire period of labor from the first contraction to the release of the placenta can take from 9 to 14 hours or even more (labor is considered protracted if it lasts more than 18 hours), then women in labor who come to the maternity hospital for the second time usually give birth in a period of 6 to 8 hours (rarely – 10 hours). Obstetricians talk about fast and rapid second births if the whole process ends in 2 hours. For primiparous women, the criterion for rapid labor is 4 hours. The reduction in labor time is primarily due to the better preparedness of the female body for contractions and pushing. The muscles are more stretched, the genital tract and cervix “remember” what and in what sequence should happen. The genital tract is more elastic, whereas during the first birth the baby encounters serious resistance when passing through it.

It is a fact that all labor stages move more quickly the second time around. Because of the cervix’s faster opening and the elasticity of the muscles, contractions are shortened. The placenta’s birth stage is the only one during which a woman can remain longer than during her first delivery. The placenta fits more tightly as a result of the stretched uterine tissues, which can make delivery challenging for some women but not for others.

Labor is shortened for more than just physiological and anatomical reasons. An accomplished mother already understands how to breathe, when to push, how to unwind, and how to obey the midwife’s instructions.

Do all women have faster second births than their first?? Unfortunately, it is impossible to give a clear answer to this question. Any birth, regardless of how many, is individual and unique in its own way. That is why there are those who gave birth to their second child the same amount of time as their first, and even those who spent more time in their second birth than the first. But still, for most women in labor, the repeated process is more intense, more energetic and less painful. Correct behavior, psychologically higher readiness for the process, understanding of what is happening and the absence of anxious uncertainty that torments primiparous women, in this case do their job – natural pain relief mechanisms are triggered, as a result of which the woman notes that childbirth was not associated with acute and intolerable pain reactions.

Statistics show that second pregnancies typically happen around week 39 of pregnancy, which is a little earlier than first pregnancies. Because their bodies are more seasoned, women giving birth for the second time usually experience shorter labors that go faster. Labor takes between five and seven hours on average, while first-time births take longer. But each birth is different, and depending on the specifics of each case, the length of time can change.

How it all goes?

All stages of labor will be exactly the same as the first time, but they will proceed with some peculiarities. Even if the first child was born with difficulty and pain, you should not immediately recall the horrors and nightmares with the first contractions in the second birth (drawing them in darker colors than it was in reality), since the second birth will feel different. The first stage of labor is contractions, unless, of course, labor begins with the outpouring of water (this happens in about 10% of cases). The first contractions are latent. They are not associated with acute pain even during the first birth, and during the second they very often go completely unnoticed. Slight pulling in the lower back, slight aching in the lower abdomen. During the last month of bearing a fetus, a woman gets used to such sensations, and therefore cannot always identify the onset of labor. In addition, a woman giving birth for the second time is set up for approximately the same start as the first time, and this is the main mistake.

As a result, when the expectant mother begins to realize that she has started having regular labor contractions, the cervix is ​​already dilated enough to go to the maternity hospital. The latent period, which lasts up to 8 hours for first-time mothers, is reduced to 5-6 hours for women giving birth for the second time, after which contractions begin to become quite frequent – once every 5 minutes and the dilation reaches 3-4 centimeters. Active contractions, which follow latent ones, last no more than 3 hours for women giving birth for the first time (up to 5-6 hours for the first birth). This period should be spent not at home, but in a hospital. This is where comfortable positions that pop up in your memory in time, in which it is easier to wait out the contraction, come in handy. During the first birth, a woman tries different options, chooses a comfortable body position. During the second birth, she already remembers what position she felt good in last time, and immediately does what will be easier and more comfortable. This significantly facilitates the second stage of contractions. The third stage is transitional contractions, usually lasting about half an hour during the second birth. The uterus reaches its maximum opening and its boundaries are no longer determined during a vaginal examination – the baby"s head is ready for birth.

The second-time mother usually knows when to call the doctors and go to the delivery room when she feels the urge to push harder and with greater downward pressure. Usually, by now the water has broken if this is not the first birth.

The second stage of labor begins. At this time, it is important for the woman to breathe correctly to help the baby be born faster. The head is born first if the fetus is in the cephalic presentation, then the shoulders. Then the baby completely leaves the birth canal. If the woman in labor does everything in accordance with the obstetrician"s requirements – pushes when the appropriate command is given, rests when required, then the likelihood of ruptures and injury to the fetus during childbirth is reduced. The need to protect the perineum from ruptures by surgical dissection (episiotomy or parineotomy) occurs less frequently during the second birth than during the first. The exception is cases when a woman has scars in the perineum from ruptures during the first birth, since the probability of a repeat rupture, if the first was serious and deep, is quite high.

After the birth of the baby (the second period usually takes no more than half an hour to forty minutes during the second birth), the baby is put to the breast and handed over to neonatologists for examination, weighing, and assessment according to the Apgar. Obstetricians continue to deliver the baby – the third period begins, in which the placenta and the remains of the fetal membranes should come out of the uterine cavity. The afterbirth ("baby"s place") should separate from the wall of the uterus, and therefore be born in 1-2 attempts. Usually, uterine contractions resume, but they are no longer of such pronounced intensity and are not perceived by the woman as painful. Quite often, during the second birth, there is a need for manual assistance to the weakened uterus – the obstetrician can facilitate separation and exit using one of the existing methods of influence or separate the placenta manually. Then the woman enters the early postpartum period, which will last up to 4 hours. In general, the recovery period from the point of view of obstetricians lasts 42 hours. It has been noted that women giving birth again recover their strength faster, get out of bed earlier. They are less likely to have difficulties and problems with establishing full lactation, with attaching the baby to the breast.

These women are better suited to caring for the newborn from the very beginning of his life if the maternity hospital’s wards are meant for the mother and child to stay together.

Psychological nuances

Separately, it is necessary to dwell on the psychological readiness for repeated births. It is only at first glance that it is simpler and easier for a woman, everything that is happening is clearer. In practice, and female psychologists working in consultations are forced to state this, a woman going to give birth for the second time worries no less than the first time, and sometimes even more. Indeed, women whose first birth was relatively easy and successful find it much easier to go for a second one. There is no negative and difficult psychological experience. In this case, the confidence, calmness, and balance of the woman in labor really have a positive effect on reducing pain and reducing the duration of the stages and periods of childbirth.

For women who were "unlucky" enough to have their first birth be difficult, complicated, and accompanied by ruptures and postpartum pathologies, the experience is far more challenging. They unintentionally apply their past experiences to the thought of the impending birth process and brace themselves for a worsening of the situation. They have a deep-seated fear that doesn’t help with pain management, reducing the length of labor, or making the cervix easier to open because fear physically tightens muscles and creates "clamps" and blocks.

For this reason, getting ready psychologically before having a second child is just as important—if not more so—than getting ready before having a first. A complimentary consultation with a psychologist can assist a pregnant woman with this. Simply let the obstetrician-gynecologist overseeing the pregnancy know that you would like to speak with a psychologist.

Such sessions with a specialist will not be superfluous for women who had a cesarean section for the first time, and doctors allowed them to give birth to their second child on their own. Their fear is even stronger, because each of the expectant mothers is afraid not only of pain and for the health of the baby, but also for the condition of the sutures on the uterus – they can come apart already during contractions, the uterus can rupture. Such women are explained that the probability of rupture is low, childbirth with a scar on the uterus is taken with special attention and care, in addition, a surgical team is always ready, which can perform an emergency cesarean section at any time if physiological childbirth goes according to an unplanned scenario.

For women who have found themselves in challenging social or personal situations, getting help is essential. Not every woman wants a second pregnancy, and not every husband encourages his wife to have a second child. Additionally, not every family has enough money to support their needs. Thus, worried ideas about what to feed the newborn, how to raise it, and how much money to spend can occasionally drive a pregnant woman to a complete breakdown.

Women are generally happier with their second pregnancy than their first. Everything has a deeper meaning, a woman gathers a dowry for the baby in a different mood, and these joyful and challenging nine months are rethought. The first child needs care, attention, and raising, so the expectant mother hardly has time to talk to her friends about the awful torments and dire consequences that could arise.

Physicians observe that second-time mothers are more responsible and don’t need to be coerced into taking a test or going to the ultrasound room. Comprehending the fundamentals of the procedure and being aware of your own physical attributes will benefit both conception and childbirth.

Possible complications

For women, the likelihood of complications following a second pregnancy is equivalent to that following a first. The only distinction is that patients who have given birth to two children are marginally more likely than those who have only given birth to one to experience postpartum hemorrhage. This is brought on by the cervix’s weakness and the uterine walls’ increased stretching. These two elements combine to produce a risk of hypotension and uterine atony during the postpartum phase.

The reproductive organ needs to shrink to its previous size, the process of reverse development begins, the so-called involution of the uterus. It is this process that may be weaker in a woman who has given birth twice, due to which the contraction will proceed slowly, abnormally. Doctors are undoubtedly aware of the increased risk, so from the very first hours they will monitor the contractility of the uterus in the woman in labor with special attention. If necessary, she will be given contraction drugs that will increase spasms and promote the discharge of bloody lochia and the reduction of myometrial fibers. It should be noted that with the modern development of medicine, inflammatory and congestive phenomena associated with uterine hypotension, postpartum bleeding due to weak uterine tone are not as common as before. According to statistics, this happens in 0.5% of cases in women giving birth again. In almost 100% of cases, if this happens, the woman is provided with competent and timely medical care, so her life is not in danger.

The probability of infection in the uterus, the development of endometritis or endometriosis after the second birth is at the level of statistics for the first birth – 1.7-2.5%. The probability of inflammation of the sutures in the perineum, if there were spontaneous tears or surgical dissection, does not exceed 3-5%, provided that the woman follows hygiene requirements and rules for caring for sutures in the intimate area. Viral and other common diseases that can start in the early recovery period pose a significant risk to a woman after the birth of her second baby. Immunity is undermined by childbirth, there was a certain loss of blood, and therefore it is quite difficult for the mother"s body to resist viruses and bacteria. But this problem can be dealt with by following preventive requirements. A woman should also remember that if there are chronic diseases in the anamnesis, after repeated births, the likelihood of exacerbation of these ailments is somewhat higher.

What affects the nature of the birth process and rehabilitation?

• Interval between births – if the first birth was only a year ago, then both pregnancy and the birth of the baby can be associated with great risks, because the woman"s body has not had time to sufficiently recover after the first birth. Unpleasant "surprises" can present and too long a break (more than 8-10 years). The woman"s body "forgets", partially loses that very "muscle memory" that makes repeated births easier and shorter, so the birth can proceed as if it were the first time with all the ensuing consequences. A 2-4 year break is considered optimal.
• Age. It is believed that age does not matter for the second or third birth, it is only important for first-time mothers. This is not so. As women age, the quality of oocytes deteriorates, and therefore the probability of congenital defects and chromosomal abnormalities in the child is higher. And it does not matter what birth is coming. As a rule, older women already have chronic diseases that complicate both pregnancy and childbirth. The probability of complications is also higher in very young mothers giving birth to a second baby under the age of 19. The optimal age is considered to be from 19 to 35 years. But women 40 and older can easily give birth without consequences for the baby"s health. The main thing is pregnancy planning, examinations and timely diagnostics.
• Features of the current pregnancy. A singleton pregnancy is usually easier than a multiple pregnancy. Both the first and second pregnancy are complicated by factors such as a large fetus, placenta previa, and umbilical cord entanglement. In some cases, a woman who has successfully given birth for the first time is offered to complete her second pregnancy by a planned cesarean section so as not to expose her and the baby to unnecessary risk.

Is preparation necessary?

The antenatal clinic will offer courses for expectant mothers to both a woman who is about to give birth for the second time and a first-time mother. A woman attending one of these courses will be able to recollect and jog her memory of natural pain relief techniques for massage and breathing during labor. Experts will address all queries regarding pregnancy, childbirth, and postpartum care during the courses.

One can never have too much experience as a parent, particularly with the constant introduction of new drugs, obstetric care techniques, and pain management strategies. All of this will be covered in preparatory courses, and a woman will ask a lot fewer questions up front in the maternity hospital.

Women who have made the decision to have a second child with a partner will find the courses especially helpful. Because the husband in the maternity hospital is a real participant in the process with his own responsibilities, rather than an observer from the outside, partner births require particularly careful joint preparation.

A woman who plans to become a mother twice should take special care of her physical health during her pregnancy to prevent muscle weakness and hypotonia, as the state of her muscles during childbirth can have a significant impact. Kegel exercises are especially advised for women who are expecting another child. It aids in strengthening the pelvic floor muscles, which were weakened following the first child’s birth. In addition, you should take your doctor’s recommended vitamins, eat a healthy diet, and minimize stress.

Pain relief issues

It is recommended that women planning to become pregnant focus on natural ways to lessen labor pain. The French obstetrician Fernand Lamaze is the author of one of the most widely read. This is a thorough preparation that includes autogenic training, specific relaxation techniques, aromatherapy, and appropriate breathing. Less severe pain during childbirth can only be guaranteed, the French specialist said, by complete muscle relaxation and faith in success.

In any event, a woman giving birth once more can depend on medical assistance at any point throughout the labor process. Women should be given painkillers on demand, according to the Ministry of Health. It goes against the fundamentals of a doctor’s humanity for a woman to be forced to endure pain and suffering during childbirth. Because of this, epidural anesthesia—in which anesthetics are injected into the epidural space of the spine through a lumbar puncture—is still widely used today.

It can be used for the first, second, and any subsequent births if there are no contraindications. Speaking with an anesthesiologist at the maternity hospital or an obstetrician-gynecologist during a consultation can help you determine any contraindications beforehand.

A woman will be offered alternative pain management options, such as intravenous drug administration of muscle relaxants or medications with analgesic and antispasmodic effects, if such pain relief cannot be administered for a variety of reasons. It is preferable to sign an exchange card at the chosen maternity hospital after first discussing potential approaches with the medical staff there.

Week of second birth (on average)	Details
38th to 40th week	Second births often occur earlier than first, typically around 38-40 weeks, but can vary depending on the woman.
Labor process	The labor is usually faster compared to the first birth, as the body is more experienced, often lasting 5-7 hours.
Duration	Active labor tends to be shorter, with quicker dilation and less time spent in the pushing stage.

A second birth typically occurs a little earlier than the first. Based on statistical data, a significant number of second-time mothers give birth between weeks 38 and 39 of their pregnancy. This is only an average; the experiences of individual women may differ.

Generally speaking, second labors go more quickly and easily. The body is better prepared, having gone through one delivery, so labor might go more quickly. This may make it feel more comfortable and manageable, but it doesn’t necessarily mean it’s less intense.

Second labors are typically shorter in duration. Some people find that labor only takes a few hours, but again, this varies from case to case. To make sure everything goes as planned, the most important thing is to be prepared and maintain regular communication with your healthcare provider.

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