2nd Pregnancy, 22 yrs apart

iVillage Member
Registered: 01-27-2008
2nd Pregnancy, 22 yrs apart
Tue, 03-11-2008 - 9:42am

I was 19 when I had my first child. It was a difficult labor.

iVillage Member
Registered: 01-05-2008
Tue, 03-11-2008 - 11:07am

This pregnancy is 21 yrs. apart from my first.


iVillage Member
Registered: 02-22-2008
Tue, 03-11-2008 - 11:11am

Short answer - yes, your body will "remember" that it's already had a baby.

Subsequent labors do tend to be shorter but that said, all labors and deliveries are unique and don't always follow the "rules".

iVillage Member
Registered: 11-15-2007
Thu, 03-13-2008 - 6:56pm

I had my first 3 children at age 20, 22 & 28. So it's been 13 years since my last. This was my concern as well...would my body remember? Or would it be like starting over?
When I ask my midwife this question...her response was "you body will always remember". You start to show earlier because your body "knows" that you are pregnant and "remembers" it along with everything else in a pregnancy.

It's hard to say what the pregnancy will be like. We can only hope that it is better, quicker, less painful etc. But each pregnancy is different.

I'm 42 and trying to prepare myself for a positive delivery (and even the unfavorable one if that happens). My first 3 were the PERFECT, couldn't ask for better, type of delivery. (1st-labor 1 hr 25 min., 2nd-labor 57 min, and 3rd-a couple of hours). That way I'm prepared no matter what. I just can't wait either way to hold my daughter in my arms and it to be all over with.

Good luck.

iVillage Member
Registered: 04-11-2008
Tue, 04-22-2008 - 2:57pm