Question: I had a 12-hour labour for my first baby. Will the second time around be just as long-drawn?

Answer: I can understand the anxiety you have about undergoing another long labour. First babies generally take their time. Although labour is considered to start when there are painful and regular uterine contractions, in reality, it’s difficult to determine the start time. The good news is that labour is generally shorter during subsequent births.

If yours is progressing slower than normal, your obstetrician will consider the use of oxytocin to speed it up.

Various pain relief options are available to help women through labour. The most effective method is epidural analgesia.

This is safe – and you should consider it if you’ve not used this for your first labour. A major benefit is that you can relax and be lucid during delivery.