What to expect with baby number two or three:

A faster labor. Good news: On average, second-time moms are in labor for eight hours  -- compared to the 14-hour average for first-timers. Why? If you've already had a baby, your cervix starts out softer and more prepared for childbirth.

Shorter window of opportunity for an epidural. Faster labor and a tendency among veteran moms to delay going to the hospital may mean missing the chance for an epidural  -- usually given when the cervix is four to six centimeters dilated. So if you want one, be sure to say so as soon as you've checked in.

Fewer glitches. Just because you had a complication before, like a breech baby, doesn't mean it will happen again.

Less chance of an episiotomy. The soft tissues of the vagina have already stretched during your first birth, so you may be able to deliver without an incision.

More intense after-pains. Contractions continue after delivery to help the uterus get back to its prepregnancy size. Since a woman's uterus typically gets larger with subsequent births, it may need stronger contractions to return to normal.

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