Was your labour similar to your mum's? (sorry for multiple posts think my iPad had a glitch)

[bunny85]

I've heard that certain things about labour can sort of run in the family. Say short/long labour, being early or overdue, having to have waters artificially broken... Is that true? According to mum, her labour and delivery took about 3 hours and 'was more uncomfortable than painful' with no complications. I'm the only child but that was her experience. Does it give me hope? I'm due in November with first baby. Really interested in your opinions.

[plonkie]

Watching with interest as my due date is Tuesday! Similar story to yourself- my mum said contractions were manageable but uncomfortable. She had to be induced as her waters broke but no contractions, and she also hsd forceps. But she said it was no big deal, she didn't really see it as a complication. She's pretty hard my mum is though! Hoping I'll be the same :-)

[sphinxster]

Maternal grandmother had a long complicated first labour, mum and aunt (her daughters) had long complicated first labours, both of my sisters have had long first labours with their cervixes refusing to dilate...
My OB said there isn't a hereditary link but it hasn't stopped me dreading the curse of the cervix!

[Bishboshbash]

Mine was almost identical, overdue by 2 weeks, back to back, induced, failure to progress etc, the only difference was my poor Mum had high forceps where as I was given a EMCS. Plus we both had a placenta infection! She didn't tell me any of that until after as she didn't want to worry me.

[FattyNinjaOwl]

Mine wasn't like my mums at all. With all four of hers, she had to have her waters broken, with my 3 they broke themselves.
She dilated quite easily, I struggled to and ended up with 1 very long latent phase labour (2 weeks) another was a 38 hour labour with contractions every 3 minutes from the start. My easiest was four and a half hours and I couldn't decide if I was in labour or not for the first hour and half!

My mum left finger prints In the sofa when having my DB. And she had epidurals, pethidine. I just had gas and air for all 3. We were all in good birthing positions (my.mums children)
Of my 3 only one was in a good birthing position, the other 2 were back to back and came out face first.

So entirely different. It is what it is.

[twirlypoo]

To a certain degree, yes! My mum had very quick labours (I was her 3rd child and her labour with me was only 20minutes ) I only have 1 baby but my labour was only 4 hours start to finish. I am scared of having other children in case it gets quicker!

[FattyNinjaOwl]

Oh and all of mine were overdue (3 days, 1 day and 10 days)
My mum had 2 overdue, one bob on and one early.

[Micah]

No.

My mum was more than week overdue, with very quick labours (

[thenewbroom]

My mum, her sister and my granny have all had pretty quick and straightforward labours. My first had to be induced (prostin only, no drip) because my waters went early but all 4 have been pretty quick and all very straightforward.

[bunny85]

So it seems that it could actually be true in some cases! Plonkie, you and me could only hope we've taken after our mums their birthing abilities! Good luck, tomorrow is the due date, how exciting! Wishing you a healthy and happy birth

[Scattymum101]

In some ways yes.
My mum started contractions on Tuesday night at 40+4 but didn't progress. Had pethidine for pain relief. I was eventually born on the Friday morning around 10.30 after my mum had lost consciousness and I was born via forceps. She really should have had a section!!
I suspect I was back to back.

My dd1 started similarly. Contractions started Saturday evening at 40+2 but she was back to back. Was in latent labour and managing ok until the Sunday night when it became unbearable but when I went to hospital around 5am on the Monday morning I was only 3.5cm and they wouldn't admit me. Then things suddenly went very quickly and dd was born by 10.30 on the Monday morning. So the early labour was very like my mum's but I think staying active and moving around helped things progress quicker and I had only gas and air and no forceps.

Dd2 was in perfect position, around 20 hours of mild on and off contractions starting at 39+5 and then only a 2.5 hour active labour with dd being born at home in the water the following evening.

My mum's sister wasn't able to give birth naturally as her contractions were pulling baby back up apparently.

I was terrified as both my mum and her sister had awful labours and births and told me about them a lot. I was very lucky and had very straightforward labours although the first was similar to my mum's in some aspects. X

[jorahmormont]

My mum's labour with me was long and difficult and she ended up having a ventouse.

Mine was induced, active labour lasted 2 hours, pushed for nine minutes, and 'made it look easy' apparently

The exact phrase my mum used to describe mine was "Like shelling peas" - the phrase my paternal great-grandmother used to describe giving birth. Apparently I've always been very much like her, so maybe it did run in the family, just not from my mum?

[bunny85]

Scattymum and jorahmormont, great to hear you had such straightforward labours! I'm going to be induced too and feeling a bit better about it now!

[MrsHooolie]

My mum had 3 straightforward deliveries.
I had 2 emergency c sections!

[DustyMaiden]

My DM who is 4ft 8 and has size 3 feet has been in labour for one hour in total for 4 DC. This was definitely not my experience.

[Frolicacid]

All the women from both sides of my family have had early, quick and straightforward labours. Grannies, mum, cousins, aunts and sister.
I was overdue, had to be induced as my waters went but i didn't start contracting and then ended up with an emcs.

[madwomanbackintheattic]

Um, no idea, but all three of my labours have been completely different to each other, so I suppose one of them might be similar to one of my mum's experiences... What a bizarre question. I know you are in that 'I really really need to know what is going to happen' stage of anticipation, but there really is no way of knowing, lol. Stay flexible. and good luck for November!

[notaprincessbutaqueen]

no. my mum had 2 C-sections under GA due to pre-eclampsia - first at 36 weeks and second at 40 weeks after 6 weeks bedrest!
I think I do follow my nan though - she had 3 with no complications. they came at 43weeks, 42weeks and 41weeks. My first I was 16days overdue so was induced which failed, I never went into active labour, dd just wouldnt come out so I had a C-section. If i had been left she would easily have been 43 weeks. ds1 was 13 days late (so very almost 42 weeks) and ds2 was 9 days late (so just over 41 weeks). both boys were vbacs, no complications x

[ShowOfHands]

There is a link. You are more likely to follow the pattern set down by your mother but obviously there are wild variations.

My mother had two very easy, short (6 hours or so) labours, contractions barely smarted and she sneezed us out easily.

I had two very long labours (31 and 38 hours), every intervention going and two emergency caesareans.

To reassure you though, my second CS in particular was massively positive, enjoyable and the best day of my life.

You can't determine what will happen. Have hopes for the ideal, knowledge of the variables and know that it's all down to luck in the end.

Best of luck with it.

[Runningupthathill82]

I was told there's a link, and its true in my case.
Both my mum and me had very long first labours that failed to progress quickly, and we both needed to have our waters broken. She was quicker with her second birth, so hoping I am too.

[3timesascrazy]

All I know about my mums labours is that her second was a hell of a lot longer than her first, and her third the longest of all four (fourth induced).

DC1 was a 24 hour back to back labour, DC2 was a 4 hour easy labour... Im expecting DC3 and hoping to god I don't follow the same pattern as my mum

[3timesascrazy]

^^ Her second was a hell of a lot quicker that should say!

[typetytypetypes]

I'm an only but my first labour was similar to my mum's labour with me. A little before due date, started in evening, completely sure it was happening even though others (eg MWs) thought not! We both laboured similarly, very quiet, G&A, not out of bravado or ease we both just found being quiet a lot easier to deal with pain than vocalising it - we both got ignored throughout labour until pushing stage as a result! Both had to push upright - she crouched, I did a mix of knees and birth stool. Same length of labour too (c.12 hours all in). Both had 2nd degree tears. Apparently my granny was similar with her first labour.

However I had minor PPH and was super out of it for a few hours after birth, mum was better and could hop in the shower straight away. My waters went early on whereas hers went just before pushing.

My second was a completely different story but nothing to compare that to!

[Wondererer]

Mum popped us all out within 30 mins. One sister had a horrendous birth that nearly led to her bleeding to death (she sued) the other sister had long births. One being difficult the others being easier

[ToadsforJustice]

My DM had five peaceful easy births. She was lucky as she was able to have her babies at home, attended by her sisters and no interfering MW or doctors.

She was horrified at the amount of intervention that I suffered with DC1. When I had my other DC at home, I was fortunate to have the same experience as my DM.

My GM also had easy homebirths. My DM remembers GM milking in the morning, having my Aunt at lunchtime and making a sponge for tea in the afternoon!

[bunny85]

How interesting. There used to be much less interventions in their days, and birth (majority) were easier too... Wondering which one is the cause and which is the consequence?