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Childbirth

Just like labours, are subsequent pregnancies shorter?

25 replies

jamtartandcustard · 17/11/2015 11:00

I'm just being nosey here as I'm just a nosey Parker and also rather fed up at mo. I've seen so many threads about length of labours and was just curious over length of pregnancies.
Mine are:
Dc1 - 42+2 - induced
Dc2 - 41+6 - successful sweep
Dc3 - 41+2 - successful sweep

Currently 36+1 with dc4. I guess hoping for a spontaneous labour at 38 weeks is just wishful thinking

OP posts:
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Fugghetaboutit · 17/11/2015 11:11

God, I hope so! Ds came at 40+1 so right one time but I'm hoping this one comes a week or so early as I'm so uncomfortable and running around after a toddler takes it toll!

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TwigsWithStupidLittleLightsOn · 17/11/2015 12:08

DD came at 41+6 (after two sweeps, induction and eventual EMCS) so I'm bloody hoping this one is shorter.

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StompyFreckles · 17/11/2015 12:14

My labours were all short, but pregnancies were longer.
Dd1 born at 38 weeks
Ds born at 39 weeks
Dd2 born at 39+1

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ReallyTired · 17/11/2015 12:17

Most people have far to small number of pregnancies to draw any conclusions.

ds was born at 37 weeks 0 days
dd was born at 39 weeks 6 days

Maybe combining the results of hundreds of mumsnetters would give you an answer.

Interesting question.

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Seeline · 17/11/2015 12:34

DS was 40+2
DD was 40+12 so didn't work for me (I had convinced myself that she would be early, so ended up feeling as though I had been pg for a whole extra month!!)

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tabulahrasa · 17/11/2015 12:36

Statistically I think they're supposed to be, but mine didn't work like that.

40, exactly and then 41+3

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creamoftomato · 17/11/2015 12:36

Nope, sadly not. DS 40+4 (sweep 3 days earlier), DD 41+3 (sweep the night before). Labour was much shorter though!

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alltouchedout · 17/11/2015 12:43

DS1 40+15, sweep at 40+11, induced by pessary at 40+14.
DS2 40+10, refused sweep, spontaneous labour.
DS3 40+4, refused sweep, spontaneous labour.

I've always wondered how much longer DS would have been in there had I refused induction. Probably not much as by the time I had the pessary my bishop score and the monitor indicated I was pretty much on the brink anyway. Everyone in my maternal family goes 'over'. My cousins, mum, aunties, grandmother- between us all we have had 26 babies and only one was 'early', and that was because his mother was induced at 38 weeks.

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TillITookAnArrowToTheKnee · 17/11/2015 12:43

39+3
36 (induced early due to complications)
39+3

Currently 27+2 with DC4.

DFriend:

26 + 4 (spontaneous prem labour)
41 + 6
32 (spontaneous prem labour)

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DorothyDove · 17/11/2015 12:47

DS was 40+2 and I'm currently 40+5 with DC2. Thoroughly fed up - I expected this one to be earlier too!!!

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itallsucks · 17/11/2015 12:59

Mine were DS 1 38+4 after 3 days being induced due to waters breaking early, ds2 40+14 again induced as he didn't want to come out and ds3 40+4 and again induced due to bleeding. Not risking a 4th as really don't want to be induced....again lol.

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ProbablyMe · 17/11/2015 13:04

Mine were all mixed up! DS1 39 weeks, 12 hours exactly from my waters breaking and strong contractions following immediately after, DS2 41 weeks and a 3 hour labour, DS3 40 weeks and a 5 hour labour, DS4 induced at 35 weeks for medical reasons and a 10 hour labour (went from 4cm to delivery in the last 20 minutes though!). Now expecting number 5 after a 12 year gap and have no idea what to expect although I'm unlikely to go past 39 weeks due to my age!

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BookingGood · 17/11/2015 13:05

I'd have to have more than one child to speak of before I could answer, but my mum could answer.

Me (DD1) was 14 days late.
DD2 8 days late.
DD3 2 days late.
DD4 0 days late, on time! Sadly passed.
DS 2 days early.

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3timesascrazy · 19/11/2015 09:09

DD1 7 days late
DD2 6 days late

2nd labour 20 hours shorter than first and was a complete breeze!

Currently 34+5 with dd3 and hoping for a sneeze birth in-between TV AD breaks at a nice 38 weeks yeah right Grin

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DimpleHands · 19/11/2015 09:19

DS1 bang on time.

Currently 10 days late with DC2!

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SerenityReynolds · 19/11/2015 09:29

Oooohhh, marking place. DD was 41 weeks (spontaneous labour). Currently 38+3 with DC2 and have everything crossed it arrives sooner rather than later! Consumption of pineapple and curry has already begun, gym ball is coming out tonight and I am waddling walking my socks off (between naps! Grin)

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dayslikethis · 19/11/2015 09:47

I agree that most people probably don't have enough pregnancies to really make a conclusive argument on this one.

For me it was
DC1 - 39+4
DC2 - 40+5
DC3&4 - 35+1 (but twins who were breech so the argument totally falls away at this point)

My friend has just had her 3rd and went to 40+12! She was late with her other two as well, but this was the latest by about a week!

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Ebb · 19/11/2015 11:06

DS 38wks
DD 39wks

I was so narked that DD was a week 'late'. Grin

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YouMakeMyDreams · 19/11/2015 11:16

38 weeks
37 weeks
And
38+2

The supervisor of midwives I spoke to when I was having dc3 said anecdotally from her own experience that women tend towards similar patterns so if you have gone overdue twice you are more likely to I'm subsequent pregnancies same if you're early.

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elliejjtiny · 20/11/2015 00:54

Mine were (apart from DS5)

DS1 - 41+4
DS2 - 40+6
DS3 - 40+2
DS4 - 35+3
DS5 - 36+6 (although waters went at 35+3)

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CharleyDavidson · 20/11/2015 00:57

DD1 - 36 +2. 18 hour slow labour.

DD2 - 36 +4. 3.5 hour labour.

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DramaAlpaca · 20/11/2015 01:02

DC1 39+2 - labour 21 hours
DC2 40+5 - labour 12 hours
DC3 39+2 - labour 7 hours

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Scattymum101 · 20/11/2015 20:33

Dd1 was born at 40+4 (labour began at 40+2)
Dd2 was born at 39+6 (labour began 39+5).

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blackkat1978 · 20/11/2015 20:49

I think it's very hard to answer this question. My 1st pregnancy I had a sweep at 40+2 as that's what I was told to do (wish I'd have let nature take its course) & my daughter arrived at 40+4. My son arrived without any medical interventions at 41+6 but I know that his estimated guess date was about 4 days out so I can't really compare the 2.

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sharonthewaspandthewineywall · 23/11/2015 04:40

First pregnancy born at 36 weeks exactly. Second 42 weeks Angrythis time round am 37+2 so we shall see

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