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Childbirth

What was your 3rd labour like?

26 replies

nuggles · 13/08/2019 14:58

Due at the end of next month and starting prep for labour.

Have had two different births and hoping 3rd is easier than my 1st.

DC1
Born due date. Induced due to membranes rupturing and no contractions after 48 hours. Horrible reaction to induction, all the drugs possible, emergency forceps ad episiotomy due to cord strangling him. Was traumatising and still freaks me out now.

DC2
12 days overdue.
5 sweeps in 4 days. Waters broken for me, meconium in waters. Active birth 5 hours 4-10cm. Wasn't too bad but remember pain very clearly.

DC3 - feeling very vulnerable before this one's arrival and bloody exhausted running after 2 DC ages 2&4. How on earth do you find time to relax and focus on hypnobirthing?
Hoping for a straightforward birth, 3rd time lucky.

Wondering if there's a pattern to 3rd births?

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IVEgottheDECAF · 13/08/2019 15:02

My third was brilliant!

1 + 2 both days of slow labour then 12 hours on little sleep. Gas and air, and pethidine.

3 - woke up with first contraction after full nights sleep, baby in arms 5 hours later, gas and air only

4 - few days of twinges, 5 hours full labour, back to back, gas and air, and pethidine.

5 is due in 3 weeks!

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nuggles · 13/08/2019 22:56

@IVEgottheDECAF thanks for the reply.

I'm hoping for a third like yours. Hypnobirthing at the ready.

Good luck with no5 Smile

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Fluandseptember · 13/08/2019 23:00

For me 3rd harder than 2nd - bigger baby, and I also didn’t want to have an unassisted birth (vv narrowly avoided w no 2) so was more jumpy. Also no 3 made me aware of some of the traumas I’d buried w no 2.

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MozzchopsThirty · 13/08/2019 23:02

Sorry but my 3rd was hideous

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Thistly · 13/08/2019 23:04

Good luck for an easier one this time.
It sounds like your first was pretty heavy duty, so hopefully it won’t be so bad.
Your experience won’t be like mine because my first was quick and relatively easy. 2nd long and harder. Third medicalised and the worst of the 3. But since your first was tough, don’t look at my example!
All the best

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TrashcanMan · 13/08/2019 23:05

For me 3rd was easiest, and fastest! Didn't have time for any pain relief, but recovery was quicker. I loved having my 3rd. I was so chilled out, I really enjoyed it all and didn't stress. I had 2 younger ones as well and it was fine, no 3 just slotted in from day one. Best of luck, hope it all goes well.

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Flangango · 13/08/2019 23:18

3rd (fourth child due to twins) was fast! Only realised I could be in labour at 6, birth at 9:15. Didn't even have time to get pain relief as I was told I wasn't in full labour by male midwife and left with a TV to decide if I wanted to go home! She was late and my biggest, but made her way into the world quickly.

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Medievalist · 13/08/2019 23:20

70 mins from 1st contraction to 12 lb ds emerging. Fortunately I was in hospital at the time!

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Onesailwait · 13/08/2019 23:32

My 3rd was fast & easy. First contraction @5pm, got to the hospital 5.45pm baby girl born 6.12pm. I was home by 9pm with pizza & wine

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BackforGood · 14/08/2019 00:19

She just shot out before there were any midwives in the room due to there being no working muscles down there to resist, after dcs 1 and 2 Wink

Hope that helps Grin

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FagashJackie · 14/08/2019 00:27

It was good. At home, he was 9lb. Chinese takeaway in the big bed. Good luck, I hope you have a lot of fun with your new baby.

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ChesterDrawsDoesntExist · 14/08/2019 00:59

First was by the book. Normal vaginal birth right on my due date with a labour of 12 hours.

Second was by the book again but lasted 6 hours. She was about 4 days overdue I think (I didn't exactly keep count 😂)

And third was even quicker. Half the time again at just 3 hours. Very straight forward and a million times less painful because I had a waterbirth. I have no idea if he was late or what because I genuinely did not know his exact due date. I was told two different dates and promptly forgot both. All I knew was it was early March sometime Blush

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gluteustothemaximus · 14/08/2019 01:06

First was horrendous. Second was awful but easier. Third was back to shit again. Stuck in transition. Pushing for ages as well.

After birth pains are bad with third. Have lots of paracetamol at the ready. Good luck.

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nuggles · 14/08/2019 09:47

Thanks everyone. Lots of mixed experiences.

Am definitely keeping an open mind to this labour. Midwife has said third labours are completely unpredictable.

Can always hope for a smooth birth though.

Have heard lots about after pains being worse with the third, second were horrific so stocking up on paracetamol today.

Thanks everyone

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Lizbiz89 · 14/08/2019 13:29

Thanks for this thread op. Both my labours were exactly same as yours so I'm a bit hesitant to have a third. Please keep us posted on your labour. Might be the deciding factor on whether we have a third 😂.

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nuggles · 14/08/2019 14:38

@Lizbiz89 I'm 33 weeks at moment so still a while to go.

Third time lucky I'm hoping for!

Will let you know how it goes and if she plays ball. I have DC1 starting reception and DC2 starting pre school exactly 4 weeks before due date. Eeek!

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Lizbiz89 · 14/08/2019 16:35

@nuggles at least they should be settled in before new baby arrives. Mine are 2.5 and 4 months. If we did go for a third I think it would be when dc1 is at school and dc2 is at the end of nursery. Although I'm still trying to convince my oh that we should have a third 😂. He's not as keen as me.

Can I ask what was the deciding factor for you to have a third? I keep chopping and changing my mind.

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nuggles · 14/08/2019 17:52

@Lizbiz89 my husband wasn't as keen either on a 3rd. He has 1 brother of whom he isn't close to, whereas I'm 1 of 4 and always wanted a big family.

We have two boys and just wanted to see if we could have a girl (luckily this one is a girl).

However we're finding 3 a real game changer in finding cars with 3 isofix points across the middle, looking to move to a bigger house, routines changing completely etc.

A third definitely felt right for us, I realised I was pregnant before we started trying. Husbands reaction was "oh shit" initially although he's loving the idea now.

Atleast you have a few years to make your decision come to terms with going through labour all over again

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Clayplease · 14/08/2019 18:15

Not me but three friends have had their thirds, one was big baby like her others but very straightforward. Another was slower than her second but all straightforward and the third friend had a brilliant third birth which she felt sort of solved her previous difficult births. It was lovely to see how happy she was.

I'm currently pregnant with #3 so your question is very interesting.

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Lizbiz89 · 14/08/2019 18:22

@nuggles lovely to hear you're having a girl. I have one of each so people look at me like I'm nuts when I say I would like a third.

Like you my oh has one other brother who he's not close to and I'm one of three. That's why I wanted three because I feel like I'm part of a team with my siblings if that makes sense.

But like you said the bigger house and car is a major factor in my hesitation. I'm sure we will know when the time comes. Anyway looking forward to your update once the baby arrives!

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soundsystem · 17/08/2019 18:29

Someone I know had their 3rd in Iceland! The shop, not the country.

I'm due my 3rd in a couple of weeks and nervous as my 2nd labour was less than an hour. The midwives just keep saying 3rd births are easy and quick which I'd love to believe... But I don't want it to be too quick!

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Powerplant · 17/08/2019 18:34

My 3rd was by far the easiest I opted for an epidural absolutely brilliant it was titrated just right as I could feel the contractions, without the pain, so knew when to push. Good luck with the birth

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nuggles · 19/08/2019 22:07

@Clayplease that's really interesting on the different experiences - hoping for a brilliant birth as your friend. Good luck with your third too

@soundsystem wow less than an hour, that must have been intense. Hope this one is much easier for you - let us know how you get on, be interesting to hear your experience

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Poetryinaction · 22/08/2019 23:20

My third was my worst too.

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soundsystem · 23/08/2019 20:02

@nuggles it was a bit!

Will keep you posted! I'm 37 weeks now so just waiting...

I'm very much a planner by nature so find this bit pretty difficult, as there's not really much more planning that can be done!

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