Tell me about your third birth

[EmotionalEllie]

I've recently found out I'm pregnant with DC3. Eeek. DC2 is only 7 months old

I've found myself thinking a lot about the birth. Someone once told me that midwives say the first birth is difficult, the second easy and the third is a "wild card" and can go either way. No idea if this is true?

For context my first birth was quick but had quite a lot of tearing and an episiotomy (ouch). Second was a straightforward water birth with very little tearing.

I'm going with every birth is a wild card haha. I have 3 children. First 6 weeks early, life threatening medical birth defect, induction and epidural, had to be cut. Second 42 weeks, 20 minutes from start to finish, zero pain relief. Third 5 weeks early, induction, epidural, horrific experience (you asked for honesty) 2 years on still have treatment and therapy to help me walk properly again. Xx

3rd was my longest but also the easiest. I had time to breathe rather than the precipitate deliveries of the first 2. A really good experience.

First two hours. Second two hours. Third 36 hours and in wrong position. Awful but managed with just gas and air.

In my experience, third was full term -very quick labour. So fast no time for any pain relief. No tears either

First birth traumatic (pre eclampsia, induced over two days, things suddenly progressed en route back to my room as c section scheduled for next day, baby burn almost in the hallway!) . Tearing and episiotomy.

Quite a lot of variety then!

3rd birth

Labour started at 8pm
Arrived at hospital at 12
She was born at 1pm

Painful as always but easy least as births go!

Oh god damn it I meant she was born at 1am

So as in from labour to birth that’s 5 hours

First emergency CS

Second induced but relatively easy

Third fast and furious

1 & 2 - preeclampsia and induced precipitate deliveries (

My 1st was 37 hours 2 hours pushing, 2nd was 4 hours, 2 minutes pushing and 3rd was 6 hours, 7 minutes pushing. My 3rd labour was the easier out of them all.

1st-spontaneous, fast, bad tear.
2nd-spontaneous, incredibly fast, bad tear.
3rd-induced, fast, small tear. Recovered the best out of the three.

1st birth 9 hrs no tearing

2nd birth breach 13 hrs but the most controlled delivery ever

3rd birth 90 minutes start to end. no tearing.

Hope all goes well for your delivery.

Think PP's right-every birth a wild card but if it is any consolation my third was my best.
It shouldn't have been as all sorts went wrong and I hAd as a highlight the Head Midwife (not probably real title) and anaesthetist having a screaming row at the foot of my bed over my treatment.
Nevertheless it was amazing and all fine in the end.
Good luck I love the glitter ball as a celebration

Third (out of four) was my favourite. Quickest, most straight forward, followed my plan - in as much as I got in the water seconds before she was born. Easiest. In hospital at 6:30am home by 2:30pm.

All 3 of mine came along at 40 weeks and were straightforward, but the third was the quickest by far and we actually just made it through the hospital doors before he was born. It felt like the most intense labour, but that may be because I wasn’t aware how close I was to giving birth and there was no time for pain relief. If I would have had a 4th I think I would have gone for a home birth to be on the safe side!

Third was my worst all three around about 9/10 hours. But 3rd baby was big, midwives had no clue before he was born, they thought he was average size, also because of his size he was also shoulder dystocia so ended up being an emergency.

All births are different... but same was said to me re third births. 🤷🏻‍♀️
First was induced and a nightmare of every intervention known to (wo)man and ending in forceps. Roughly 18 hours labour.
Second was gentle induction (only needed waters broken) with last minute assistance due to shoulder being wedged. Labour only 5 hours.
Third not induced but still post dates. 8/9 hour labour and non assisted delivery but haemorrhaged afterwards when the placenta wouldn’t come away on its own.
Fourth not induced but late. Back to back huge baby. 8 hour labour and forceps as he got stuck!

Births 1& 2, one induced, one spontaneous, 12 hours each
Birth three 18 hours, had to have waters broken...

and he was 2 weeks late!

First child a week late, had to be induced, very long second stage, no urge to push ever. Had pethidine which I hated.
Second child 3 days late, natural birth, 5-6h labour, 30 mins second stage. Gas and air.
Third child 4 weeks early, 2h labour, 10mins from 5cm to birth. No time for pain relief.

My 3rd was a planned home birth (2 fast labours prior to this). Took less than one hour from when we really realised things were happening and it wasn’t just another night of awful braxton hicks. I just felt this god awful feeling of my insides wanting to make their way out of me through my cervix. One enormous push and there she was, and one more contraction out plopped the placenta. I reckon if I have another I’d just have to sneeze and I’d give birth.

Was the best birth of the lot. But obviously it all depends on baby’s position, and the stars all being in a line.

First was terrible, 2nd was amazing, quick easy no tearing etc felt fantastic straight away. Third was good - induced for other reasons on due date, but was straightforward and relaxed- no tearing

Pregnancy with the third was the hardest as I had a toddler, and 4 yr old so there was no resting especially with work

My third birth was recorded at 1 hour 6 mins.
It was to fast.
But it was in the water and I delivered her myself with no intervention from the midwives.
So while straightforward nothing prepared me or my body for the speed at everything happening.

My first was hard - Dd1 was 10pb back to back and I have every intervention n up to ventouse.

Ds was a stereotypical birth, a 10 hour labour and easy delivery,

Dd2 was a little different, I had become very well with kidney stones in pregnancy so was induced at 36+6. The birth was very like ds - it was like my body remembered how to just get on. I was induced at 6am and she was born at 6.30 pm. Due to my illness I could only have gas and air but it did the trick,

3rd one pretty much fell out before the midwife could get in the door

1st took 24 hours and was miserable! Episiotomy, stroppy hospital staff and total exhaustion. DS had a big head too

2nd was faster than expected - maybe 8 hours from first contraction? Home birth, no pain relief.

3rd another home birth, about 3 hours in all. DD was on her way out as the midwife arrived, luckily she was passing on her way to a night out. She cut the cord, cleaned up a bit and made it to her night out in plenty of time