Third baby = shorter less painful labour?!

[chloemack]

My 3rd baby is due in a few weeks, I have heard from 2 midwives that the third is usually longer than the 2nd birth ... With my first two I was in established labour for around 14 hours!!! Anyone have and 3rd baby birth stories they'd like to share? Thanks :)

my 3rd was shorter labour but the most painful

Hope all goes well for you!

shorter less painful?? nah! but I was told that third is 'anything can happen' and it's second that's usually the shorter one. so going by your labours obviously all those sayings can be taken with a pinch of salt.

My third was stop start for a couple of weeks - but once it started properly it was 20 minutes, but also the most intense of the three!

Good luck!

3rd was shorter (an hour or so [yikes]) but more painful. BUT that was partly because it was so fast and so intense. And I receovered very quickly.

sorry no mine was hell on earth

I wont share my story until after youve delivered

However, I think that a third baby is just as unpredicatble as a 1st, 2nd or 7th.

To add - mine wasn't more painful because it was fast and furious or anything (was about 5-6hrs), more that he was over 10lb

Agree with the others - shorter but more intense and therefore more painful.

Less than two hours from start to finish and a couple of pushes. Home two hours later. However there was virtually no break between contractions. Recovered really quickly though!

My 3rd was labour was longer than my second but then my second was 48mins from waters breaking to baby in arms! 3rd labour was a bit stop - start. Had a few strong contractions in the morning, a few in the afternoon and early evening then they started properly at 11pm and DS3 was born at 1.20am...

It's impossible to guess these things (although DC4 is due in 4 weeks and I'm still trying to guess how it will be )

I was told the time for second labour is roughly half that of the first and the third half of the second.

Mine were 12hours, 6hours, 4and a half hours.

Third labour, shorter therefore less pain. :)

12, 4 and 5 hours of active labour.

The difference with number three is that I was in pre-labour for 2 days. DD's birth was the most painful and most physically demanding of all three.

for dc3 it was my 3rd induction
dc1 was 22 hours
dc2 was 18 hours
dc3 was 7 hours

but all inductions I too was told 3rd babies are unpredictable and this was true. I went from 4 cm to baby in arms in 10 minutes I was very shocked and it did hurt but would take that over long slow labour anytime

Longer, but could cope with the pain. Nowhere near as painful as my first.

dc1 22 hours
dc2 2 hours
dc3 10 hours

Oh God I hope so , I am due 3rd in Feb and am already that midwife told me afterpains were much worse with your 3rd!!!

Afterpains were really really awful and they take the gas and air away...demand strong painkillers the minute you give birth!
ds1 - 18 hours
ds2 - 12 hours
ds3 - 5 hours

Thought I was going into labour constantly the month before I gave birth...

It was no more painful than the other two.

ds3 is 9 weeks old and look at me - time to post on mumsnet, get me!!!

It will be hard but easier than you fear xxxx

Hmmn. Going on the hours I considered myself to be in labour - ie it was painful, progressing and the focus of my attention:

first was 12 hours of agony
second was 5 and 3/4 hours -but pain more manageable
Third was also around 5 hours, but only intense for about 3 hours when MWs confirmed I was 6cm and in labour - I'd hardly had any contractions to get to that point, with the first I was having loads.

So shorter than first and much more manageable. But the afterpains were bad, I felt like I had been socked in the stomach for a week after.

I was told odd numbers are worst, but no 3 was definately worst for me, but she is the most loving and caring out of the lot so....

No1 long but not bad 8lb
No2 3 hours 1 push 8lb 4
No3 completely lost plot vv painful 8lb
No4 waterbirth bliss 8lb
No5 4hrs 22 painful nearly lost plot 8lb13
No6 due jan11 - hoping absolutely painless 20mins and a small grunt will be good

Good luck with your birth hope all goes well and just think of lovely baby snuggles at the end

Afterpains were a hell of a lot worse with DC2 than DC3

ahh at least I got that part right! necked a whole load of painkillers almost immediately after delivery and barely felt a thing

1st birth - 10hrs - epidural!

2nd birth - 7hrs - gas and air - not too bad!

3rd birth - 13hrs, gas and air and absolute HELL ON EARTH. I will NEVER EVER have another baby again!

ooh lots of third baby threads here tonight!

my 1st was 18 hours. ventouse, tore badly etc etc

2nd was a homebirth, back to back baby. 6 hours.

3rd was another homebirth, 45 mins! BUT, the pain was unbearable. it was quick, but it was far, far, far more intense than ds2's. if i had the choice i would have them all like ds2!!!

DD#1 14hours - not the greatest experience
DD#2 13 hours and hellish labour and horrendous afterpains
DD#3 5 hours labour, but I was in denial I could even be in labour for 2 hours of it! Very easy birth, not as painful as #2 though will not pretend it was pain free! Was expecting afterpains from hell too and whilst they were there to a point they were not as bad either. Definately a FAR better experience than the first two births.

DD1 - 4 day induction, 2 1/2 hours pushing then ventouse
DD2 - 25 hour labour, 4 mins pushing
DD3 - pro-dromal labour for 3 weeks, established labour for about 6 hours, 17 mins pushing

DD2 was my favourite birth as she was born at home (and nearly on the toilet!) I have honestly had more painful periods. DD3 was going to be a home birth but when my waters went there was mec. staining so I went in. The labour pains were manageable with DD3 but the after pains were unreal far worse than the contractions.