What was labour like for number 3?

[Altheia]

Hello - I've heard so many stories but mainly following this thought process:-

Baby 1 - long difficult labour due to it being the first
Baby 2 - much easier and quicker.
Baby 3 - very unpredictable.

Anyone had three children and therefore, real experiences on this subject?

For me, Baby 1 - dilated to 8cms in two and a half hours but took 17 hours for baby to come out, epidural and forceps in the end - so totally not what was planned. Shoulder dystocia as well.

Baby 2, very easy six hours or so labour in birthing pool at home.

So far, so similar to popular opinion! Love to have baby 3 like baby 2! By the way, I am about 7st 10 and had baby 1 at 9lb 1 and baby 2 at 9lb 4 and both normal healthy pregnancies.

Thank you for sharing. :)

DS - 19hrs, 9lb 1, syntocin (sp?) drip, epidural, episiotomy, forceps, strong desire not to give birth again!

DD1 - 50hrs, 8lb 12, home birth, last 5 mins in a birth pool after having my waters broken, small tear, few stitches

DD2 - 2hrs start to finish, 10lb 11, home birth, didn't get the pool blown up in time , no stitches

So... maybe not very helpful, sorry! Expect lots of contrary stories and only believe the ones about easy third labours

Oh, and despite the third one being shortest and 'easiest', it was a hell of a shock and a bit difficult to cope in the immediate aftermath. Swings and roundabouts...

DD1 - homebirth, 28hrs labour, 50mins pushing, small first degree tear and minor pph. 7lbs 15.5oz.

DS - homebirth, 2.5hr labour 5mins pushing, minor second degree tear. 9lbs 13.5oz

DD2 - homebirth, 1.5hr labour, no pushing (!), no tears 8lbs 3.5oz

so for me progressively easier!

DD - horrible labour, probably 24 hours start to finish but having contractions quite far apart for a day or 2 before. Stuck on the bed being monitored resulting in epidural that didn't really work! Lots of pushing but only small tear (didn't need stitches) and not too bad in the end I guess. DD was 8lb.

DS1 - 18 hours, contractions never regular but manageable. Stayed at home for most of it, was 8 cm when I got to hospital, had just G&A, waters broke at 11:49 and ds shot out within 6 minutes. Didn't really have to push but was quite scared by how quickly it all went at the end. DS1 - 8lb 5oz.

DS2 - contractions on and off for about 3 weeks, kept thinking 'this is it' as they became regular and really painful and then all would tail off again. Apparently this is quite common with 3rd labours! Had a sweep in the end at 1 week overdue after going into hospital in the night thinking 'this is it' and it all stopped! Niggled all day, waters went at 4pm ish, ds2 was born at 10:50ish (very I don't remember the exact time for him!). Actually enjoyed this birth, had read loads and was very prepared. Refused to get onto the bed, had G&A for an hour o so but found it becoming a nuisance after a while, not really helping and interfering with my pushing/groaning! Had to push quite hard for quite a while so harder work than 2nd time but still quicker over all. DS2 8lb 13.5oz!

So did kind of follow the pattern you've been told. Can't tell you how much difference it made being so prepared and feeling so strong and determined about what I wanted, it was an incredible experience. Unfortunately the after pains were horrendous and no one could find the key for the medicine cupboard and I think they were hugely under-stafed so I was left lying on the bed in agonyf for nearly 2 hours and could hardly bring myself to hold ds2 as I was just in so much pain. Am now 15 weeks with No.4 and will be taking my own painkillers this time, if I don't go for a HB. What have you heard about 4th labours?!

DD1 Silent labour. Only knew something was happening when waters broke and was 9cm. 4 pushes she was out 9lb 4oz at 39wks.

DD2 evicted at 41wks 9lb 2oz 4hours from start of induction to having her.

DS evicted at 42wks 8lb. Again 4 hours from start to finish.

Only minor grazes and bruises. Just had gas & Air.

Here goes, had dc3 7 weeks ago...

ds1 - 13.5hr labour at 39 weeks, retained placenta, haemorrhage, felt unwell for weeks, big baby 9lb15

ds2 - 2.5hr at 40 weeks exactly, very straightforward, no probs, big baby 10lb7

dd1 - labour 1hr40mins but induced 12 days overdue (previous labours started spontaneously!), very big baby, 11lb110z, no tears, easy labour.

So yes, 3rd baby very unpredictable, in my case was not planning on coming out without a push from being induced.

1st: 42 weeks. Days and days ending up in ventouse
2nd: 42 weeks. Probably about 8 hours established, at home, no G&A
3rd: 40+3, 4 hours, home water birth, came out superman styley. No G&A and it was fantastic

DC4 was awful, very bad. Stick with 3

ds1 induced but actual labour on drip 8 hours. very fast final stage. 7lbs

ds2 induced 5 hours labour from being on drip 5lbs 8.

da3 natural labour - dh delivered him in car on way to hospital as mw didn't think i was in labour. had been having contractions from 7am and had ds3 at approx 3.45pm. proper strong contractions started at 2.30. probably could have had him earlier but dh refused to stop car.

WOW! Great reading! Thanks very much for sharing.

I see there is a good mix of what happened with labour number 3 and maybe that means it is unpredictable ?!

Seems for most, labour number 2 went very well and easier than labour number 1. MINNIEMUMMY second labour is a surprise to me. Some first labours have surprised me too - not very long given what we are told all the time about first babies - maybe they say it to prepare us?!!

The other interesting points for me are weights - I am always being told progressively bigger babies and that boys are bigger than girls. GREENBEANIE falls into the progessively larger babies and weren't they big babies?! Ouch! Whereas LIZZIEMUM went completely the other way, both with weights and gender of babies, the third and the boy being the smallest - I'm liking how that's going. Please please, I don't want another big baby!

PORKCHOPSTER - oh yes, I think I will definitely stick with three and your labours are an incentive to do so!!

I like to do my bit

1st - 9 days early - About 5 hours of proper labour though started a little while before. Felt hard at the time. Lots of drugs including a failed epidural. 7lbs 12oz, had lots of stitches.

2nd - 2 days late - 2 1/2 labour start to finish. Intense but easy as was so short, pushed once and waters broke another 3 pushes and DD2 was born. Had pethidine then G&A. 9lbs 1oz, no stiches and had that magical perfect birth feeling after.

3rd - 9 days early - 3 1/2 start to finish. Last 40 mins very painful as was fully dilated but DS was back to back so felt stuck the couple of times I tried to push. Had G&A almost constantly for those 40 mins, kept my legs crossed and refused to push. Started to push (only realised when one midwife commented to the other) and he came out very easily in just 3 or 4 pushes. 9lbs 9oz, 1 stitch. Most painful labour!

1st-38 weeks, Had contaractions on and off for about 24 hours before I went to hospital Ds1 was born about 10 hours after that, no pain relief, I tore and needed stitches.

2nd-38 weeks, induced by ARM, Dd was born 2 1/2 hours later, no pain relief, just a graze.

3rd- 40 weeks, water broke at 10.30 pm, Ds2 was born at 1.17am, gas and air for pushing, no stitches. My most painful by far, He was huge though!

Altheia

Thanks I like to different .

Pretty much the same as second

Oh dear! I'm waivering now! Seems like the last lot of contributors have had very painful third births. Babies getting bigger again.

I wonder if any of you had any pre-conceived ideas about your third labour before it happened, having had your first two? Did you hear things like I've heard, eg: unpredictable third labour? Do you know - I think I remember hearing this from a midwife as well.......! I wonder if this shapes our third labour somewhat, because of what was already in our minds?

I had thought births get progressively easier - even before I had children. I can't remember where that all came from - just I remember thinking like it. Then, I got told the unpredictability of a third labour. Yet I was hoping that third would be even better than second and I loved my second labour!

I've got until July for some positive mental attitude then - or brainwashing - or whatever it's called

Thanks again for the contributions

DD- 15hrs. Forceps.
DS1- 2hrs from first twinge to delivery. No pain relief as too damn quick.
DS2- twinges late evening went on for 3 hrs then vanished. Woke up at 8am, waters broke and 1hr 8mins later he arrived. i kis you not. I was in shock for days. No pain relief as very damn quick.

no way in hell I'm going for a fourth!

I meant kid you not, not kis you. of course.
Also, weights were 7lb10, 8lb1 and 7lb4. First 2 were both 12 days late and 3rd was 16 days early, so he would have been a whopper if he'd been late!

DS1 - 10hrs, 7lb 6oz, straight forward VB

DS2 - 5hrs, 7lb 13oz, only at hos 45mins, easier

DD1 - 3hrs, 9lb 4oz like shellin peas had unplanned HB, DP delivered her in bath!

DS3 - 3hrs, 8lb 13oz, planned hb, no probs

DD2 - 4hrs, 7lb 13oz, hos birth, no probs

So I'd go with the third is the most unpredictable

Good luck!

Dd1 very easy two paracetamol two hours 7lb13

The midwife who delivered her told me I should have had a homebirth...

Dd2 all night maybe 12 hours. She was posterior and face down, the ambulance men had been called, no way was I going to Brighton. I stood up and had my most beautiful baby. She looked like she had been in a ring with Tyson. She had been face down too. All the crowning was her actual face. My worst labour 8lb 7oz.
My ds was another (mug) planned hb no drugs, no care for the dds very quick, quite painful, but like I said quick. I shat myself. And I didn't really care. He was 9lbs on the dot.

Can I just say, if you think you are in labour, you probably are, don't have a really big lunch and avoid the conversation I had with my midwife.'I know I shat myself.'

Let us know how you get on.