What was your 4th birth like?

[lollyheart]

I'm very early pregnant with dc 4, I've had 3 ok births but now feel like Ive maybe pushed my luck to far and worried it will all go wrong
Tia

Mine was long winded and painful, but DC2 and DC3 were very straight forward, quick, hypnobirths. I was expecting more of the same and indeed the first half of it was identical to DC3. I was expecting another 30 minutes and to be holding a baby but it was another 4 hours of hard, hard work. I was very lucky to be at home with a very experienced midwife who used a lot of tricks. I imagine I would have been offered a CS in hospital.

Then afterwards - with DC2 and DC3 I'd been up and about doing stuff immediately, school run later the same day type thing. With DC4 it took about two weeks before I didn't need to spend the day on the sofa with a lunchtime nap and be in bed by 8pm, and of course with 4 children that's not likely to happen

With hindsight perhaps I could have prepared myself a bit more, I didn't put a lot of thought into it because I assumed it would be the same as DC3 if not quicker/easier.

DC1 - 24 hours - hideous
DC2 - elective c-section
DC3 - straight forward 7 hours, quite painful BUT glided out (9'5)!
DC4 - smallish short contractions, waited for them to get going, only to realise it was a different labour and I needed to push. Yanked out (by hand), hurt a lot but was 10'14.

Recovered afterwards (3rd and 4th) very quickly. I would be tempted to go through it again easily were it not for the year that follows...

DCs 1 and 2 were induced and i had an epidural after the drip went in. Dc3 came on his own quickly(under 2 hours from first huge contraction to baby). Dc4 also induced at 40+12 - had hoped to get away with just the gel but ended up with the drip - 3cm to baby in 3 hours - no epidural as when i decided i wanted one my baby had other ideas and was on the way out. Found it took me longer to get up and moving again - but that was probably due to blood loss and having 4 children and being older.

It was the most textbook of all my labours and, as such, the longest. Woken with contractions about 0630h, sudden massive increase in intensity at 1030h and rushed to hospital. Demanded morphine which they gave despite being 10cm dilated and they were convinced the baby would be out within 15 mins - I held on to allow the morphine to take effect and sat (knelt upright) until 1345h when my waters broke and she scooshed out in fell swoop. So 7 hours from start to finish and therefore more than twice as long as my next longest labour ...

DC1: 24 hours, back to back, ventouse, hideous experience.
DC2: 3 hours, enormous bullet baby, tore a lot, hideous.
DC3: 3 1/2 hours, wildly painful, not a great memory.
DC4: 3 1/2 hours, dream labour/delivery, at home this time as couldn't face hospital again, laboured in bath and curled in bed, delivered in pool, no tears. Altogether like a different experience.

Congrats - 4's such fun.

Hard to say, other 3 went like this
DD1 4h20m start to finish, normal VB, second degree tear but was fine afterwards
DD2 2h30m homebirth, no stitches, great recovery
DD3 1h35m from waters popping to baby, homebirth, no stitches

DS well I asked to be induced for two reasons 1) was in agony and unable to walk with SPD and 2) didn't want a 20 minute labour with DH at work and no childcare for the other 3 so opted to go in on due date and be induced.

One shot of gel and about an hour later starting having contractions, they weren't that bad (other 3 were fast and very painful), got a bit fed up and told them to break my waters and 4 minutes later he was born. Had another second degree tear and felt a bit sore and tender for a few days afterwards.

DS1: 3 weeks early, epidural 12 hrs
DD1: 4 days late, 1hr 40mins - nearly born in car! No pain relief - Lovely birth!
DS2: 4 days late, 3hrs, HB, no pain relief - again lovely!
DD2: 4 days late,HB 3 1/2 hrs, G&A, back to back contractions - most intense pain I have ever felt in my life - she was born without waters breaking ( supposed to be lucky) - all I can say is that I am NEVER having any more dc's and should I get pg again I will be demanding a c-section

OP: I felt exactly the same when pg with DC4: if it's any help, his labour was the fastest and I suppose easiest.

He was 'overdue' by 10 days. I felt wracked with nerves that I couldn't do it all again and that something would go wrong: I was in and out of hospital worrying about lack of movements (bloody great anterior placenta.)

I think all my worries were because I knew it'd be my last birth.

I've had all four at home and the last one was in September. It took 3 hours from first twang to delivery. All of mine have very tiny pushing stages, under 5 minutes.

Don't forget, you've done it before and you will do it again! Big congrats and try to chill!

Easiest and least painful of all of them...

...until after DC4 was born and the afterpains began. They were really severe.

no4.long labour,high up in pelvis,even though i was fully dilated,and ended up with forceps,youd think by 4 they would just pop out..

but my sil had 5,and all were easy,but she is 5ft 6,and im only 5 foot..

DD1: 40+0 4hrs total Hossy waterbirth, 2nd deg tear, 9lbs 1oz
DS1: 40+4 1hr51 total Home waterbirth, no tear, 10lbs 2oz
DD2: 40+4 Breech, wanted vaginal birth, but labour would not start, waited 72 hrs after spontaneous rutptuer of membranes, then opted for an elective section, 9lbs 12oz
DS2: 40+5 Waters went 40+3, labour started 2 days later, 1hr21 total Home water birth, no tear, 10lbs 13.

Good luck, 4 is magical!

I was so worried too, but three weeks after he was born, I don't know what I was so worried about.

This time round it was a lot slower and calmer. Definitely the most controlled one I've had and my longest at 5 hours.

The labour stopped and started a bit too, but I found if it did stop I had to tweak my nipples (I know, sorry ) and not sit down and it would keep going.

And he wasn't my biggest either - which I was suprised about - number three was the biggest at 8lbs 13os and this one was only 8lbs 2ozs.

And I didn't have stitches this time either.

I meant to say he was also a homebirth, too (DCs2-4 all have been).

Agree with Checkmate - afterpains were horrendous - make sure you have lots of painkillers for afterwards.

Luckily, my afterpains for 3 and 4 we hardly noticable, my 2nd was the worst with those.