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Childbirth

Share experiences and get support around labour, birth and recovery.

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Original poster

3rd labours - could you please tell me about yours?

31 replies

BarbieLovesKen · 09/03/2011 11:02

Sorry if this has been done before but Im continuously hearing that 3rd labours are the hardest and/or most unpredictable.

I'd really appreciate if you could tell me about your experience (and be brutal, even if it is awful, I'd rather be prepared)

Thanks all

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hmmSleep · 09/03/2011 11:12

Mine was fab, felt like my body knew what it was doing. Waters broke on the Sunday night, very mild contractions from 11pm Monday, things got going about 4am Tuesday, dc3 born 3 hours later. No complications, no tearing, I even managed to sit up and watch her being born. By far the easiest of my 3!

Congratulations and good luck !

Colliecollie · 09/03/2011 12:41

Mine was the quickest (2nd stage 3 hours) and therefore I suppose the easiest, but still mega painful!! No time for an epidural. Minor tear, no stitches required.

The previous labour (no. 2) was the worst, very long and painful but had epidural and that made everything ok

Good luck.

mixedmamameansbusiness · 09/03/2011 13:24

Watching with interest as am now 3 days overdue with no.3.

wolfhound · 09/03/2011 13:28

Won't be having 3rd labour (hopefully) until July but watching this thread with interest!

Lastyearsmodel · 09/03/2011 13:29

14 days over, lots of niggling cx, induced, born 2 hours later, no tear, went from 4-10cm in under 15 mns. I was off my face on g&a so my body pushed her out by itself (bit like sneezing, if that makes sense). V fast recovery due to not tearing, I think

The mw said 3rd labours can niggle for ages then you haven't got your gloves on when the baby shoots out. So, yes, unpredictable.

pearlgirl · 09/03/2011 14:11

2hours from 1st twinge to baby - by far the easiest and least painful of the 4. I was about 6 days over and had been offered induction but had decided to wait and see- went into labour that evening, ended up with a few stitches and a 10lb 11oz baby born after 2 pushes. All my others have been induced and vary from 22hours to 4hours.

Original poster

BarbieLovesKen · 09/03/2011 14:13

This is really, really helpful - thanks a million (and keep 'em coming)

Also glad its of interest to others!!

lastyearsmodel 14 days over with number 3???! you poor thing!! (were number 1 and 2 "late"?)

OP posts:

Maitri · 09/03/2011 14:35

Am also watching with interest as 39+2 with number 3. Definitely feel more anxious this time round - probably due to being considerably older than when I had #1. Good to hear your mw's comment, lastyears as I've been niggling for the past 10 days or so and definitely never felt any niggles with #1 or #2 before labour started properly. (Reaches for gloves/towels/hot water).

elliejjtiny · 09/03/2011 17:41

If I had to choose one of my labours to repeat it would be my third. However I had a 12 week miscarriage before DS1 so not sure if that one "counts". With DS3 my waters broke 2 days after EDD on the monday. Went in to be monitored, cervix long and closed with no cx. Booked in for induction on wednesday morning. Pathetic mild cx started tues night but only if I bounced on ball. Wed morning went into hospital, 3cm but could stretch to 5cm. Too late for pessary so waited for bed on labour ward. Had a nice relaxing day reading book and wandering round hospital. In the evening things started hotting up at at 8pm I was transferred to labour ward (had been on antenatal). At 8:30pm I was 5cm, at 10:20pm I started pushing and at 10:46pm he was here. I was paranoid about tearing so panted once head got close to the exit and had no tears at all. Good luck.

Lastyearsmodel · 09/03/2011 19:04

Yep, DD1 40+5, DS +12, DD2 +14, the little bugger. But worth the wait . Also the reason I'm not having any more...

Lastyearsmodel · 09/03/2011 19:07

Maitri if you feel a sneeze coming on, be prepared! Hope your no 3 comes soon.

hackneyzoo · 09/03/2011 19:15

I went 12 days over, had a sweep and DC3 was born in about 2.5 hours, really straight forward and fine. Had a small tear and that was about it. No worse tan the other two labours and quicker too!

thisisyesterday · 09/03/2011 19:19

i went a week over with number 3

woke up early hours of the morning having horrendous very long contraction. went for a wee and had another contraction on the way, and another on the way back.

made dp call midwives and blow the pool up and start filling it

had ds3 48 minutes later, before the midwives and ambulance arrived (dp had been advised to call ambulance if i needed to push as midwives were an hour away)

it was very, very, very intense. the pain was just really unbearable until i needed to push, when it got easier.
so i guess it was lucky it was such a short labour really cos if it had been longer i'd have struggled to cope with it, but that may just be because i had no build up, it was just straight into mega-contractions

i was a bit shellshocked afterwards as it was so quick!

wasn't my hardest tho, that was number 1.

dottyhenson · 09/03/2011 19:21

easy here too . niggled from about 10am, went into hospital about 7pm- mostly because i wanted to be out of the way of my 2 dds when things got going. mw said i was only 2cm and wasnt even contracting properly- but when i explained the situation she let me stay as there were free beds and id had a very quick 2nd labour. walked around, read my magazine and ate alot of starbursts!! 10.50pm got my first 2 proper contractions close together- i phoned dh, who had been sent home, then rang for the mw- who said i'll send someone in to examine you in 10mins ( i was on the antenatal ward still) and i said- ive not got 10mins! cue running for a wheelchair ( very long way to the labout suite). Got to labour ward at 11.20pm, dh arrived at 11.45pm and baby was born at 11.50pm . so was pretty easy, little bit of tearing (think i had 2 stitches, not sore)- but big baby that literally flew out of me . good luck.cx ps forgot to mention i did listen to my hypnobirthing cd on and off during the day- definitely helps.

weegiemum · 09/03/2011 19:21

My 3rd was induced, whereas the previous two had been spontaneous and 4 days/10 days early. No3 was induced 22 days early as I was very unwell.

In the end, as it was supposed to be "very unfavourable" as my cervix was tight, I went from pessary at 6am to giving birth at 6.30 pm. Like someone else said, it seemed that once my body was given the "jolt" it knew what to do and I didn't need waters broken, drip, anything. Did it all on G&A and tens, and had a 2nd degree tear as she arrived pretty rapidly at the end (only 5 mins of pushing!) She was smaller than the others "only 7lb15" so that made it easier compared to my others - goodness knows what she would have been had she gone the extra 3 weeks!!

All the best - it will be fine!

izzybiz · 09/03/2011 19:27

Had a sweep on my due date, went for a long walk, bounced on my birthing ball all day in an attempt to get things started.

Gave up by that evening, was sat on the sofa waiting for Dh to come back with pizza when I heard/felt a pop.
Stood up and my water went all over the floor film/TV style!
Dh came in and found me stood in the hallway wearing a towel like a nappy!

Went to the hospital as my DC2 was born in 2 hours, DC3 made an appearance 3 hours after arriving at the hospital, weighing 10lb 10oz!

lilmamma · 09/03/2011 21:23

my 3rd was very late,when labour started,i had my waters done in hospital,and labour wasnt very long or painful,i just had gas and air,but then she decided to get the cord twice around her neck.

They brought in a resussitation machine,and i was put on pure oxygen,so with no gas,it was very painful,but the good thing was i needed no stitches.

Tbh,my 4th birth was the worse of the lot lol.

amateurmum · 09/03/2011 21:28

Sorry but third was worst by far (you did say to be brutal). First two normal deliveries (with epidural) third ended up with emergency section as placenta became detatched during labour.

However, third baby by far the 'easiest' - slept and ate more or less by the book!

fifi25 · 09/03/2011 21:32

Mine was also the worst. 12 hours 1st, 4 hrs 2nd and i thought great 3rd will fly out. 13 hrs the 3rd. 1st and 3rd were back to back and i also had SPD with 3rd so this didnt help. My MIL has 3 and she also says her 3rd was the worst.

Its always best to be prepared

hastingsmum · 09/03/2011 23:36

Third one was very similar to second one, very quick.

fatlazymummy · 10/03/2011 00:30

My 3rd child was born 4 days early, the whole thing took 2 hours.No complications, no tear. The pushing bit was very quick [only had to push once]. It was very painful but the midwife said that was due to the labour being so quick.
This was also my quickest recovery, stopped bleeding within 2 weeks.
TBH I've never heard that about 3rd labours being the most difficult.

CointreauVersial · 10/03/2011 00:34

Super-fast VBAC, barely had time to put my book down. The easiest of my three deliveries by far, gas & air only.

Original poster

BarbieLovesKen · 10/03/2011 10:16

Some great stories/ advice here - thanks a million.

Can I ask - those of you who had 3rd babies come before due date, were your other 2 early also? I ask because both mine were "late" (11 days and 2 days) so I've just presumed to expect this one late too (so much so that I'd probably drop from shock if something happened before/ on due date )

OP posts:

MooM00 · 10/03/2011 12:50

Dc3 was 'early' and so were dc1 and 2.All around a week early. Dc3 was born about 3 hours after 'proper' contractions started, I guess I'd sort of been in labour for about 4 hours before that.5 minute 2nd stage and didn't have time to ask for the gas and air. The 2nd stage was a bit shocking but it was over so quick it didn't matter , dc1 and 2 were asleep upstairs and that was what I'd hoped for.

Pepa · 10/03/2011 13:01

My third was perfect, 6 days over, long pre-labour short labour. I felt in control and at peace the whole time. In fact my first words on baby being born were "Wow that was great!"

As an aside all my three were HB's and DC3 was a waterbirth

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