Was your 3rd labour fast or slow?

[nobodyimportant]

My first was a bit of an epic ending in an emergency cs, but my 2nd was pretty fast lasting 2.5hrs from first contraction to delivery. I'm a bit worried about having a faster labour this time but I've heard conflicting ideas about how likely this is.

My 3rd was my quickest 2 hours, I'm hoping number 4 will just fall out

1st 6 hours
2nd 1 hr 50 mins
3rd 2 hours
4th 50 mins

You'll get a huge variety of times but generally once you've had a quick labour chances are it could happen again.

1st 7/8 hours
2nd 3 hours
3rd 5 hours

Maybe depends a bit on position? My second was in a different position, and fairly flew out, couple of pushes. Hurt the most tho, third hurt the least if that's any help.

"third hurt the least if that's any help."

That's always good to hear .

1st 6 hours
2nd 5 hours (would have been quicker but took 2 hours of pushing to get her out - she was 10lb 10oz mind you!)
3rd 2 hours (about 3 pushes for this one, and still a biggie at 9lb 10oz!)

3rd labour was definitely the quickest and easiest. I'd heard lots of stories about 'latent' labours for 3rd labours - basically lots of false labour and waiting around, but this wasn't the case for me. First twinges at 10pm, went to sleep and woke with full contractions around midnight and had the baby by 1.30am (15 minutes after arriving at the hospital). Home in time for a cooked breakfast too!

Good luck x

3rd labour quickest - I was quite stressed thinking it was going on and on and then all of a sudden it was time to push! It did hurt though...

4 hours - 10lb 14oz!

My 3rd labour (4th baby) was 5 contractions but I was in latent/non labour for a few hours before hand. I went in because we knew it would be quick so was monitored for the 3 hours until he decided he was actually coming.

Thanks all. Doesn't sound like I can really expect this one to be slower.

Yikes to "5 contractions" though

It was slow painful and ended in emcs, my first to were normal deliveries

48 minutes.
hurt like hell. very intense.

was fiiiiiiiine tho!

My third just kinda fell out, in the car on the way to the hospital, i'd only been in labour about 30mins and the hospital is only 10mins away.

There wasn't enough time for it to hurt I can't even remember the dreaded 'ring of fire'

Fast. Less than 2 and a bit hours from waters breaking. Probably about an hour of contractions.

5 contractions probably sounds far worse than it was - I was having very irregular contractions that stopped and started so wasn't in official established labour. Midwife did an internal and accidently broke my waters - 5 contractions later he was out...

1. 26 hours
2. 12 hours
3. 3 hours---

LuckyWeKeptTheCot Now I am nervous we have the same times for 1 and 2, but I am pg on no3 can I ask when is the three hours from?

2nd was nothing then watere went pop and baby 1hr 32 mins later. My third again no symptoms then water webt pop and 55 minns lkater with no midwife in room and primark knickers still on came baby!
Good luck

2nd was nothing then watere went pop and baby 1hr 32 mins later. My third again no symptoms then water webt pop and 55 minns lkater with no midwife in room and primark knickers still on came baby!
Good luck

1 Elective CS.
2 16 hours
3 about 45 mins - 999 and only just got there

Hi Crawling - well I had a sweep at about 2.30pm (was a week over) then went home and at about 5.30 felt mild contractions. IT was a planned home birth (luckily) and things built up but not completely regular and perfectly manageable. I sort of felt the contractions didn't really peak and trough but went half way up the scale and stayed there - like one long but not too painful contraction really so hard to DH to do his little chart of minutes between! Anyway, at about 7.30 I thought I needed a poo so went down to the bathroom - still perfectly able to walk about on my own etc, sat ont he loo, waters broke neatly into the bowl and I put my hand down and felt the baby's head crowning. Dropped onto all fours, called DH to ring the midwives and tell them then breathed to avoid pushing too soon - and worried about the cord etc and gave birth as they arrived. Very calm though - at least I was - think DH was in a flap but trhing to hide it! All back to normal in an hour except for a new person in the house. Lovely really. But if the home birth hadn't been planned it would stil ahve been a home birth because by the time I realised how far things had got it was too late to go anywhere and DD2 was keen to get out! So she was born just after 8pm.

Thank you for all your stories, please keep them coming.

I'm beginning to wonder if I should make some preparations for this one to arrive at home even though I don't really want a home birth! Last time I arrived at the hospital fully dilated and fighting the urge to push. It was really quiet scary. I suspect that if it weren't for the fact I needed an episiotomy (1 contraction was enough after that) the baby actually would have arrived in the car and it would have been well under 2 hours. We were only 10 mins away from the hospital that time, now we're about 20 mins away and before we go we'll need to sort out someone to look after our 2 DC. There are plenty of volunteers around but it will take time for them to get to us or us to get the kids to them. Even 10 mins could be critical if it's very fast.

I'm almost hoping that I'm advised to go for an elective cs. I have an appointment to discuss with the consultant at 36 weeks due to previous cs. I think I'd be less worried about the prospect of baby arriving at home if it weren't for the previous cs.

Mine took 23 minutes, I was in non labour for a few hours though. I think she just let go because she was almost born on the loo!!!

LuckyWeKeptTheCot Thank you I will now be aware that I may have a quick labour

I hope my 3rd labour goes as quickly and smoothly as some of these! I won't have to worry about childcare for the other DC while I have my home birth - I can just stick them in front of a DVD!