Would you mind awfully sharing your experiences of your 4th labours with me please? Starting to panic!

[AuntieMoniker]

I'm currently pg with dc4 and was chatting with the midwife over my birth options. My labours with dc2 and dc3 were 3 hours and 2 hour respectively and the mw suggested I think about a home birth this time as I may be even quicker and the hospital is a good half an hour away.

If it is going to be fast then I am happy to be at home, I managed on just G&A with dc2&3 but if it's going to be hours and hours I want access to the good drugs . Although I'd rather not give birth in the car, either.

What were your fourth labours like compared to your previous ones?

ds4 has late like the 3 before him, had my waters broken, labour started, within 20mins i was in the birth pool, 40mins later he was born, no pushing needed, he came out on his own all 10lb 13oz of him! LOTS of gas and air, it was a lovely birth and i had a natural 3rd stage as well.

i had to stay in overnight after i had him as he had breathing issues, but he stayed with me and was monitered and fine, it was just that he was delivered so quickly. now a strapping three yr old.

hth :)

it was the fastest of my 5 births, the others were 3 days, 7hrs and 3 hrs and then no 5, dd was 3hrs but she was back to back and they said she would have been very quick had she been the right way round.

Marking my place - ds4 due in 13 days. Not too many folk to ask really are there when you get to no. 4

Number 4 was my longest labour at 4 hours,but it was a dd when the first three were ds,s so I dont know if that made any difference,I often joke that my labour with her was longer than the other 3 labours added together

wait till you get to no 5! then there are even less! sure it will be fine for both of you, sending speedy, easy labour vibes x

Tell me ... I've been having major bh everytime I walk and mw says he's engaged. Had a week of false starts with ds3-did you get false starts with ds4 or were you induced if he was late? All mine have been around due date but never had so many pains so early.

lots of bh and false starts with my last three, they were all overdue and was induced with all 5, i waited till 3wks over with no 3 and still he wouldnt come out till they broke my waters!

your uterous is more sensitive the more you have that is why you get more bh, and they are all good at getting your body and cervix ready so that when you do go into labour it should be quicker and easier :)

mine all engaged early as well, unusual for subsequent babies apparently, but i think that is cos i am small 5 2 and petite and my babies were all big, they had to get their head right down as there wasnt any space!

So a mixed bag then , (funny that, on a labour thread).

Lollystix, there isn't in RL, hence asking on here! Good luck with your birth.

I quite like the idea of a HB but all the others were in hospital and I'm not sure if I'm 100% comfortable being away from help/drugs, etc.

4mad, my current 3 were all on the big side, dc3 was 10lbs 3oz, I suspect this one will be even bigger - eek!

Does anyone know (random thought occuring here) if you tear during a HB do the mws stitch you at home? I had a 3rd degree tear with dc1 as he was delivered by ventouse and re-tore the scar with the next 2 which I guess will happen again. If I'm going to have to go into the hospital to be stitched I may as well deliver there too.

Oh I'd go for hb if I could (vbac though - sniff). Ds3 didn't engage so surprised this one has - like you 4madboys I'm little too but my babies are only 7lbers normally. Didn't occur the bh could be cos I'm more sensitive in uterus - I think I'm secretly hoping I'll pop early so I don't have to do the next 2 weeks at work. Mw said some protein in my wee today which is also another sign I may go early apparently but I'd never heard that one before. Oh I'm just so bored really - wishful thinking. Sorry - I've hijacked this thread...

Lollystix, my dc3 wasn't engaged enough to have a sweep at my 2pm mw appt. I went into labour 5 hours later!

My only hope is that my waters don't go whilst in bed on my lovely new memory foam mattress topper - it's super - best £60 I ever spent - how sad is that!

My 4th was induced but the labour was quick, she should have been a homebirth like 2 of her sisters. Her head ws fully engaged from 35 weeks, imagine a 10lb baby being in your pelvis for 8 long midsummer weeks....awful! But i love having 4, so much so that i am 18 weeks with no 5. 4madboys how was your 5th?
My midwife is able to bring pethidine to my homebirth if i wish so you wont be totally without drugs, and a relaxed homebirth is like a drug in itself.

All three of my first births didn't go smoothly, 1st was 35 weeker with 2 botched epidurals, 2nd was shoulder dystocia but other than that was great, low pain levels etc, 3rd was a homebirth transfer (due to mec) which turned into a severe failure to progress (because the transfer scared me) drip for 7 hours, horrendous pain, me involunary pushing from 4cm, absolute hell, causing PND and needing birth trauma councilling. Have heard 3rd births are usually a womans worst and the midwife told me they dread 3rd deliveries as they tend to be longer, more painful etc.

So I was dreading my 4th! I chose the local MLU which was being overhauled during my pregnancy and in the end I wish I'd chosen a homebirth. The labour was next to painless, only went in because the contractions were every 2-3 mins and they told me to come in as things can progress quickly after a couple of babies. I was so convinced I was only 3-4cm and would be sent home I told dp to leave the bags in the car... Got to the labour ward at 8.10am, felt a pit pushy at the end of the contractions as I was walking in there so was taken to delivery room at 8.15am, she was born at 8.22. Everyone missed her popping out inc the midwife who was trying to get the back of the bed up, there wasn't even a delivery pack in the room, the student midwife was off getting it when dd3 landed on the bed.

I never believed all those women who said thier births were non painful/hardly painful, especially after my previous three births but it really was a fantastic, easy and very fast birth.

Go for the homebirth! I'm definately booking one if we have another although I don't think I'll get off as lightly as last time :D

my mums fourth birth took 45 minutes for main stage...after a few days of latent phase labour.

it was at home, so no problem getting anywhere.

Morning- anyone up? So how much prelabour did you get with no.4. I got tonnes of painful bh last night - mainly when standing. Been up since 5 with backache and mild period pain. Lying here wondering if this is going anywhere as I'm supposed to be going to work today. Don't want to standup incase it all kicks as nursery doesn't start till 8 either. Do you think this could be it or could I be days like this?

I got weeks of pre labour with number 4 - pain in the bum (almost literally) but when he turned round it got going and went really well and smoothly.. My first was born rather surprisingly at 36 weeks in hospital but 2,3 and 4 were excellent homebirths, they have all got moderately quicker and easier as they have gone on and I think being relaxed is the key and staying on your feet which is much nicer and easier when you are at home. I am expecting number 5 and hoping to have another uneventful homebirth next year.

Don't panic, babies find their way out generally by the easiest route and all will be well.

4th labour was very quick - although I was induced, so may be slightly different to if you go naturally!

Induction started off at 6am, started having proper contractions by 2pm, baby born at 6pm on the dot!

My 3rd was also fairly quick - arrived at hospital at 1am, midwife not sure if established labour, and he was born at 3:40am. But he was a natural labour, so slightly different. Midwife I had with no.3 said I should go for homebirth with no. 4, but obviously not an option as it ended up being induction!

I guess if your previous 2 have been quite quick, then there is no reason to think the next one won't be. And can't you always go to hospital if it turns out to be longer anyway? Good luck, whatever you decide!

Lollystix I had hardly any pre-labour pains with no.4 - had afew whilst actually in hospital waiting for induction! Which was funny as I had about 6 weeks of on and off pains with no.3! Well fingers crossed something is starting for you - it was the last few weeks of being pregnant I found the worst with 3 other kids to look after!

Did you get up Lollystix? Any progress?

My 4th birth was 45 minutes. He was 2 weeks late and my youngest had Pneumonia and was in hospital. We had been there for 4 days. I told the baby he couldn't come out till his brother was home safe.

He was discharged at 6pm, i went to the maternity ward for a sweep and promised to come back to be induced the following morning. I was 5cm. Demanded notes back and crawled accross car park. I wanted a hb. Made it home at 745, midwife arrived 5 minutes later.

My Mum had run me a bath, i refused to get out till the midwife had set the G&A up. Got out and had about 2 contractions, waters broke. He was houlder dystocia but a quick manouvere and he was he was out at 820pm.

I know i had said to him to wait till his brother was home safe but felt that was taking it a bit far

4th birth but 5th child. Twins were section at 29weeks, dd the day before her due date hb but transferred in to hosp. She came out once we were there! All day labour. Ds3 was HB all fine and probably 8 hours at 10 days late. Then ds4 (no.4) 45 minutes at home. Ds5 was a bloody awful induction 5 hours and 10 days late. Dd2 was just an hour and a half hb and just 3 days late.

The next one is due in 7 weeks. He is HUGE so i am aiming for hospital, induction at term if he is still in there.

No progress - lay in bed till 6.30am with period pain. Kids into nursery and school and at my desk at 8.45 and it's all stopped. I've had mild pains this am at work and just come home to work from here this pm. It has all stopped now - gutted. Should imagine more of the same tonight no doubt and then back at my desk tomorrow .

God it's bloody miserable isn't it? It just niggles and niggles then all buggers off again. Mine has just stepped up gear as it often does at this stage.

Means nowt. He will still be late i expect!

Poor you. Good luck for something happening soon.

And 7 weeks to go large? That's not fun. I'm supposed to be working but I've obviously fell asleep - just woken up to a contraction 5 mins ago and now ....nothing

Yep 7 weeks. Gah! Always the same, faff about at about 32 weeks, look enormous and still no baby.

Oooh a contraction... crab like up and down the stairs might do something. Wouldn't it be nice to think you could be sitting having tea snuggling a newborn in a few hours? Arf.

1st lots of medical intervention and about 14 hours second 6 weeks early and about 6 hours number 3 36 hours a nightmare!! Number four about 12 hours again but hey I knew what to expect and finally number5 about 10 hours. I must have been mad

So here I am again - weird night - went to bed on a few random contractions and was woken by one at 4.50. Had about 5 in the last hour - some strong- some not so and quite irregular. Dh seems mildly pissed as I woke him up and he seems to want to go to some meeting about an hour and a half away cos some guy flying from London for it. Nursery not open till 8. Could call my dad but he'll struggle to get them all ready on his own I know- the dilemma is am I actually in labour iykwim - just had another contraction just there.