Third births...how did they compare to previous labours?

[iamamummy]

Just curious really....

I have had 2 natural uncomplicated births with biggish babies 8.13 and 8.11 first was 10 hours second was 2 hours.

Due to a few issues i am being told no to a homebirth and i have a very low tolerance for hospitals...

So just curious to how your third birth experiences went?

Thanks x

Ha ha I just asked to same question earlier ! My two were pretty quick so am interested to no if there is much chance this one being longer or weather I have time to get there ! But it's only over the road tee hee

We live about 5 minutes away, but i am dreading a hospital birth :0/

Mine was great, unlike the previous 2 my waters went before contractions started so we had a bit of fannying around with going to get checked out at hospital but once contractions started I had him at home in under 2 hours.

What are the reasons for not having a home birth?

Some reasons for not having one are of course perfectly sound but remember it is all about informing yourself and weighing up your options yourself, they can only advise you they cannot make decisions for you.

I have high blood pressure (on medication) i am under the consultant, at every appointment i ask about homebirth and each time its a no its not safe, im at risk of stroke, seizures etc etc...,
However i have also been told my labour will be induced, i will be continually monitored and basically confined to my bed....which will not be happening unless absolutely neccessary!!

When ghe consultant feels she is making her decision about my birth at 36 weeks, should my blood pressure be still under control and i am well...i will make my informed decision and go for my homebirth.

The community midwives have said its not safe, if i choose to go ahead can they refuse to come out as its a "high risk" pregnancy? X

Was fine. All 3 roughly same duration (3-4 hours). Like others knew when it was kicking off. Was able to ignore everybody and pace around a good bit and change position loads and generally get on with it. (Might have helped that dd was born at 3am though.) Felt I was my most assertive as to what I was/wasn't going to do. Was same as you - births all had to be hospital in consultant led unit. (Not that I ever saw one.)

Sounds like you know your stuff :)

They can't refuse to come out. they can't refuse you a HB. Like I said they can only advise. They can try to say no but they can't stop you. If I were you I would be writing a letter to send in stating what your intentions are. Make it sound reasonable ie you are happy to continue to be under consultant led care for now but that should your condition continue to be under control at 37 weeks then you will be having a HB.

had my third baby 6 months ago and it was the easiest of the lot!

DC1 9 , DC2 4 hrs and DC3 2.5 hours in active labour, but total time w contractions was nearer 10 hours so as they say you never know with no 3! No tear or episotomy though, and pushing was quick too so dont worry and good luck!:)

my 3rd one was induced continuously monitored and restricted to the bed
it wasnt too bad
2nd stage was very quick!! and no stitches
much easier than my 1st, but not as "nice" as 2nd cos that one i was able to move around which is obviously much better
dont know what they will say if u refuse to stick to their plans and just go for a homebirth, but goodluck whatever route u go for!

Bloody fantastic in all honesty

This time 5 weeks ago my waters had just gone. DS was in my arms by 6.30pm and I felt amazing.

Previous 2 were 12+ hours and inductions, so I was expecting similar.

Good luck x

my first was 18hours (9lb 1), second was 6 hours (9lb 5, at home), third was 48 minutes (9lb 11, at home)

my third was quick! very intense. bit shellshocked afterwards

im not pregnant, but love sharing labour stories :)

my 1st was 27hrs - gas & air, pethadine (cant spell it) didnt know what to expect so was abit all over the place!

2nd was 11 days over and induced. dilated in 1hr, didnt know he was coming....until he fell out! didnt have time or need for pain relief, was brill!

3rd had to be induced 2wks ealry for protien in urine. no pain relief, she was 35mins :) haemorrhaged after so that was only bad part

LOVE LABOUR

good luck

www.homebirth.org.uk/youcant.htm

You can have one, if you want.

My third was my quickest and my best.

"The community midwives have said its not safe, if i choose to go ahead can they refuse to come out as its a "high risk" pregnancy? X" - no they can't, and if it's as quick as you expect, they won't have the time to argue. Have you joined here: health.groups.yahoo.com/group/homebirthuk/

DD1 - 8 lbs 5 oz, 13 hours in birthing unit;
DD2 - 9 lbs,10 oz, 6 hours, home waterbirth
DS - 8lbs, 13 oz, 10 hours (from midwife arriving!), home waterbirth

All fairly straightforward, though DD2 was the only one I didn't need a stretch and sweep for - DS was also 9 days late . Also much more of a stop/start labour - apparently this is often the way. I had sweep Thurs am, crampy pains Thursday evening - then nothing. Mild contractions the Friday night from c. 8pm, stopped at 1am. Then woken at 4am - had to have waters broken at 3pm as we got 'stuck' at 6cm.....and things really revved up from there. With hindsight, it wasn't THAT slow, but having had such an easy birth with DD2, I was expecting it all to be over very quickly. I also found with him that every time I got in the pool, things slowed right down.

He's 10 weeks old today and was well worth it though!

Lacking, you described it really well there, thats my experience exactly! I was hoping for a repeat of birth no 2 instead got v frustrated with the slow progress and stop and start. Waters broke on their own mid way, didnt help in any way and baby decided not to be engaged anymore... Very frustrating! Anyway by the time we did get started properly it was very quick and easy!! All worth it in the end!

I felt more cheated out of my expected quick lovely labour, I somehow stupidly expected something similar to the lady on OBM whose babys head just popped out mid sentence... I def wasnt expecting to be pushing for dear life again!

Third time I'd hoped for lovely birthing centre with pool as a condition that prevented this with the first 2 had cleared.

Then the little bugger was 2 weeks overdue, has meconium in my waters when they broke (all over Tge floor as I stood at the reception desk) and I ended up on labour ward again.

It was quicker than the other 2 but he was bigger at 9'6" and needed ventouse in the end.

After the event I didn't really give a second thought to all that though, too busy!

Ds1 - water broke, no contractions, induction, emcs for failure to progress and epidural not working
DS2 - easy vbac with 6 days of easy early labour. Nice little episiotomy, few painful piles
DS3 - water broke, no cx for a day then they came. awful vbac with 2 days of easy early labour. Awful big episiotomy and awful case of piles...

DC1 and 2 were both induced at 40+14 and took 4 days of induction to get labour started, 9.5 hours and 1.5 hours respectively. DC1 back to back and required epidural, failed ventouse and forceps delivery, DC2 shot straight out.

DC3 labour started on its own at 41+2, was going really well but was also back to back, wouldn't come out alone so also required epidural and forceps delivery.

The weights were 7lbs 11, 9lbs 11 and 9lbs 10. The midwives all told me that the third is generally unpredictable!

Sorry, missed that DC3 was also 9.5 hours in total.

DC1 elcs breach

DC2 long early labour born with no help 3 hours after midwife broke waters battered and bruised, but bounced back in a week or so

DC3 40+11 2 sweeps, 2nd started things moving, 12 hours early labour, waters broken by midwife, started pushing 2 hours later no luck after examination the head was too high, quick spinal block, rushed to theatre, horrible forceps, horrible tear, lost loads of blood, borderline transfusion, terrible piles, lovely big boy 9lbs 1oz with an enormous head!

Pg with number 4 and a bit nervous now to tell you the truth.

DD1 was a 4 day induction as 'I induce all my epileptic ladies at 38w' (my lovely consultant). Not fun.

DD2 was a 25 hour labour at home with a 4 min 2nd stage. I have honestly had worse periods and had only one properly painful contraction (when a MW examined me and I was lying down - against my birth plan!).

DD3 was a lot longer with 3 weeks of prodromal labour before another 25 hour labour - I was due to give birth at home but DD3 had passed mec. so we went in. Birth was still fine and only had a 17min 2nd stage (I really controlled her birth as I knew she had a huge head so 'breathed' her out rather than blasting her like my body wanted).

DD4 is hopefully going to be another HB but if we transfer in, we transfer in.

Watching with interest as pg with third

all I can add is first was 7-8-9 hours, waters went first, then ctx, almost ventouse as had him in hosp under epidural and hooked up to monitors etc (not a good idea in hindsight) but pushed him out.

Second was at home, 3 and a half hrs from first ctx, found it rather shocking and quick, but no pain relief (it HURT!) and just a small tear again, borderline PPH but synto sorted it.

Hopsital is a few minutes away in the same road, but the birth unit is closing, you can't have your baby there any more and the other hospitals are about 45 minutes away. Not sure what to expect this time round.

I sort of hope it hurts less and is really fast.