If you had a fast second labour, how quick was your third?

[SledsImOn]

I'm trying to gauge if it's true about third labours being a bit of a wild card - or if they are generally even quicker than the second.

My second took 3.5 hours from the first inkling. I'm now 36/7 weeks with my third and have apparently got an irritable uterus - so I was up last night having quite painful, but not-terribly-helpful contractions for a couple of hours.

The midwife I saw today for routine check said, don't come in unless you have regular pains for at least 2 hours.

I'm a bit confused, maybe she wasn't aware my last labour was so short, but anyway - is this one likely to be quicker? And when do I call - I don't want to wait two hours if the baby will be here in one!

Thanks x

ps am booked for homebirth, other MW recommended it as hospital is a bit of a trek.

n°3 was faster. MW told me off for coming to the hospital at the first twinge (the contractions were still 15mn apart when I got there). DD was born 1 hour later, 2 minutes after another MW told me I had "plenty of time".

ds was 9 hours with drugs to slow it, dd1 was 6 hours, dd2 was also 6 hours but was contracting every min for 3 of those and getting nowhere until midwife examined me at 5.10am and literally felt me dilate from 4 to 10 in 30 seconds. she was born at 5.17 :o

DD1 16 hours established labour, stupidly long latent phase

DD2 long latent phase again but established labour 1 hour, 6 minutes pushing :)

DD3 home birth; another long latent phase, established labour 2.5 hours.

DD4 8 hours start to finish including latent phase.

All very different experiences. If I had to do any again if would be number 2. By far the easiest, but she was also the smallest :)

oh yes those were from first sign to birth btw. so all pretty quick really

Thankyou very much for your experiences. It sounds like it may or may not be quicker! It's interesting to read how different labours can be though - I'm hoping this one will be straightforward but you just never know, do you.

No. 3 was similar to no. 2, with a bit more pushing required.

No. 1 - 8.5 hours

No. 2 - 2.5 hours

No. 3 - 3 hours

Oh wow. That sounds Ok - ds2 it took half an hour to push as he was OP by that point, so MW said it might have been half the time if he'd been in a better position. Maybe that has an effect?

2nd labour 2.5hrs
3rd about 1.5hrs.

DS1 - 4h 20m
DS2 - 1h 30m
DS3 - 2h 14m

That was established labour. Latent phase was long with all 3 but got shorter with each baby.

elliejjtiny did you have to go and look at odour medical notes to get those times ? Or did you have them in your head ? its all such a blur for me, I can't even get an answer together for sledsimon

*your

recall I have the times in my head along with a whole load of other useless information . I can remember my old postcode from 8 years ago but I have no idea what I ordered for the DC's school dinners next week.

elliejjtiny I'm like that - I can remember my dads car registration from 25 years ago, but not if I've remembered to send in permission slips etc to school :)