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Childbirth

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

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Original poster

Third labour

24 replies

Clover · 27/01/2004 14:27

I'm expecting my third baby in May and am wondering how my third birth will go. My first was typical - long with a forceps delivery and my second was fairly quick - gas and air and out she popped twenty minutes after arriving at the hospital! I've heard second labours are supposed to be the easiest(no idea why!) and the third can be more tricky. What are your experiences?

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wilbur · 27/01/2004 14:31

Lordy, I was really hoping that by the third, the baby would just fall out . I would be very interested to hear other experiences, too.

emmatmg · 27/01/2004 14:32

My third was quite similar to my 2nd. Both were fast homebirths but DS3's arrival was by far the easiest of all 3 for managing the pain and delivery. No drugs with either(Gas and Air for the needle work down there for DS2 but nothing during labout and birth), just a TENS machine.
So I suppose you theory doesn't work on me.

lazyeye · 27/01/2004 14:42

I'm due 3rd in June and would be interested too. Have also heard 3rds can be tricky - don't know why that would be though - unless to put you off having any more.

BekkiKay · 27/01/2004 14:44

I can't see how they could be more difficult. Perhaps if you've had a c-section previously it would affect labour. Or more likely because you are older, it might affect the process.

mrcheese · 27/01/2004 14:50

easier as you know it hurts youknow how to push and you know it all ends!
The Greatest High I had out of all of them

mrcheese · 27/01/2004 14:51

what have you got so far?

lazyeye · 27/01/2004 14:57

2 boys

mrcheese · 27/01/2004 14:59

No deffo the best of hte three
take loads of celebrity mags - Mine was just after oscar time and wedicussed dresses at great length - even dh!

secur · 27/01/2004 15:30

Message withdrawn

suedonim · 27/01/2004 15:36

First labour 22hrs; second 4hrs; third 9hrs. I was v disappointed as everyone said I'd probably have the baby in the hospital carpark, after baby No2!

lilibet · 27/01/2004 15:58

dd was seven long hours, ds1 was the worst two hours of my life, I will never ever congratulate someone on having a quick labour, it was like being hit with a train. I went into shock afterwards and did think that I was going to die. I was dreading having ds2 but it was by far the best. I wa panicking about it being quick so probably got to hospital a bit too soon, from first twinges at 6pm he arrived at 11.40pm 20 mins before it would have been his due date. I remember the midwife telling me that he was going to be born in 10 minutes and thinking 'listen I've had babies before and I know it gets a damn sight worse than this' and she was right and I was wrong. A nice labour - if there is such a thing! Gas and Air with all three and the hospital wouldn't let me bring it home - spoil sports!

secur · 27/01/2004 16:16

Message withdrawn

Fennel · 27/01/2004 16:58

Yes please can we have more stories about the third being the easiest? it gives me hope.

tabitha · 27/01/2004 17:16

My third labour was definitely the easiest. No1 was 30 hours and pretty awful, no2 was 15 hours- had an epidural because no1 was so bad and couldn't face going through that again -no3 was 71/2 hours, gas and air only, no stitches. Basically they've halved in legnth each time and that was with largish gaps between babies (4 years and 6 years). I don't think I would have considered having 3 if I'd heard that the third was the most tricky

lydialemon · 27/01/2004 17:56

My third was the best as well. It wasn't the shortest, but it was the one I felt most in control during. I had a lovely MW and a student Doctor who explained exactly what was going on, what she was doing and why she was doing it.

monkey · 28/01/2004 10:49

sorry - my 3rd was the worst.
Have 3 boys
1st 12 hour, okish labour before emergency c-section.
2nd 2hour labour, horrid birth (vbac) & threatened forceps. very long recovery.
3rd (everyone promised would be quick & much easier) 2 day labour culminating in another vbac, baby in distress, ages pushing, lots of tearing. Absolutely hideous. Still, it wasn't the shock number 2 was, the recovery seems to be a lot better, even tho' more damage, and the bay is an absolute angel, sooooo easy. A total delight.

Everyone promised me ds3 would be easier (2nd vbac), but when it all went horribly wrong, they all said knowingly, "Ah well, that's 3rd babies for you!".

Ailsa · 28/01/2004 12:45

My 3rd was an emergency cs due to complications in no.2 that I didn't know about, I was given the option whether to continue naturally or have the cs. Consultant was not very happy that the option of cs was not discussed at any of my ante-natal check-ups, due to ds shoulders gettings stuck and having an overactive thyroid.

Ailsa · 28/01/2004 12:49

BTW, dd1 had most traumatic birth - distress, forceps etc - she is the most temperamental - apgar score of 2 at birth.

DS middle baby is slightly less temperamental - apgar score of 0 at birth (not breathing)

DD2 the most placid and good baby I've ever seen - I think this is due to the fact that she had the least traumatic birth, no stress on her part

Lou33 · 28/01/2004 16:22

My 3rd was the easiest.

2under2 · 28/01/2004 17:34

My first was a horrible induction, once it started took about 6 hours. Second labour lasted about an hour, so quick I had to deliver dd2 myself (and went into severe shock afterwards resulting in a transfer to hospital); third labour took about 3 hours once it got properly established, would have been quite easy if ds hadn't turned OP at the end of the first stage. I had everything going for pain relief first time round, but opted for home births subsequently and only had 3 puffs of entonox with my last labour. Never had anything worse than a 1st degree tear. I must say though, physically this third labour really took it out on me, I took a lot longer to recover and my pelvic floor doesn't feel right at all yet (but then ds is only 9 weeks old). But that's probably due ds's position in labour rather than it being third time 'round.

Slinky · 28/01/2004 17:37

Clover

Your birth experiences are very similar to mine -No 1 was a long drawn-out forceps delivery, No 2 was very quick (1 hour 15 mins) and No 3....

you'll be relieved to know that she shot out after just 1 hour 5 mins labour! Arrived at hospital to find I was already fully dilated!

princesspeahead · 28/01/2004 19:29

third certainly the easiest for me - wonderful drug-free 3.5hr labour with no more than 2 minutes pain on crowning. other two were 11+6 hours, epidural, much more painful. you'll be fine!

susanmt · 29/01/2004 03:20

My 3rd was totally different in that I was induced at 37 weeks as I was very ill myself and dd2 needed to come out.
I had the awful hours of pacing round with 'prostin contractions' but once I got into established labour it was the quickest and by far the easiest of the 3 - I didnt need to push at all and she came out at speed! This, however, may have been to do with the fact that she was 7lb13 compared to my other 2 at 9lb12 (dd1, ist baby) and 9lb3 (ds, 2nd baby, 10 days early).
I think that established labour was very similar to No2. It wasn't any less painful than the first time but somehow I was better able to deal with it. 2nd time round I had diamorphine, but 3rd breathing worked until only an hour before she was born, then the gas (though, to be truthful, I had been shouting for the gas for a while but they kept jollying me along)
Hope all of you expecting No3 find its fine. The transition from 2 - 3 is nothing like as bad as 1 - 2 and our dd2 has fitted right in with no problems, at 8 weeks she just sits in her bouncy chair watching the others play!

Punnet · 04/02/2004 23:09

First baby- pre-eclampsia, early induction, low birth weight boy.

Second baby- 2 weeks early 44 hour labour (although not that painful so don't cringe!), small weight boy

Third baby- 4 hour labour from first contraction, on due date, home in 8 hours.

Hope you take after me- I think third babies usually do.

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