Third births....are the rumours true?!

[Creena]

I'm expecting baby #3 at the end of May. My previous two births were relatively straightforward with labours lasting 12 1/2 and 9 hours respectively. I've always assumed that births became more straightforward and also shorter each time but recently I seem to be coming across stories about how third births tend to be unpredictable and often problematic. I'm now starting to feel a bit anxious!

Have I just encountered old wives' tales or stories that owe more to coincidence? Or are third births genuinely unpredictable?

not mine - great birth

My third birth was fast, 2 hours start to finish (although just to be awkward he was nearly 2 weeks late after other babies born around due dates!)

I have a theory about the '3rd babies are unpredictable' tales - I think you're more likely to have niggly prelabour than with 1st/2nd babies, and if that is mistaken for actual labour, and perhaps things hurried along by breaking waters etc, it might seem that things were taking longer than expected. I could define my 3rd labour as having started hours before it actually did, but in reality it was only after I'd given up and decided it wasn't really labour that things started in earnest, and as I said it was very quick, so quick that the midwife missed it! But that's just my theory.

two of my friends had their 3rd babies within the last 18 months, both had straightforward home births, after two hospital births !

my mil's 3rd birth was her hardest. and he's still her most challenging child at 36 .

Definitely heard the third labours have more pre-labour/niggles theory and have many friends who can completely concur- most recently a friend had horrendous braxton hicks for three weeks, lots of times she thought it was happening for it all to stop again. When it did start it took 70 minutes from first proper contraction!

my third was the fastest and not as painful!

god no

true in my case, I'm afraid. too much space in the uterus to move around, methinks, so she was doing somersaults until the last minute (query breech til 37 weeks) and ended up with the cord around her neck. had led to some distress because there was meconium in the amniotic fluid. labour was fast and furious though (1.5 hrs, versus 32hrs with #1, and 6hrs with #2). my last 2 were only 15 months apart though, which probably had more to do with it...

Hello, my third was very quick too (25 minutes from first contraction to delivery by shocked husband!), much easier, but I also had v bad braxton hicks for the last couple of weeks, which I hadn't had with the first two! Think actually I was in labour for days without knowing! All that raspberry leaf tea.....

My third seemed to take forever - but probably down to a day of 'pre-labour' contractions. Once established, fairly quick and very straightforward homebirth.

Thanks for all of your replies, ladies! Sounds as though I should bear pre-labour niggles in mind and stay positive about the actual labour bit.

I feel reassured now and more positive; thanks again everyone!

My third (of four) was quick and easy. He popped his head out and made gorgeous noises before the rest of him had slithered out.
Lovely.

Mine was great - not the quickest which was dc2 but relatively easy and about 4 hours long

The main part of mine was fine - but the preamble was ridiculous - in and out of labour for a week beforehand (contracting regularly for about an hour then all would stop!). Birth was lovely, all done in four hours, all straightforward. Placenta was another issue - it refused to budge and I had to be transferred to another bigger hospital to get it removed

I had terrible afterpains when feeding dd2 (my second), but hardly anything when feeding ds - go figure!!!

I had the "third ones can sometimes be awkward" thing too, from my midwife - and I suppose in retrospect he was a little awkward in not making his mind up about when to appear

wow!!! all the feedback very interesting. Im having my 3rd and 37 wks now. went in2 hospital last week with false labour that lasted 6hours then went away. it started again last night but felt much worse and not only tightenings. seems to me 3rd one does give more probs beforehand. both my other 2 births were at 38wks and very fast. but this one is confusing the life outa me. not sure if im imagining things or what. good luck!!

I would like a third baby. I had pre-eclampsia with my first, which was the most horrible experience ive ever had, and had to be induced. The pain was unbearable for me.
The second was great. I even questioned whether i was really in labour or not cos i assumed the pain would be as great the second time.

Third was the only pregnancy and delivery that was anything like problematic - but even then not very. I've been very lucky. However my MW had a theory that many women go into the 3rd pregnancy with the attitude that they've been OK twice, third time is just asking for trouble!

that might be true!! thing is for me its madness with my hubby been away. it would take him a good 3hours to get to me. so after false alarm last week and not knowing if i should bother geting him home again this time, who knows. just have to c what happens.