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Childbirth

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

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Original poster

Your 3rd labour - what was it like?

36 replies

dinny · 26/09/2008 20:16

Easiest? Hardest? Have heard some saying that 3rd births are the hardest...? Is it true in your exp? thanks

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tabby0kat · 26/09/2008 22:59

My 1st and 2nd pregnancy and birth were relatively easy (both boys) my 3rd was definately the worse (yep you guessed a girl). The whole pregnancy was troubled from start to end. Saying that though I would still have more children in a few years so it cant have been that bad. I always joke that I knew she was a girl as it was such hard work from conception lol

gigglewitch · 26/09/2008 23:04

#3 three weeks early, other 2 on/v close to EDD
unpredictable - slow labour for 2 days, then 'stuck' at 5cm , had waters broken and an hour and a half later there was baby
labour - no pain relief
birth - easy peasy and watched her arriving (couldn't do that with the 2 boys)

BigBadMousey · 26/09/2008 23:06

It was exactly as MNetters had warned me it would be...

Apparently they are notorious for stop/start before they get going. I had 3 weeks of contractions lasting nearly all night then stopping at 7am (I was shattered y the end of it). Even the MWs at the hospital kept saying how common that is with 3rd labours.

It wasn't any harder or easier than the previous two. My first two were girls, third was a boy.

Three DCs is fab btw

BigBadMousey · 26/09/2008 23:07

Yes 'unpredicatable' sums third labours up very well IMO

BigBadMousey · 26/09/2008 23:08

I mean unpredictable.....

Ceolas · 26/09/2008 23:08

Definitely not the hardest. First was harder. He was massive though (10lbs ) and it did take a while to kick in properly. But bearable all things considered. I had a 4th anyway...

Ceolas · 26/09/2008 23:09

BBM I had the same pattern - 2 girls then a boy

Joolyjoolyjoo · 26/09/2008 23:13

Hmm- I did worry about my 3rd labour too, having heard that "3rd labours can be tricky" thing. My 3rd WAS my longest, and probably my most painful labour (but at 4h 40 I doubt I'm garnering much sympathy!!)

dd1 was here in 4h, dd2 in 3h30, so I was expecting either a nice 2hr labour, cough and its out OR a nightmare ventouse/ forceps/ 19hr/ C-section scenario! In reality ds was back to back, but not ALL that different from my previous labours (although I got all arsey at the 4hr mark and demanded to know why he wasn't out yet!)

SixSpotBurnet · 26/09/2008 23:16

It was by far the best of the three.

It was not as much of a wham, bam, thank you mam affair as DS2's birth - I started having proper contractions around about lunchtime, and DS3 didn't finally make his appearance until about 9.15 p.m. But the contractions built up steadily and were pretty manageable and I managed to stay at home for a long time.

I hate the pushing stage anyway so I didn't enjoy that bit any more than the previous two times, but it was at least pretty quick.

I had a doula for DS3 - maybe worth considering?

Congratulations, anyway! I remember you having your DD2 (I used to be Dinosaur, btw).

DS3 was very well when he was born and I had a natural (ie non-managed) third stage. We stayed one night in hospital and came home next day.

tabby0kat · 26/09/2008 23:17

Haha now Im starting to think I was just being soft lmao

Original poster

dinny · 27/09/2008 10:12

thanks everyone

Hi Dino - my second was a ds (have dd and ds)

I did have a doula for ds, and think I prob will again this time...but part of me also feels like having an elective, just can't face the whole thing!!

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Nbg · 27/09/2008 10:33

My third was by far the easiest and quickest labour.

DD was 12 hours, ds1 was 6 hours and not to mention the days and days of false starts.
And all over due.

DS2 was 8 days late and I had a sweep in the morning. Midwife said I wasn't favourable. Pottered around most of the day, went to town and then picked dd up from pre-school.
I'd had niggles all day but nothing major that would make me stop and think labour had started.
Then about 4pm they got a bit more intense and I called the hospital who sent out the MW's (HB). They were a fair few miles away doing appts.
Luckily they arrived an hour before ds2 was born.
My whole labour lasted all of 2 hours really.
I guess I was in labour during the day but it wasnt painful by any means.

But the whole labour was so much better. The very few chances the MW's checked the sonic aid, ds was happy, my last two labours both ds and dd were distressed, my waters broke on their own and with the other two they had to be broke for me.
Even when he was born he was very chilled, no screaming and just went to sleep

Original poster

dinny · 27/09/2008 18:31

my first two have been quick ish (5 hours and 4 hours) - in facty, except for shoulder dystocia, fine. worried am in for it now!!

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NorthernLurker · 27/09/2008 18:36

Labour almost identical in length to the second one tbh - 8 hours having started at 41 weeks exactly. Actual birth a bit easier once my waters broke - for me that always happens at the last possible moment! Dd3 was my smallest birthweight so I guess that helped. I definately felt most in control of the whole thing and coped with the pain pretty well looking back.

However - dh says it was by far the bloodiest birth we've had. I didn't really register that tbh - it was only when i saw the midwifes notes that I realised what I thought was a bit of blood loss was classed as a PPH. We were both fine though.

Original poster

dinny · 27/09/2008 18:40

I had heard subsequent babies get bigger and bigger (eek!)

but obv not for you, NL! hope yet

OP posts:

NorthernLurker · 27/09/2008 18:42

Noe dd3 was 9 ozs smaller than dd1 and 12 ounces smaller than dd2! Contrary to the gloomy predictions of my consultant!

Original poster

dinny · 27/09/2008 18:54

did you watch whta you ate more?

OP posts:

jennifersofia · 27/09/2008 19:05

Fine - v. similar to second. I am lucky in respect to labours - tend to be short and straightforward. Baby same weight as 2nd.

Bainmarie · 27/09/2008 19:13

Pretty much same as previous 2. Over a week late again, fairly rapid labour (once sucessfully induced!). 3rd baby was biggest though (another 10lb!) Actually thinking about it, was the only time I did not have a PPH and I felt much better after third birth than other two.

NorthernLurker · 27/09/2008 19:21

Dinny - not really. I did try not eat very sugary stuff because I didn't want to give them any reason to send me for a GTT. I'm overweight and the consultant wanted me to have one as standard - which I refused. I certainly ate normal portions etc - when I felt able as I was sick a lot. but then again I was sick in all the pregnancies and have always lost weight in the first trimester. I was cycling up to 39 weeks and I think maybe that helped? I don't think it makes much odds tbh - you grow the babies you grow and mine are obviously all longer cookers (dd1 was 42 weeks) and then in the region of 8lbs something weight - dd3 being 7lbs 15ozs.

saggyhairyarse · 27/09/2008 20:58

Quick springs to mind!

hatrick · 27/09/2008 21:02

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

3kids1cat · 27/09/2008 21:08

1st was 4 wks early, lasted about 8hrs.
2nd was 10 days over, around 8hrs again.
3rd had niggling pains that stopped and started for about 3 days, at 12 days over waters went, and dd was born 34 mins later, on my bed with no pain relief! So 3rd- very quick!

WombFor1More · 27/09/2008 21:08

Like shelling peas

8 days late then practically shot out lol! Labour only 3 hrs from 1st twinge, first hour and half was just like BH then by time MW's turned up for planned HB dp had already caught her (9lb 4oz!)

Other 2 were 6 days late and smaller, labours with them were 10hrs and 5hrs.

Goodness knows what's going to happen this time, I'm due Monday

minkersmum · 27/09/2008 22:01

Hi dinny

I've just had my 3rd baby. In my experience the labours have gotten much shorter but birthing them gotten slighlty harder. They've gotten steadily bigger too.

I also have issue with shoulders.

First baby ds was about 9 hours labour, birth easy, head out then next contraction out slid the body, no bother. 7lb 12oz

Second baby dd1 labour 4 and a half hours, labour quite easy really, but once head out it was agony, was desperate to birth the shoulders and midwife got a bit anxious as i was pushing and nothing happening but it was because id no contraction, next contraction out came the shoulders. 8lb 5oz

Third labour (homebirth, all waterbirths btw)
labour a walk in the park, 3 hours labour but only about 2 of actual pain. Head out no problem, first thought was i'd do that again, but then big lull in the contractions, next 2 contractions shite, i had to ask midwife to help baby out. Felt like a lot of pulling and wiggling but out she came, cried quickly and had good apgars. 9lb 9oz.

I was worried about the shoulders because of my second birth, reckon the anxiety made things worse. Its a hard call, at the end of the day all was fine with baby and myself, alls well that ends well etc, but i'm a worrier and am already worrying about next time. Will next baby be bigger, what if true shoulder dystocia next time etc.

All my babies been very long, don't look like BIG babies (last one 61cm long) so i don't feel size the problem and i'm 5 ft 10 but its a worry.

Did you have true shoulder dystocia? how was it managed and was everything ok?

Sorry so long

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