Following on from second labour thread, tell me about your third.

[pooka]

Following on from the other thread about shorter earlier labours with second dcs, was really interested to see that third labours can buck the trend. My midwife was discussing my very short labour with ds (my second) and said that third time round, things can be much more stop start and not necessarily quicker than the second.

So...

DD 7.5 hours, on due date
DS 2.5 hours, 1 week late.

Am now 37+ weeks. Have had really quite strong BH contractions throughout pregnancy. Definitely up a gear in the last couple of days. Am actually pretty keen to go to due date and beyond (anal issues relating to academic year, ds's birthday and dd starting new year at school - I want to be there on the first day). And not desperate for a faster labour as suspect that the speed of ds's delivery contributed to the tear I had (with dd, it was pushing through while completely numb from epidural, not the case with ds).

Would love to see whether there is a third time trend!

The thing that shocked me about DS3 is that his head was out on the first push. I so wasn't prepared for that to happen.

I went from 6 cms to giving birth within 20minutes but I had contractions all day.

TBH I was really worried but it was a fantastic birth and I recovered really well.
Good Luck x

Thanks for starting this thread pooka I was wondering about this myself.

DD 10hrs born 40+3
DS 2hr50 born 40+14 (induced)

Am due number three in about 5 and a half weeks so really hoping this one might come on time! I have also been getting loads of braxton hicks too which I haven't really had with the previous two. So very interested to hear whether 3rd babies really do buck the trend.

DD1 4h20m
DD2 2h30m

DD3 1h35m from me waking with my waters going to baby out, an hour of hard labour but out in two pushes I wouldn't even call them pushes, I remember taking the G&A out looking round the room and thinking she's coming down and then her head was out followed by her body it was more like an explusion reflex than pushing.

Aftepains were horrific though, make sure you get some good pain relief for afterpains mine were worse than the labour

Ooh - this is interesting. Am torn (!) between liking the idea of a pushing free labour, and wondering what impact that might have on my undercarriage. Because with dd and ds, I pushed for the same amount of time, about 40 mins. Despite getting to fully dilated about 6 hours earlier with ds.

Thanks for warning about shocking afterpains sweetkitty. They were bad enough with ds, spent significant amount of time on gas and air (more than before he was born) until they took it away. Then remember having to have paracetamol at very regular intervals. So if likely to be worse will stock up with whatever I can safely take afterwards.

First dd,induced,8.5 hour labour,back to back baby.meconium in waters.8lb6oz

Second dd,3 hour labour,meconium in waters,8lb7oz

Third labour, ds,about 12 hours,kept having to walk to keep contractions coming,shoulder dystoria,8lb 8oz.

Very true about the afterpains,i kept the gas and air for a good while,even after delivering the placenta and getting stiches.

The midwife gave me a slow release pain killer (up the bum it worked.

Funny enough although i tore and needed stitches with all three my third was the hardest to push out as he was stuck (water birth). Very slow labour for me,expected him out in a couple of hours,mmm,however actually more copeable than my second as not so intense.

Forgot to say
DS1 8 hours
DS2 5 hours
DS3 2 hours

Like sweetkitty mine werent exactly pushes he sort of fell out.