3rd time round was your labour better, worse or the same??

[bogie]

I am about to give birth to our 3rd and I keep hearing horror stories, people saying their 3rd was the worst.
So how was yours?

The best! I had DC3 on Friday. A bit dramatic, planned homebirth that didn't quite go to plan but very quick- about an hour. The baby more or less delivered himself! Good luck with yours xx

Friend of mine also found her third the quickest and easiest of the lot, took a quarter of the time that her second took. She was very surprised it was so quick - so much so that she nearly had an unassisted homebirth as she'd left calling for a midwife too late.

I've heard 3rd births can have lots of prelabour, going on for days, and then when they do go, they go in a rush.

SHB - I hope your right because I have had lots of prelabour I have been having really strong BH, to the point where I rang dp at work because I was convinced the baby was on the way, but then it all slowed down again.

I have had 2 rather quick labours and when I have got to the final stages both ds and dd were pushed out in 1 big contraction so I am slightly worried that this one might come a bit too fast (dp works 1 hour away)

My 3rd was quicker than the previous two but much more painfull probably because dd3 was much bigger than the previous two (8lb11oz compared to 6lb7oz and 7lb 9oz)
The recovery time was quicker and I felt 1000000 times better immediately after delivery.

My fourth labour was the best of all.

Much worse and much longer (14 hours).

When I left hospital my overriding desire was to go round and slap everyone who kept telling me how easy th 3rd would be.

Oh yes, pre-labour started from around 38 weeks, to the point that I rang labour ward twice as I thought this was it (and felt like a complete numpty when very patronising mw said, "It's your first isn't it?"). Nightimare because I would be up at 3am from BH and then have to go and do a full days work (didn't give up work til 40+2) And then everyone was telling me how the BH were doing a good job and it "will be so quick when you DO go into labour". You can imagine how impressed I was when it took three shift changes of mw.

Good point, all births are different, don't go assuming it'll be the easiest, or you might have a nasty shock!

I have 3 and for me it was the 1st that was the worst. dcs 2&3 were both about the same, couple hours labour and quite quick to push out.

Worst, first two over very quickly, with the third i was in labour for hours and hours, felt like days!

My third was my smallest though too, so that might have had something to do with it.

Third was my best. Short labour and least pain, I sort of breathed him out.

Have to agree that 3rd was my quickest,even though i was induced it was still half the length of previous labour and no tears even though he was over 9lb. 4th however was the longest.

1st labour 11 hours 41 weeks 7lb 13oz
2nd labour 6 hours(induced)39 weeks 6lb 2oz
3rd labour 3 hours (induced)37 weeks 9lb 2 oz
4th labour 12 hours (induced)40 weeks 10lb

The best for me! I stayed at home for as long as possible (went into hospital waaay too early with dd2!). DD3 arrived an hour after getting to hospital - my labour progressed quite quickly once I got there! Had dd3 abroad where they don't "do" gas and air but was too far gone for any type of pain relief anyway. Third was def quickest and easiest for me Good luck, by the way. My dd3 is now 4 and starts school in September for me!!