3rd pregnancy and already feeling the wear and tear. Can't help wondering about women who have 10 pregnancies...

[allhailtheaubergine]

My coccyx, my lower back, my pelvis, my pelvic floor, my stomach muscles - I would definitely consider the effects of another pregnancy on my body and may well decide that 3 is enough times. Being pregnant takes its toll.

What about women who are pregnant and give birth 7, 8, 9, 10 times? Or even 20 times?

Do some people have a slightly easier time than others so don't feel so worn out by it? (I don't mean worn out emotionally, or tired, I mean my body can only stretch to the size of a small hotel and then expel something the size of a sofa through a hole the size of a nostril so many times).

Or do you get to a certain level of worn outness and then plateau?

Or are some people just absolutely knackered by repeated pregnancies? I am sure this must be true for some.

I'm thinking about both women who make the choice to have large families, and also women in developing countries who don't have much say in the matter.

I've just had number 3, last Wednesday.
But would like to agree with you.
Mine are all under 3, which I found difficult, due to still having to pick up and do things for them. Also, working made it more difficult to get chores done around the house.

I had a slipped disk when I was pregnant with my second, and suffered.
So this pregnancy, I tended to take it easy, and ate more!! But I still had back ache, out of breath, bad ligament pain all day and everyday.
Tirdness, from my 2 1/2 year old having night terrors, and waking up everyone in the early hours.
Terrible mood swings - due to tiredness, and not being as mobile as I needed to be, to chase after the other two.

I had trouble this time around, as baby was transvere lie, so was admitted to hospital at 39 weeks preganant.

They said it was probably because I had 3 babies so close together, that I had a 'slack' uterus.

Now i've had this baby, I feel so much better already. Just lighter, and can touch my toes!!

I have a lot of praise for women that have lots of children, and bring them up well.

I'm certainly not having any more, as my 'slack' body couldn't cope - never mind my foul temper ( or poor DH)

Sadly ginny they're pretty sure I have a cephalo-pelvic disproportion so I'd be limited to one more elcs. I physically can't have lots more. You can be my surrogate.

All hail the 8 babies! Amazing!

I had 19 months between DCs 1 and 2, and my body, sanity and relationship paid heavily. Relationship recovered, we decided to go for number 3 - I'm now 18 weeks preg. My morning sickness was worse and I've been more knackered what with school runs and day trips and all the rest of it, but having older children and having had more of break (DCs will be 6 and 4.5 when DC3 arrives) is definitely my savoiur. I don't have to carry them, I don't push a pushchair and it's been 3 years since I stopped bfeeding. Plus school and pre-school means I get some time to myself.

I'm 20 weeks with no 3 atm, and I have to say that although this is the easiest pregnancy I have had oin terms of not being anywhere near as sick as with the previous two, I definitely won't be doing it again. I'm also 39 so limited time anyway. My body is just knackered. I'm dreading the next 20 weeks!