Giving birth after large age gaps

[WeeDinah]

I'm just wondering if any mums have experienced giving birth after a large age gap? My 2 DS are 19 and 16 and I feel really anxious about the birth this time, I had a really traumatic birth with my first born and I was in labour for 68 hours. I know people say the more children you have the quicker the labours usually become but its been 16 years and I'm thinking i could possibly have a very long labour again. I know every birth is different but it would be interesting to hear how other mums with large age gaps between got on?

Not me personally but my mum had my sister at age 40, and I was 18 at the time! We have a massive age gap and it was hard for her to get used to having a baby again, however having older children willing to help made it much easier. I looked after DSis whilst mum was at work, and my DBro (age 16 at the time) would take her to nursery before he went to college. We have a very close bond now many years later and now that I’m pregnant my DSis is so excited to be an aunty whilst in primary school haha.

Dd1 labour was 19hrs.
23 years later
Dd2 labour was 40 mins.

My eldest is 10, next child 9 and I have a baby at 19months.. I expected him to fly out. He didn't. 3 induction attempts, a week late and in labour for 3 days. Midwife said my body hadn't remember what it should be doing I have 2 friends who have 2 children each and none of them 4 labours have last longer than 3 hours. It's luck of the draw I guess!

My sons were similar, 18 and 15 when baby no 3 came along. Unfortunately after about 30 hrs in labour I had an EMCS. Two years later I had another one and had my fastest labour, in fact I went in to be induced and was already 5cms dilated and hadn't felt a thing. After 4 one thing I can say is you can't predict labour.

I was the youngest of my mums by about 14 or 15 years and I was the quickest one out!

DD was 36 hours and incredibly traumatic.
DS was 15 years later and was 3 hours and totally fine.

10 year age gap. 1st baby natural 36 hours labour ending in an episiotomy
2nd baby induction that took 2 days to get me in labour, so no pains during this time, then full blown labour lasting 2 hours before she shot out.

I had DC1 at 40 - 16 years after DC1.
The pregnancy was easy. I'm was worried about 'putting my back out' during the birth.
Midwife had already advised against a home birth and said she was treating it as a first pregnancy, due to the gap.
In the event, I had a short, straightforward labour, 1 day after his due date.
(Coping with a toddler, in my 40s and sleep deprived, was another matter, mind!)
I honestly don't think the age gap is going to be a problem. Try to make the most of it. All the best.

I had a 12 year gap, was induced which worked the 3rd time but then I only had a 4 hour labour which was my quickest. But then my ds had shoulder dystocia and then I had a retained placenta. So despite an easy pregnancy and easy early labour I was in hospital for 3 days. The midwifes that visited after couldn't believe I had a shoulder dystocia labour when it was baby number 4. But he was a good baby and I found motherhood 4th time round not as tiring as I expected.

Thank so much for all the replies, I guess you really cant predict what's going to happen and everyone is really different. I'm actually a late baby myself, 16 years between me and my sister but my mum is in her late 70's and doesnt have a very good memory so she cant really advise me on how she got on during giving birth to me. My brother is 10 years older than me, he was her 3rd born and she says she remembers he was her easiest labour/birth so mines must have been worse than his. I just hope it can go as smoothly as possible, I think I'm just worrying about how I will cope with the pain this time with me being a lot older. I think I'll manage fine being an older mum as im quite a busy person and always on the go, im actually a student in college at the minute also but I finish in may and I'm taking some time out for me and baby. I actually feel more ready this time as an older mum, I get up 5am every morning and just now I'm up for the toilet 3 times a night so I dont think night time feeds will be a problem for me lol ..I'm actually really excited and feel more ready than I ever have but the birth does worry me a bit because my first was so traumatic and my midwife did say it could be like having my first again. My 2 DS who's 16, I was only in labour for 4 hours with him and I had no complications so I'm hoping it's more like his birth. Again thank you for all your replies.