What's natural labour like with a 7lb baby?

[popperyes]

DD 1 and DD2 were born prem. Contractions painful a bit but I was completely level headed throughout and was even thinking of next steps whilst at the pushing stage. Definitely didn't hurt to push and they didn't hurt coming out. No gas and air, nothing. Although with DD1 I was extremely cross because we had pressed the emergency buzzer and she was here before a midwife or consultant arrived.

Both passed away from extreme prematurity. Hopefully this baby will be term! Fingers crossed, all is going well

Is there a really big difference when a baby is 7lb+ or is it all the same and my body just labours well? I'd love to know

Think I'm not frightened enough by a few peoples comments (meaning well)

Hi I’m very sorry to hear of your first babies.
I’ve had babies that were 8lb, 7lb and then 4lb. The labours were all just so different anyway for various reasons. The 7lb was the easiest overall because things were calmer and more straightforward. I wasn’t as panicked as with the 4lb baby. But the 4lb-er was easier to push out, I suppose.

Condolences and congrats on this baby.

Well I've had 3 vb's and 1 elcs. 1st was 7lb 7oz full induction due to high bp (3 days, 7hr 38 after waters) ended up with vontouse due to fetal distress. Not my favourite delivery. 2nd was 10lb 12oz, slow labour of 6 days from being 1cm (2hr 19 after waters), 14 mins unassisted pushing to get him out. 3rd was 9lb 10oz, back to back in labour. 2 days but only 11mins after waters, just a few pushes and did tear. Bigger were better but then they were both ready to come and the 1st was not.

Mine were bigger than that. I am 5’7 and was between 9 and 10 stone. They were all fine.

My first was 5 pounds 1 oz

My second 7 pounds 2 oz

The second birth was a lot easier

I'm so sorry to hear about your babies x

Sorry for your losses and congratulations on

Your baby!
I have only had one and he was around 7lbs. I am guessing that the cervix stretching is a bit more painful once you reach 10cm as it did seem to ramp up a lot from 8-10 but I doubt it makes a massive difference on the whole.
You'll be amazing :)

I'm sorry for your loss.
I was fine, at home in water. Endorphins kicked in and I didn't feel anything when my baby came out. Low lights, and great midwives helped massively.

My daughter was 7.4 and it was painful but manageable.
I think it will help you that your body has done it before even though your little angels were very little.
Best wishes, good luck x

So sorry for ur losses. Sorry goona be a bit of a long one to
So I had a 28 weeker who was 1240g due to ic so happen quickly no pain relief. I can't really remember the labour, just shouting at them that my legs didn't go wider 🤦‍♀️ and asking for pain relief once I was 10cm and ready to push which they wouldn't give me. I also remember not feeling the urge to push , just thought f this and pushed. It's not an easier labour as ur body is not ready and prepared to give birth early even thou they are small. I think also we block a lot of those labours out and just get on with it as it's such a shock. Can remember sitting in the room with Dh once ds had been rushed off to nicu thinking what the hell just happened. Didn't feel like I had just given birth.
With my 2nd ds (who's 11 weeks old) it was completely different he was 2990g so not big. Had him in the birthing unit again very quick due to the ic labour was just over 3hrs.
Tired gas and air ( does f all) tried the pool didn't care for it. So had him on all fours next to the pool. This time i had the urge to push and could feel him moving down the canal. The ring of fire is real. I also kept saying that I didn't know how I did it with my first ds. But once over it's quickly forgotten and it's just joy holding that term baby

Sorry about your terrible experiences

All my babies were around that weight, which is in the 50% percentile. Labour wasn't that horrible itself, problem was is was overdue and they gave me all kinds of procedures because of it

I would like to mention that when they tell you a size (with an US) it can be very wrong..... they said DD2 was 11lb she was a tiny bag of sugar heavier than her sister.

Secondly, gas and air can make some people very dizzy. I HATED it. So try it but be aware. I'd rather have more pain than pain and dizzyness.

Epidural is great when strictly necessary. It really upset me I couldn't move at all even when the feeling was coming back, the muscles just weren't working properly and I felt horribly stuck to bed wanting to change position

My first was 6lb 10 and second 7lb 4 - I’d say the second was easier only because I felt like I knew what I was doing and trusted my body to do it. With my first I was terrified of pushing and I didn’t want to do it 🙈 I don’t want to be one of those dickheads that said it was easy, it wasn’t, but it was manageable and by the time my second was about an hour old I was saying I’d have a third. Currently pregnant with #3 and will probably have a horrendous time because I’ve been smug 🙈😂

When are you due OP? Sorry about your previous losses.

My first was 7.2 and I had a natural labour, just gas and air as I'm not allowed pain relief due to medical conditions. It was a long labour but it wasn't extremely painful.
My next 2 children had to be induced and again with no pain relief. Their births were AGONY. It must be to do with how quick you dilate when induced. They were 7.6 and 8.1

So sorry for your losses OP. My labour was fine. Painful but manageable. Didn't get gas and air until I was 9.5 centimetres. I highly recommend the book Birth Skills by Juju Sundin. I think it's the techniques from their which really helped me cope without drugs. (I'd have liked the gas and air a good few hours earlier, but the hospital didn't have space to let me in but thanks to the techniques I had I was fine)

My condolences OP. Life can be very unfair.

I wouldn't worry about a full term labour. Mine were both nearly 9lb and the births were fine. Wouldn't do it for fun but definitely bearable. DD, my second, was quicker and easier.

I'm very sorry for your losses OP.

DC1 was 10 weeks early and weighed 1.3 kg. Contractions very painful (induction), the birth itself wasn't particularly painful and short.
DC2 was 4 kg and the contractions were much less painful, the birth itself was very painful though. Much longer pushing stage. I also had a small tear.
DC3 was a second trimester loss - no pain at all.
DC4 was 3 kg, horrific contractions and more or less painfree, super short birth.

In my experience, a small baby is less painful to give birth to, but how painful the contractions are does not depend on the size of the baby.

Good luck for the birth!

I found that waking up and down during contractions helped. Considering they were 5-7 min apart for a few hours I walked a bit and sat very little

Mine were 8lb 8 and 8lb 13

For me, the thing that helped most was staying upright and staying calm.
As soon i lay down , the pain increased.

Let gravity help as much as possible. Lean on a bed, on your dh, on a ball whatever. Sos breathing really helped. Stay at home as long as possible so you feel safe, surrounded by all your own things.

Gas and air helps. Try and avoid induction.

It hurts. It is not like breaking your leg pain though. It is a positive pain.