labour duration....?

[angelmummy]

I may not be posting in the right spot here, apologies if that is the case.
I've previously had 2 c/s and am currently preg with no.3. I have never experienced a contraction. I'm having another c/s this time, but secretly hoping I will go into spontaneous labour before that date - just so I know what it's all about. Please let me mention that I did look into homebirthing, but decided that option is not for us.

My question IF I go into labour: will my body treat this baby as a 'first' because I've had no previous labour? Or will it likely to be quite a fast labour, because it is my third baby?
I realise no one has a crystal ball and every labour is different, but is there anyone out there who's gone thru a labour for the first time with baby no. 3 or more?


Thanks heaps!

[Kitty33]

Hi angelmummy
I would hope for you that after carrying 2 babies that it would have softened your cervix to an extent that will allow you to have a fairly quick labour.
I only had one c section and did go into labour on my own both times but they mentioned a few times along the way 2nd time that carrying alone softens the cervix and the rest is up to the body.
Have you booked your surgery for after your 'due date' that might help you.... but then they might not let you deliver naturally due to the increased risk...

Hugs and GOOD LUCK!
xo

[Kitty33]

carrying 3 babies if we count the one you are carrying!! hehe..

[angelmummy]

Thankyou Kitty33! That is kinda what I was thinking (about the cervix being a bit softer third time round). My ob is wanting to do the c/s at 39wks he has had not a clue about my desire for labour first ;-) It would definitely be a no-no because of the supposed increased risk so I'm not even going to mention it, hehe.

I'm just trying to figure out IF I can get myself into labour, how long I'd maybe have to get to hospital (as in 2 hours or 10) without everything turning pear-shaped. Ideally I'd turn up just before bub crowns and it's way too late for them to cut me open, but in reality I really can't see that happening!!!!!!!!!! Besides, I'm a little concerned about rupture myself. Even though the risk is small, it'd be just my luck

Thanks for your good luck wishes! xo

[Trish]

Sorry hun but I am going to say the opposite. As your body has not experienced labour before this will be a first baby labour and birth. Yes your body has been pregnant before but it has not gone through the motions of birthing as such.

You can go into labour prior to your caesarean, any labour at all is great for bub. The contractions do a fantastic job in getting bub ready for birth.

If you really do want to experience some labour tell your OB that is exactly what you want. You are the one paying him, you are his "customer" so you get to call the shots. If it's a VBAC you want you can have that too. You just have to want it bad enough to stand up for it. I have a client in the new year that is having a VBA2C. And is well supported by her hospital too.

[Tobily]

Sorry hun but I am going to say the opposite. As your body has not experienced labour before this will be a first baby labour and birth. Yes your body has been pregnant before but it has not gone through the motions of birthing as such.

You can go into labour prior to your caesarean, any labour at all is great for bub. The contractions do a fantastic job in getting bub ready for birth.

If you really do want to experience some labour tell your OB that is exactly what you want. You are the one paying him, you are his "customer" so you get to call the shots. If it's a VBAC you want you can have that too. You just have to want it bad enough to stand up for it. I have a client in the new year that is having a VBA2C. And is well supported by her hospital too.

I agree with Trish...even though your cervix would have got nice and soft towards the end of the last pregnancies it has never actually dilated...so you'd expect that dilation would probably happen in a similar way to that of a first time mum. Effacement (thinning out) might happen a bit quicker though.

I'd say you'd have plenty of time to get yourself to hospy but obviously you can't really make that call until your labouring and other things come into play (ie. how close and long your contrax are etc).

[angelmummy]

Sorry hun but I am going to say the opposite. As your body has not experienced labour before this will be a first baby labour and birth. Yes your body has been pregnant before but it has not gone through the motions of birthing as such.

That's ok! This is precisely the reason I am asking; to get people's different opinions and thoughts. Although I guess no one really ever can know for sure.

You can go into labour prior to your caesarean, any labour at all is great for bub. The contractions do a fantastic job in getting bub ready for birth.

I have also read and heard that too. And it's another huge reason why I want to experience at least just a few contractions, apart from my own curiosity's sake.

If you really do want to experience some labour tell your OB that is exactly what you want. You are the one paying him, you are his "customer" so you get to call the shots. If it's a VBAC you want you can have that too. You just have to want it bad enough to stand up for it. I have a client in the new year that is having a VBA2C. And is well supported by her hospital too.

I hear you, Trish! But I'm in Queensland and there are no hospitals around me who support VBA2C - if there was, I'd be there. HB would be my only option and as I mentioned earlier, we decided it wasn't for us for two reasons: financial (cost of an independent midwife too much) and also the nearest hospy is still 20 mins away, which I'm just not prepared to risk.

As far as asking my ob about letting me have some labour..... hmmmmm....
When I begged and pleaded with him to at least let me TRY for a VBA2C it was a very firm no. So I don't envisage him being at all encouraging about me even just beginning labour. If it wasn't for the 2nd c/s scar, no problem. So I'm worried if I do mention it to him then he'll figure out what I'm about to do and say right, he's doing this c/s at 38 wks (as opposed to the original 39 wks) - which would be even worse for me, haha!

[angelmummy]

Tobily, good to hear another voice! Thank you.... first bub was actually c/s at 28 wks, so I guess that probably takes points off as far as the soft cervix is concerned and puts me even more in the 'first baby, first labour' scenario. And first babies are traditionally 'late' at starting the labour process, aren't they? So probably all this prep is a waste of my time because nothing will happen by 39 wks anyway, LOL.

[Tobily]

Hey angelmummy the other thing I didn't mention is that really, it's all just speculation - for anyone not just mamas who've had a couple of caesareans

While there are "generalities" around birth (eg. first time mums "generally" labour longer etc) there are also enough exceptions to these to make them nowhere near reliable! I've seen first time mums birth in under three hours, and second time mums who've had longish labours. It really is impossible to predict, and your body just marches along to it's own drum

[angelmummy]

While there are "generalities" around birth (eg. first time mums "generally" labour longer etc) there are also enough exceptions to these to make them nowhere near reliable! I've seen first time mums birth in under three hours, and second time mums who've had longish labours. It really is impossible to predict, and your body just marches along to it's own drum

Yeah, I know you are totally right!! Guess there is no point trying to plan for something when you've got no idea how the whole thing will play out in real life. You could do as many 'what if.....?' scenarios as you like and probably something different still would happen in the end. I'm just so curious to know though!

[Ozziehoffy]

I had a VBAC with my second and it was quite a quick labour with rather fast transitions. He did need vacuum help due to distress but that was it. Labour was 3 1/2 hours. Didn't even realise I was in labour until over an hour into it. It was spontaneous and first labour as first was elective c/s due to breech.

Where in Qld are you that they won't allow you to try a VBA2C??

[Rachel]

I would imagine that your body will go into labour like it is your first baby because it has never done this before (as previously mentioned), but having said that no-one can predict when this will be and how long it will last or what the outcome will be....that is a grey area for all women. You could have a long, average or short labour...the only way to determine this is to do it. It is ashame that you don't think you can discuss your wishes with your OB....this is what you are paying him/her for..it's your labour, there is nothing wrong with discussing things. Good luck with it all.

[paradise lost]

As far as i know when Obs and midwives look at "ability to birth" they look at previous labours, not pregnancies. So for instance many women are told they have a great chance of VBAC if they had an emergency section the first time around because they dilated fully but baby was in a bad position and wasn't descending, whereas i know a few who were advised against trying for a VBAC because 48hours of full-up pitocin indiction didn't even get them to 1cm (though IMO they were simply NOT done cooking the baby in that instance). So from the point of view of labours yes, this would be your first birth and your first labour.

BUT my first (and only) birth was less than 4 hours active phase (went from 2-3cm to birth in 4hours 20mins with no distinct 2nd stage) so it being a first birth doesn't mean it will be long or difficult either.

I suggest that rather than begging or pleading with the ob (it's not his decision, it's yours) you tell him you've read up on it and have decided to let the baby choose its own birthday and that you will present for your section in labour. YOU pay HIM, remember?

Bx

[angelmummy]

I had a VBAC with my second and it was quite a quick labour with rather fast transitions. He did need vacuum help due to distress but that was it. Labour was 3 1/2 hours. Didn't even realise I was in labour until over an hour into it. It was spontaneous and first labour as first was elective c/s due to breech.

Where in Qld are you that they won't allow you to try a VBA2C??

OMG, 3.5hr first labour... that's quick!!!!!!! You were lucky you made it to the hospital! I guess it must've become very intense very quickly after that first hour?
My 2nd baby was c/s was for breech positioning, too.

I'm northern Gold Coast area.

BUT my first (and only) birth was less than 4 hours active phase (went from 2-3cm to birth in 4hours 20mins with no distinct 2nd stage) so it being a first birth doesn't mean it will be long or difficult either.

Yikes!! There's more of you out there..?!?!

[angelmummy]

It is ashame that you don't think you can discuss your wishes with your OB....this is what you are paying him/her for..it's your labour, there is nothing wrong with discussing things. Good luck with it all.

I suggest that rather than begging or pleading with the ob (it's not his decision, it's yours) you tell him you've read up on it and have decided to let the baby choose its own birthday and that you will present for your section in labour. YOU pay HIM, remember?

I do agree with you, I guess I'm just a little gutless though. And also I have come to respect my ob, especially for the decisions he made with my firstborn at 28wks. I really don't want to go making things unpleasant, but I understand where you're coming from.

So what do I do? Turn up to my next appt (or maybe sometime further down the track as I'm only 17wks) and tell him that I've decided I'm not coming into hospital until I'm in labour?? Has anyone actually done this?

[Trish]

Yes hun, plenty of women have and do do this. If you tell your OB this he will likely say to you that you are risking uterine rupture and it will then have to be an emergency c section etc. I know you respect him so you will be upfront with him. But... if you truelly want to do this, I would be saying nothing.

I have had 2 VBAC babies, both of them born at home with no issues or problems whatsoever.
Oh and my first labour was 2 and half hours, second labour 90 minutes, 3 c section for breech, 4th 10 hours and 5th 4 hours

[angelmummy]

If you tell your OB this he will likely say to you that you are risking uterine rupture and it will then have to be an emergency c section etc. I know you respect him so you will be upfront with him. But... if you truelly want to do this, I would be saying nothing.

That's the thing, Trish, I don't want to be upfront with him. I would rather just say nothing and hope I go into labour before 39 wks and get myself to hospital when I feel it's time (knowing already that if this is what I do, it IS most likely to end in an emergency c/s - I don't need my ob to tell me that). So, despite that others may think I'm doing myself an injustice and paying my ob to boss me around, I still think I am going to stick to my original plan.

I have had 2 VBAC babies, both of them born at home with no issues or problems whatsoever.
Oh and my first labour was 2 and half hours, second labour 90 minutes, 3 c section for breech, 4th 10 hours and 5th 4 hours

Congrats on your two VBAC babies! That is so lovely to hear. WOW what a huge variation in labour times!! Ok, so there really is no way of knowing just what you're going to get!!

[christy]

Why don't you check out Redlands public hospital? Its south Brisbane... maybe 20 minutes from Underwood? They are supposed to be Vbac friendly, mind you if you go over... I can tell you they aren't.