What was your 5th labor/birth like?

***Efjay*** · April 12th, 2011, 11:08 PM

I am overdue & bored LOL. So just wondering, what was your 5th labor/birth like compared to your others.? I remember being told that with 3rd & 5th babies the afterpains are horrid. My 3rd probably rung true to this.
Just curious if you found your 5th any different to the rest...

So far mine have been
1st - 9.5 hrs active labor. Labor was augmented with the drip to speed things up. Mostly because I was naive & did what I was told & didn't question anything. Born 2 days post dates
2nd - posterior birth, 14.5hrs of active labor. Refused any intervention/drugs. born 4 days post dates
3rd - 2 hours of active labor (woo hoo), although to me it was more like 40 min tops. At least thats how long it was till she was born once I arrived at the hospital. No intervention/drugs, born 12 days post dates with about 2 or so days of prelabor.
4th - 2 hours of active labor with a good 3 or 4 days of prelabor, born 7 days post dates. Again no drugs/intervention.

All have been born with in 24 hours of a bloody show. Waters ruptured as baby was crowning. Oh I guess maybe intervention could be classed as the waters being ruptured. I think the midwife nicked them with #2 & #4 as there were bulging as baby was crowing. I don't mind that was done as it did make it easier to push out their 37cm heads! LOL

Here we are at 41+2. No signs of anything happening yet. A few tightening now & then but nothing at all worthy of a second thought. No plans of intervention. But my Mum has flown up from Sydney & leaves on the 17th. So I guess while I am in no rush for myself ( I do full term pregnancy quite nicely) I would feel bad if he doesn't come before she leaves. But again, what can I do? I don't have the final say in when things happen, thats all up tot he little man inside.

Anyhoo, like I said mostly bored & just interested in others experiences 5th time round.

**Lisa** · April 12th, 2011, 11:28 PM

With my 5th, the contractions were 7 minutes apart right up until she was born. Not hugely strong or painful contractions either. I had no idea I was in labour until my water broke. She was born under 2 hours later. I had my bloody show just before she came out. The afterpains were the worst ever. They were definitely worse than the contractions I had during labour. They lasted for 3 or so days.
I really enjoyed my last labour, probably because she was born how I have always wanted a baby to be born but also because it was just easier and much less painful.

Good luck hun. I remember you told me the 15th. You might be right! I had the 10th in my head for a while and Lucy came out on the 10th.

***Efjay*** · April 12th, 2011, 11:33 PM

Yeah I don't know why the 15th but its what I have thought from very early on. Thats Friday... to be honest I don't really see it happening.

**hannanat** · April 13th, 2011, 07:30 AM

My fifth was the hardest after my first, but only because my son had such a huge head (they thought hydrocephalus at one point). To make matters worse, his hand was up on his face so I birthed his arm next to it. When I was finally able to push him out, the midwife actually cried. My 6th was a walk in the park - relatively speaking.