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Pregnancy

Is it likely that you will have a similar labour to your mother, or is that wishful thinking?

21 replies

loooouise · 10/12/2008 20:26

My mum seems to have had relatively short, non-traumatic labours with me and my 3 brothers - 8 hours with me (dd 1), 5 hrs with ds2, and 4 hrs with ds 3&4.
Am I being naive in hoping that my first labour will be similar to the one she had with me? Or am I wishful thinking...

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gingerninja · 10/12/2008 20:27

Mine was but I guess one case is hardly scientific proof is it. All the women in my family have had quick and straight forward births

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Anna8888 · 10/12/2008 20:27

I think there is something in it - do with with hip width, stuff like that.

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TheOldestCat · 10/12/2008 20:30

My mum had extremely speedy labours with both babies (both premature) and in contrast, mine was very long - a week past her due date.

Sorry!

I hope your labour will follow your mum's pattern though.

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bloss · 10/12/2008 20:32

Message withdrawn

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juuule · 10/12/2008 20:41

Fortunately not.
My mum had complications with first 2 requiring c-sections. 3rd was c-section due to the other 2 being cs.
I had straightforward deliveries as did my sister.

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JingleBellsDennySmells · 10/12/2008 20:44

My mums longest labour was 4 hours, my brother's arrival was so speedy he was born in the hospital corridor. Ive had 3 sections, unfortunately no speedy deliveries.

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ChasingSquirrels · 10/12/2008 20:44

my mum had 2 relatively easy (as labours go) and straight forward labour, 1st at hospital, 2nd (me) at home. Don't know about my older brother, but I was somewhere between 3-8 hours.

I had 2 very easy and straight forward labours, 1st at hospital, 2nd at home. dc1 was 2 hours, dc2 was 15 mins.

I understand that my maternal grandmother had her youngest child on the loo! He was her 5th though.

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LoolaBoys · 10/12/2008 20:44

I think if you take after your Mum in other ways then there is a good chance it will be the same.

I am built very like my Mum and have similar menstrual cycle too, and we had similar births.

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LenniEd · 10/12/2008 20:45

Fortunately not for me too.
My Mum had 36+ hr labours with her first three and 59 stitches with me (DC1)

My DD was born in 12 hours with only a few stitches required.

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Lulumama · 10/12/2008 20:48

mum had prem labour with us, (twins) 6 weeks early, one footling breech and one face presentation.. both born vaginally, don;t think it was terribly good fun for mum! brother born vaginally, normalish labour and delivery, nothing out of the ordinary, although mum had cervical cerclage with him

i had one induced labour ending in c.s and one spontanoues intervention free VBAC

my sister has had one spontanous labour at 38 weeks, normal delivery, small tear

there are other things you can do to try and swing the odds in your favour for a better birth experience

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EffiePerine · 10/12/2008 20:48

well, my mother had two straightforward births, as did my sister (though not straightforward pgs). Relatively quick too. I've had one fairly straightforward birth and hoping for a similar experience with DC2, due in a few weeks (eek!).

Mum and sister were overdue with their pgs though, while I was early with DS.

We are all fairly tall and hefty women which might have had an influence

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scorpio1 · 10/12/2008 20:50

Mum had short natural labours with us, all 3 vbs, inc one footling breech. All fine, no pain relief.

I have had 3 vb, including one hb, all good and fine. Used G&A

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loooouise · 10/12/2008 20:50

Hmmm...I guess I'm not going to know the answer to this one until June (or May, as all 4 of us were 3-4 weeks early too!).
But like Anna8888 I take after my mum in body shape and menstrual cycles, so here's hoping....

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TeenyTinyTorya · 10/12/2008 20:51

My mum's first labour was long, induced, and ended in an episiotomy and threatened further interventions.

My first labour was long, induced, and ended in an episiotomy and forceps.

My mum's second, third, fourth, fifth and sixth labours were all natural, no pain relief, and within 4-6 hours.

I hope that a pattern emerges

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changer22 · 10/12/2008 20:52

My mum's were hard, blood transfusion, blue lighter jobs and so was my first but not my second labour. All late though.

My friend (who is tiny) pops them out like her mother apparently...

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StealthPolarBear · 10/12/2008 20:54

My mum had a long labour which ended in forceps and was quite stressful to do with my heart rate (I think)
My labour was fine. I think she thought mine would be similar but kept quiet as she didn't want to scare me, but I think she was incredibly worried!

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itcameuponamidnightexpress · 10/12/2008 20:55

Nope not here. Both my brother and I were at least two weeks late but then born without complications, Mine came a couple of days after edd and 1 day early and both ended in Em CS.

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ComeOVeneer · 10/12/2008 20:57

My mum's first labour was 6 hours, her second (me) was almost born in the back of the car (but ended up hppening in hospital 7 mins later)

My first was 29 hours (back to back with a double cord neck loop), my second was 18 hours correct positioning, but over 10lbs and head cirumfrence of the centille chart ( he is now 3 and recently I bought him a hat for 4-7 years and it won't go on his head)

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ThePregnantMerryYuleWitch · 10/12/2008 22:10

This reply has been deleted

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babyinbelly · 11/12/2008 09:59

My mum had 2 very easy labours. 3hrs with my big sis and 1 and 1/2 hrs with me. No stiches no problems and before due date.

I had 23 hr labour and an emergency cs at the end of it. I also thought it would be similar to mothers and was convinced it would be less than the average 10 hours!

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eidsvold · 11/12/2008 10:02

not the same in my case. My mum had three very easy births despite my db1 being breech.

My emergency c-section and two electives.

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