Five or more pregnancies

[FullSteamAhead]

Women who have had five or more pregnancies, have you been told that you are classed as a high risk pregnancy due to the amount of pregnancies you have had previously?

[mumtofive]

i dont think i was told i was high risk, i do remember being told i would need to have a a drip in my arm incase i lost too much blood, which they never put in anyway.
I have 5 childrenn, 2 confirmed mc one at 11 weeks and one at 6 weeks 2 days and 1 unconfirmed mc at 4 weeks.

we are ttc number 6, so will be interesting what they say to me, im also over weight.

[Starlet]

Nope...never. I've been overweight my last two pregnancies and my midwife said nothing(she doesn't even weigh me).

Interesting, I never thought it to be an issue.

[FullSteamAhead]

Well I never thought it was an issue having numerous pregnancies.. until my GP told me that being being pregnancy five that I am high risk and I just said ohhh okay. I know about having a drip to help uterus contract and to slow bleeding but that's all, news to me the high risk due to number of pregnancies.

[sweetseven]

Yes, the hospital categorised it as grand para, but I didn't deem myself high risk at all, so discounted their generalisation.

[FullSteamAhead]

Yes, the hospital categorised it as grand para, but I didn't deem myself high risk at all, so discounted their generalisation.

Well I do not see myself as high risk, more grand pro then grand para :laughing:

On a serious note though.. what risk are there when you have had multiple pregnancies??

[sweetseven]

The hospital was just talking about the womb not being as elastic and needing help to contract - re oxytocin. And if it didn't contract properly, a risk of haemorrage.

[Starlet]

Oh well, no drip for me, I'm having a homebirth! lol. With my experience, with each pregnancy I have, the better and quicker I recover. Plus I think allowing the placenta to be delivered naturally helps. My midwife isn't concerned that this is my 5th pregnancy, so I'm not worried either.

Sheesh, doctors like to make you worry about things eh? I've had a few scare the living daylights out of me in my first few pregnancies!

[Josh]

I most certainly was/is in the high risk catagory,
I have given birth to 12 children ( 9 naturally, 3 caesars), and 1 of those was a stillborn dd, and I am also prone to placenta praevia which I have had 3 times, but all up I have had around 20 pregnancies.:eek:

[Bron]

We don't have a large family at all, so sorry about barging in here, but I have a couple of thoughts to offer. I suspect the question is five or more children, rather than five or more pregnancies. This is my sixth pregnancy, but only my second to progress beyond 13 weeks. I'm not considered high risk.

Also, I looked into the Family Birthing Centre here in Perth for one of my pregnancies and they explained the eligibility criteria for birthing there. Obvious things like no twins, no breech babies, no VBAC, can't weigh too much and so on, but they also can't accept women who have had five previous babies because they are considered to be a slightly higher risk. It doesn't make them high risk, just statistically a slightly greater risk than someone having their second or third baby, apparently.

[bgbgbb]

On a serious note though.. what risk are there when you have had multiple pregnancies??

I asked this of my ob and he said that many women's bodies are not designed to have that many babies (not saying that there are exceptions). There's issues such as damage to the perineum from previous deliveries, and general wear and tear on your bodies. I had rather trouble free pregnancies for my first 3, but on my 4th and 5th I developed bad pelvic instability which was blamed on many children in few years.

I'm considered high risk now, because I'm having twins, but I've found that, apart from #1 baby being a shock to a body that had never been pregnant before, each pregnancy has been harder and harder on my body (although the deliveries have gotten easier).

[loving6]

No I have never been treated as high risk, even though 7 pg (3 m/c and 5 births oh one m/c i lost one twin). I'm also Morbidly obese. :o

[Princess Drama]

I have 4 children, and have had 6 pregnancies and on my fourth birth nothing was said. So I would say no 5 pregnancies are not high risk.

[FullSteamAhead]

I suspect the question is five or more children, rather than five or more pregnancies. This is my sixth pregnancy, but only my second to progress beyond 13 weeks. I'm not considered high risk.

QUOTE]

Yes, more so five or more children (or later pregnancy births).

[QUOTE=bgbgbb;4426072]I asked this of my ob and he said that many women's bodies are not designed to have that many babies (not saying that there are exceptions). There's issues such as damage to the perineum from previous deliveries, and general wear and tear on your bodies. I had rather trouble free pregnancies for my first 3, but on my 4th and 5th I developed bad pelvic instability which was blamed on many children in few years.

I'm considered high risk now, because I'm having twins, but I've found that, apart from #1 baby being a shock to a body that had never been pregnant before, each pregnancy has been harder and harder on my body (although the deliveries have gotten easier).

I agree, each of my pregnancies have become harder and harder on me, but births I seem to be a pro at :laughing:

[Deserama]

yes i was told this 4 my 5th and 6th birth. Higher risk of heommorage (which i already was)....i too had pelvic instability 4 my 5th n 6th.

[bgbgbb]

i too had pelvic instability 4 my 5th n 6th.

Deserama, I'm sure that you, like me, often wonder how different our lives would be if we had stopped before that first pregnancy that the pelvic instability affected. I'd never want to give any of my children back, but to not be so restricted because of the pelvic pain would be wonderful too.