The pregnancy / birth experiences for Mums of 4+ children

[mrsd]

I love reading about pregnancy every time I go through it and have quite a collection of preg. books - but they're all aimed at 1st / 2nd time Mums ! There's hardly any info about Mums who are fourth or fifth time round - including what to watch out for !

As a mum of 6 (and no. 7 expected in Dec) I've suddenly found myself interested in the physical pregnancy and birth experiences for women with larger families, especially problems encountered.

For my last couple of births, for example, I've had to have a thing? stuck in my arm at the onset of labour because they were worried about hemmoraging afterwards - I've never had a problem but apparently it's more likely with later pregnancies. :confused: And I wasn't allowed out of bed for an hour or so after 'cos I'd lost so much blood - I've always had to have stitches and there's been heaps of blood so I couldn't get their drift, really. I hated not being able to get up and have a shower straight away like I'd always done.

On a slightly different tack, I've been fortunate that nearly all our midwives are experienced mums (some with large families themselves so they know what they're talking about but I've found it increasingly difficult to do things "their way" - I must be getting old and crotchety.:D

What has been your experiences of pregnancy, labour and birth for four or more children ?

[mumo5]

I had my 5th bub this jan. I had post pardum heamoraging. I was on a drip over night to help my uterus contract to stop the bleeding. It didn't happen with my 4th but I had excessive bleeding with my 3rd. Although not nearly as bad as with my 5th but they had to give me 2 (maybe 3 I can't quite remember) of those injections to help the uterus contract.
With my last delivery, he was 5 and half weeks early and 4 pd 12oz. But was the worst of my deliveries. I just knew something wasn't right. I was terrified. My water has slightly ruptured a week earlier and when they induced me all was fine till I had to start pushing, I just couldn't get him out and I'd never felt the pain before. As it turned out, the reason I was having so much trouble was because he was still in the membranes with no fluid. My dp said it was like he was in a vacummed bag (you know the ones that pre packed bacon is in lol) the mid wives quickly ripped it open so he could breathe. I could hardly move after I had him and had to lie there for an hour on a drip before I could have a shower and then they put me back on the drip. So at the end of the day I tell every one that I gave birth to a four pound soccor ball. yowch!!!!!!!!!! But I love him. I'd love to have more but I'm a bit worried cause the male nurse in the special care nursery said things are starting to go wrong and we should take that as a sign to stop before something tragic happens. :eek: Great there goes the netball team we were trying to make. lol

[mummyof5]

My second birth was a transfer to hospy (was a planned HB, as my first had been), for an ec/s as she turned breech during my labour.
Therefore my hardest labour if you like was my 3rd, it wasn't my longest, but physcologically (sp?) it was harder and took me a long time to push her out. Pushing stage actually took 3 hours.
Needless to say, with no.4, middie said to me she didn't want to see the same sort of stuffing about, and was my second shortest labour, and pushed him out in about 3 or 4 pushes, hence the only time I have torn my perineum. Felt great afterwards, and no stiches or anything.
No.5 was 5 hours from whoa to go, even though my biggest bub by far, 9 pounds, 8 ounces. Did have some pain in my scar region, but pretty sure that was due to her large head, lol. Was a bit shocky afterwards, don't do quick labours very well. No tears, no nothing.
I do have my babies at home though, so no canula's no timing of labour etc. Really makes things so much nicer:yes: .
I love to read pregnancy books and magazines too, plus watch all the programs on foxtell, but am forever wishing they would get off the bed and move around or try to cope without the epidural for another little while by using some other means of pain relief. But that's just me.:D

[mrsd]

One of the most interesting things I found after so many kids (lol - i'm one of nine so I keep thinking I've only got a small family!) is that each labour is so different !

My worst 2 were A and D 'cos they were posterior labours with the whole irregular contractions and terrible back pain, yet my biggest bub, E (11lb), was one of the easier labours despite needing me to push for once - the others mostly came out in a couple of pushes, thank God.

I agree with the moving around during labour thing, too - and I have had all my bubs kneeling. Midwives don't like it but I always tear anyway and I figure that with gravity helping at least the whole thing will be over quicker.

Another thing I noticed is that whole emotional period after a baby - I can expect it now but it still means that I'm not terribly calm and rational, even though I know why. I kind of thought that that would disappear after lots of kids but it must just be a natural hormonal thing.

[TracieP]

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I love to read pregnancy books and magazines too, plus watch all the programs on foxtell, but am forever wishing they would get off the bed and move around or try to cope without the epidural for another little while by using some other means of pain relief. But that's just me.:D[/quote]
I also wish they sould get up off the bed & move around.
I also had a canula but only for my last (6th) but had to be sent to Adelaide from Pt. Lincoln to have her as they were worried I might need anaesthetic & considered a risk as I'm a bit on the cuddly side:eek: had no problems with any of my labours& none with this one, oh I also had GD this time round. That's it for us tho I think we've done our bit for populating the country. We had stopped at 4 tho, DH had a vasectomy when our 4th was nearly 1, due to him having a back injury we decided to stop at 4 & when he was nearly ready to start school we found out we were having another baby, what a shock:eek: but a nice one, we had actually been toying with the idea of a reversal. Then when he came along we decided what the heck why not go for the 6 we had originally talked about having when we first got together& now our eldest has moved out & is living with a friend. That's scary.

[V8]

All of you ladies are amazing! :) So nice to hear of mums having large familes, i love it!

[mummyof5]

TracieP, i wish...we are trying to work out how to pay for the IVF to have another (have been told it will be cheaper and more effective than a reversal)...so wish they would regrow and we could "accidently" fall pregnant again!!

[bubduz]

Hi mrsd,
I love reading about other people experiences too, especially with more than the average number of children.
Me and dh had our 11th last July. I apparently have a slowish to contract uterus as my first, third and fourth preg required blood transfusions afterwards. I get a cannula(sp?) stuck in my arm pretty much as soon as I get to the hospital too, annoying as they are.
Now I get the syntocin as soon as the babies head is out and it's made a huge difference. No pph's since my fourth.
Like you I have had two posterior labours:thumbsdown: ,numbers 5 and 11. They go SO SLOW no matter what I do. And number 4, which was my biggest, 9lb 13oz(nowhere near your 11lb tho:eek: ) was my fastest, 72mins.
All in all they haven't got that much different as the years have gone by. Eldest turns 20 this month.
I have tried having the babies in different possies but always end up on my back but leaning up supported. No tears or anything yet thankfully, phew:)
Good luck with number 7!!
xoxo