Features of the third birth

From one pregnancy to the next, the experience of giving birth can differ significantly, and by the time a woman gives birth for the third time, there are frequently additional factors to take into account. Every pregnancy is different, and having a third child can have its own set of emotional and physical changes.

Many women discover that after giving birth, their bodies change. Even though some aspects of labor might seem more familiar, there may be unexpected or new challenges. The healing process might not go exactly as it did the first time around, and the body might react differently.

Furthermore, a third birth frequently elicits a mixture of anticipation and apprehension. Many parents feel more equipped now that they have more experience, but they may still experience moments of uncertainty or fear when they make the same trip over. Expectant parents can feel more prepared and confident when they are aware of the unique characteristics of a third birth.

Differences and specifics

Only very superficial or people far from the essence of the issue claim that the third or fourth pregnancy proceeds as usual, without any special emotions, because the woman is already perfectly familiar with everything in this natural process. In fact, having a large amount of information sometimes only increases anxiety. Both the third and any other births are always an important, exciting event. You should not underestimate its significance. The third birth is always a big surprise. They are completely unpredictable, they should not and will not proceed according to the scenario of the first two. For this reason alone, it is difficult to immediately and unequivocally say whether the birth of the baby will be easier or faster, harder or more complicated. The third pregnancy is a kind of lottery, in which no one can calculate the outcome. Too many factors influence the specifics of the third birth.

Age

According to statistics, most third children in Russia are born to women who are already over 36-37 years old. Every seventh third child in the ranking is born to a woman who is 40 years old. As the age of the mother and father increases, both the pregnancy itself and the birth itself acquire a lot of specific features. Of course, it becomes more difficult for a woman to carry a baby with age, her body"s resources are less and more meager than when she gave birth to her first child, and therefore the likelihood of unpleasant complications is higher. Getting pregnant with age becomes more difficult. Not every cycle is ovulatory, not every fertilization has a chance of ending in implantation. The risk of genetic abnormalities and chromosomal diseases in a child also increases due to the aging of the genetic material that is embedded in the germ cells of the parents.

The main benefit is that "older" parents are more psychologically ready for parenthood because they have experience with the complexities of caring for young children and are not afraid of potential challenges. Since they have more life experience, a stable financial situation, and professional accomplishments by the time they are this age, they are actually calmer and more responsible than those who are visiting a maternity hospital for the first time. They also have access to housing and a steady income. With this in mind, a woman feels more confident when giving birth to her third child. This has an impact on the early stages of the child’s life as well as the delivery process.

If there are no other unfavorable influencing factors, mothers who have a large number of children at an older age are less likely to suffer from the effects of postnatal depression, find it easier to initiate lactation, and have all the conditions for an easier birth.

Interval between pregnancies and the duration of labor

In this case, the amount of time that has passed between the birth of the second child and the onset of the third pregnancy plays a role. According to doctors, the best interval is considered to be a period of 2-3 years. This time is usually quite enough for the mother"s body to fully recover from the previous birth, even if it was a cesarean section. At the same time, a longer break leads to certain complications – the tissues of the uterus gradually lose elasticity, and the body "forgets" the birth experience. At the physiological level, this can manifest itself in a relatively long period of contractions and pushing, slow opening of the cervix. But this scenario is rather rare and occurs mainly in women who have allowed a very long break – more than 10-15 years. Usually, the stages of labor at the birth of the third baby proceed faster. All of them, from contractions to pushing, take significantly less time, since the birth canal is sufficiently dilated and much better prepared for the physiological reflex process.

The placenta’s birth is sometimes the only stage that can seriously exacerbate the situation. There is a chance that the placenta will grow into the uterine tissues, that the "baby’s place" will grow completely and necessitate manual intervention, that part of the endometrium may need to be removed, or that the reproductive organ may need to be removed entirely after the baby is born because the uterine walls are more "flabby" after the previous two pregnancies and may be stretched.

Psychological readiness for pain

Practice shows that women who are going to give birth for the third time have a good idea of ​​​​the essence of the process, even if they are far from medicine, and therefore are more reserved, they are not afraid of the unknown. The ability to control yourself and listen to the obstetrician"s commands, as a rule, naturally reduce pain during childbirth. From their own experience, such women in labor know that they need to breathe correctly and not push arbitrarily, walk and change their body position during contractions and massage their sacrum. However, there are situations in which the third birth frightens a woman more than the previous ones. This is mainly the case with those who had a difficult birth the previous time.

In order to overcome the fear of pain, which can in and of itself greatly complicate the birth process, one must take extra precautions, sometimes working with a specialist, as the fear of repeating a bad experience can be quite strong.

Birth risks

These refer to the individual obstetric history of the woman. Usually, by the time of conception of the third child, a woman already has a rather impressive personal medical history, which includes gynecological ailments, abortions, and childbirth. Considering the age, there is a high probability that there are also chronic diseases. All this creates certain risks of complications both during childbirth and in the postpartum period. When preparing for the third birth, a woman should be prepared for the fact that she will give birth in three hours if the birth is rapid (this risk is significantly increased for those who have given birth), and for the fact that the process will drag on, especially if the break between pregnancies is long. The risk of premature birth is also increased. In this case, the expectant mother will begin to notice the "harbingers" after 35-36 weeks of pregnancy. Often, the third pregnancy ends in spontaneous labor at 36-37 weeks, and almost always at 38-39 weeks. Up to 40 weeks, the third pregnancy is carried to term very, very rarely.

During labor, due to overstretching of the uterine walls, problems with the intensity of contractions and coordination of labor may arise, due to which primary labor weakness may develop, when contractions are so weak that opening occurs very slowly, or weakness may occur in the pushing period, which is called secondary labor weakness. In this regard, the possibility of drug induction of labor or an emergency cesarean section is not excluded if stimulation does not lead to the desired result. In the early postpartum period, a new mother of three children may have a longer recovery period. The uterus, the walls of which are considerably stretched, contracts worse, due to which postpartum bleeding may occur, the risk of inflammation and the spread of infection increases. Women after the third birth lose weight more slowly, their figure takes longer to return to its original shape, if at all.

In this context, postpartum depression tends to be more severe and last longer than in women who have had their first or second child. The one bright spot is that a mother of three has a relatively low risk of developing depression.

Other important nuances

According to existing medical statistics, third children are less likely to receive birth injuries. This is due to sufficient stretching of the muscles of the perineum, vagina, the baby"s head passes more freely and without hindrance. This is an undoubted plus. On the other hand, a woman should know that if she had perineal or cervical ruptures in her first or second birth, there is a fairly significant risk (about 50%) that the ruptures will recur during the birth of her third child. In the early and later postpartum period, three-time mothers are more likely than other women to experience worsening hemorrhoids, varicose veins, uterine fibroids, diabetes, heart and urinary problems. This is due to the fact that childbirth significantly undermines the state of a woman"s immunity, which can lead to the development of primary diseases and the aggravation of existing chronic ailments.

Stages of labor – details

Higher risks are not a reason to give up the happiness of being a mother of three children. All pregnant women who are expecting a third, fourth or subsequent baby will be monitored more closely during pregnancy, as well as in the maternity hospital where the woman in labor is admitted with the onset of contractions or after the waters break. It should be noted that the opening is faster, and therefore the first hours from the moment contractions appear already lead to the opening of the cervix by 1-3 fingers. Therefore, you need to go to the maternity hospital when contractions are repeated at intervals of 10 minutes, and not at intervals of 5 minutes, as recommended for first-time mothers. The positive aspect is that the stage of contractions itself will be shorter. Both the internal and external os of the cervix usually open at the same time, which increases the likelihood of giving birth on the way to the hospital or giving birth quickly, which increases the risk of injury to the child. Contractions in women giving birth for the third time usually last no more than six hours from the beginning to full opening, if there are no accompanying complicating factors. In the second stage of labor – pushing, usually there are no major difficulties for an experienced mother in labor. But problems can lie in the stretching of the muscles of the uterus and the press, due to which even timely and correct pushing will not be strong enough.

Medical professionals must give special attention to the management of the third birth. A prompt, accurate, and correct decision must be made in the event that an unforeseen circumstance arises. Doctors generally try to avoid taking chances, and if they see any unfavorable signs, they advise the patient to have a scheduled cesarean section based on her advanced age and extensive medical history.

Preparation

A woman planning her third childbearing attempt should take extra care to ensure she is ready for delivery. Maintaining physical fitness and increasing muscle tone through mild exercise are crucial. It is especially important to prepare the muscles of the pelvic floor. It’s best to fortify them even prior to conception. As a last resort, if the obstetrician-gynecologist supervising the pregnancy finds no reason why Kegel exercises are contraindicated and has nothing against it, you should begin performing them after the first trimester.

It’s critical to keep track of weight gain, attend doctor appointments on time, and show concern for your own health.

When a woman has a negative Rh factor, she should see a doctor during the planning stages of her pregnancy and start immunoglobulin right away. This is because the risk of a serious and severe Rh conflict increases significantly with each subsequent pregnancy if the partner has a positive Rh factor and the child has inherited it.

Although the third birth frequently feels familiar, it can also present certain difficulties and surprises of its own. Having learned from their past mistakes, a lot of parents discover that this time around they are more at ease.

Despite that assurance, each birth is unique, and the body might react differently. It’s critical to remain adaptable to potential changes, such as a quicker labor or a different recuperation procedure.

Above all, the assistance of family members and medical experts continues to be crucial. No matter how many times you’ve given birth before, each one is different from the others and requires special attention and happiness.

Many women find that giving birth to their third child feels more comfortable because they have gone through labor twice before, but there may still be some particular difficulties. While labor times may seem shorter to women, complications can still occur during childbirth because every birth is unique. Complicating factors can also include emotional and physical aspects, such as recuperation and juggling the needs of older kids. Parents can feel more equipped for the experience by being aware of these features.

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