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Original poster

Why did I not need to push

40 replies

Pureasthedrivensnowww · 29/10/2024 14:01

Reading the epidural thread I was pondering why I never felt the need to push during labour.

My waters had broken, so I was induced - but only the pessary was needed so I assume she was ready to come. Although it was at 36 weeks.

Labour was fine and I only had gas and air. But they didn’t know I was 10cm dilated as I’d felt no urge to push (and they were shit and hadn’t checked on me for hours). They then panicked and made me push and it was so weird as I just didn’t want to and it made me feel quite unwell - obviously I did but……why would that happen?

OP posts:
barkingdam · 29/10/2024 14:04

I didn't have the urge to push either. No idea why. Makes it harder cos you're not working with your bodily instincts so it feels strange.

Original poster
Pureasthedrivensnowww · 29/10/2024 14:06

I just keep thinking - hundreds of years ago what would have happened in this situation?!

OP posts:
BeMintBee · 29/10/2024 14:06

Me either, didn’t have an epidural with number 2 either. Literally zero urge to push midwife had tell me when.

Interested in this thread?

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3rd trimester Childbirth Families General pregnancy
Shushquite · 29/10/2024 14:08

You sleep/ rest during transition. Recover, then you get the urge to push. Is something I heard.

whosaidtha · 29/10/2024 14:11

Pureasthedrivensnowww · 29/10/2024 14:06

I just keep thinking - hundreds of years ago what would have happened in this situation?!

You died/baby died. In Victorian times One in 10 pregnancies resulted in the death of the mother.

CrunchySnow · 29/10/2024 14:15

It is likely that your baby's head was slightly malpisitioned and so that can take away that feeling of needing to push.

Southsiderg4 · 29/10/2024 14:18

Not sure if it’s the case with you, but I think it’s relatively common to have a “rest” when you get to 10cm before having the urge to push. Your body’s way of helping build energy for pushing. I had a hormone drip and epidural, and the midwife left me for an hour and a half at 10cm before I started pushing. By then I felt the urge to push.

Anewuser · 29/10/2024 14:43

With my third, I knew I was in labour but when I went in but the midwife insisted I couldn’t be. It was 4 weeks early and I didn’t appear to be in pain. She wouldn’t look, just put me on the monitor. After 20 minutes, said everything appeared normal and I could go home. I asked her again to look as I knew I was having contractions.

I was fully dilated.

Cue panicking to get the Paediatrician there. Midwife said push and out he came.

I often wonder how long he would have stayed in there or what would have happened.

rainfallpurevividcat · 29/10/2024 14:46

Southsiderg4 · 29/10/2024 14:18

Not sure if it’s the case with you, but I think it’s relatively common to have a “rest” when you get to 10cm before having the urge to push. Your body’s way of helping build energy for pushing. I had a hormone drip and epidural, and the midwife left me for an hour and a half at 10cm before I started pushing. By then I felt the urge to push.

Yes it's common to let the epidural wear off a bit. I was gutted about that.

rosemarycait96 · 29/10/2024 14:47

Yes, I think it can happen when you've fully dilated, your body wants to rest before the pushing stage. The epidural might have also had something to do with it? I'd just be guessing though.

The foetal ejection reflex (uncontrollable pushing) is the opposite I suppose. I experienced the ejection reflex at 9cm and you couldn't have stopped me pushing for love nor money, it was totally out of my control and it all happened very fast.

Original poster
Pureasthedrivensnowww · 29/10/2024 15:00

I knew I was in labour but when I went in but the midwife insisted I couldn’t be. It was 4 weeks early and I didn’t appear to be in pain. She wouldn’t look, just put me on the monitor.

same @Anewuser My midwife refused to check as she said I wasn’t in enough pain. Then an absolute panic when I insisted, so god knows how long I was fully dilated.

@rosemarycait96 i didn’t have an epidural.

OP posts:
Cathpot · 29/10/2024 15:07

I had the same as @rosemarycait96 I didn’t know it had a name , my body started pushing and I just sort of got behind it- and very few pushes and baby arrived . It was completely involuntary and I remember saying to the midwife ‘I think I’m pushing’ and her saying ‘yes I think you are- why don’t you get off the loo… ‘, which was it turns out very timely advice.

Happened both times after a few hours of going through the normal enduring contractions business. I have often thought how weird it would have felt to try and push before that point. No one asked me to , but was home birth and not being regularly checked for dilation- in fact the first time not checked at all. Does the body pushing thing not always kick in? Presumably not if people are being asked to push? It feels like the birth experience is such a lottery, I’m glad I’m not going to have to do it again.

ThoraZ · 29/10/2024 15:12

I had very strong urges to push but the midwife kept telling me not to and it was really really horrible. Does anyone know why she did that?

ThoraZ · 29/10/2024 15:13

Oh, and I was fully dilated at the time.

Clingfilm · 29/10/2024 15:17

Didn't have it with the first (induced etc), had the involuntary thing with the second, was like the force of being sick but downwards, bizarre, I always thought that's what it meant to have the urge to push but my body just sort of did it without me, midwife told me to go with it.

Culebra · 29/10/2024 15:18

My baby just came out like that, no pushing needed.I'm assuming that the relevant muscle contractions were initiated involuntarily/automatically rather than consciously by me. It wasn't a short or painless labour I hasten to add, merely that the final bit just did itself.

Flittingaboutagain · 29/10/2024 15:20

My waters broke but I declined induction and (prem) baby came 30 hours later naturally. From what you've written you just had very medicalised care. Maybe your body wasn't ready and if they had left you to it (quietly in the room with you) you'd have had an instinct to push eventually.

Flittingaboutagain · 29/10/2024 15:21

ThoraZ · 29/10/2024 15:12

I had very strong urges to push but the midwife kept telling me not to and it was really really horrible. Does anyone know why she did that?

Baby's position? Maybe baby was trying to turn in that moment and you'd have injured baby.

Beansandneedles · 29/10/2024 15:22

I never had the urge to actively push. There were contractions, my body did its thing, I breathed a lot and then there was a baby! Twice...

With #2 I wanted to pass the placenta naturally (had the injection the first time), it took a while. The midwife was telling me I had to push and I honestly had no idea how.

Flittingaboutagain · 29/10/2024 15:23

I don't get the whole thing about being checked. Surely you know your own body? Never had any internal examinations myself.

ComingBackHome · 29/10/2024 15:23

Similar story here.
I didn’t feel the need to push when the MW was pretty sure I would. It came much later on.
Thankfully she just let me get on with it.

Darkfloods · 29/10/2024 15:24

With my third the midwives told me to push, I gave one push but it didn’t feel right so I refused to try again. About 40 mins later I heard the midwives say ‘she’s pushing’ and realised I was (I was using gas an air and had introverted into myself). DS arrived a couple of minutes later!
When I first tried to push DS was back to back and the midwives said he turned and my body started pushing.

Newsenmum · 29/10/2024 15:24

Southsiderg4 · 29/10/2024 14:18

Not sure if it’s the case with you, but I think it’s relatively common to have a “rest” when you get to 10cm before having the urge to push. Your body’s way of helping build energy for pushing. I had a hormone drip and epidural, and the midwife left me for an hour and a half at 10cm before I started pushing. By then I felt the urge to push.

Probably this but they don’t want you to wait ‘just in case’ if there’s an issue. Also women have always had midwives to help.

DanceMumTaxi · 29/10/2024 15:25

Dc1 was back-to-back and I had no urge to push. Eventually told to push for two hours before the rotational forceps came out. Dc2 was a planned section after that.

Webbb · 29/10/2024 15:32

I never had an urge to push, I assume because I had an epidural. They left me for about an hour after I got to 10, then came in saying it was time to push. I did it because they told me to, but it felt very unnatural as my body just wasn't in push mode. He got stuck anyway.