Why did I not need to push

[Pureasthedrivensnowww]

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?

From what you've written you just had very medicalised care.

it was very shit care that’s for sure. Awful and appalling. The midwife got banned from the hospital afterwards

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.

but they said the baby was in distress and were saying if I didn’t get it out then then I needed an ECMS. There was a proper doctor there and alarms and everything

I think it may be transition.

I was fully dilated and water went but didn't feel like pushing - but did as told - then 30 minutes later was really feeling need to push wasn't me deciding to - and pfb was nearly out but then it was well it's been an hour stirrups, resident and episiotomy and ventouse - and later MW saying none of that was needed if we'd had 5 minutes more - well why not give it to me then.

Next one was told it wasn't establish labour - by time MW was back she was saying don't push and I was like that's not an option then it was crowning..

No, it was a lot lower than that, 1 in 200 on average. I think in workhouses it could be up to 1 in 20. So poverty paid a large part in that, and I dare say women in the workhouse were not in the best of health to start with.

Mortality of the babies was far higher. Around 25% died before their 5th birthday.

I didn't have any urges to push during both of my births - it was only when I was examined and confirmed that I was 10cms that I pushed because I was told to. Both very long births without any pain relief, both back to back. I always wondered why I never had the urge to push

I didn’t push in either labour either. I assumed it was a myth. My muscles just contracted the baby out like a turd lol.

This is so interesting to read!

with both of mine my body was essentially doing the pushing for me when I was contracting! I was even told to stop pushing during one of the births, I was like “what how can I stop?! My body is just doing it”

Sometimes you can have a rim of cervix still there, if you push on this it can get swollen & you can end up with a C/S. usually because babies head not in the right position by getting someone to pant through the urge to push hopefully the baby will naturally rotate into the right position & the rim of cervix will be gone. Hope that helps.

Went in at 8 cm dd and 9 cm ds. Never had the urge to push but knew the baby had to come out so just did it with will power and pushed the best I could (I always said it was like turning myself inside out!). Asked at nct meet up afterwards and they didn't believe me.

I have a slight theory about this, based on my own experience. With both pregnancies, I was often quite constipated (as many people are). With my first labour, I never had the urge to push, and I had a pretty unpleasant ventouse birth. With my second, the same thing was happening - fully dilated, but no urge to push, and I was beginning to get quite stressed about it. Then suddenly (sorry tmi) I passed a load of poo - and I mean lots, the midwife was joking about it!! Within a few seconds afterwards, I suddenly got an overwhelming need to push - and I remember actually bursting out laughing, at the relief of finally understanding what I was meant to be doing, and the birth was very quick and easy after that. It could be a complete coincidence of course, but I wonder if having a full bowel was somehow reducing the sensation or stopping the head engaging properly, and I've read since then that quite a few midwives recommend enemas before birth, as often used to happen.

Having said that, I had a retained placenta with both births, so maybe my body is just a bit rubbish at having babies.

I had no urge to push with my first two. DS1 came out eventually with forceps, and DS2 came out unassisted but I had to make myself push, which was twenty minutes of hard work.

DS3 came out all by himself, so fast no pushing was necessary. My body just expelled the poor child and the midwife was lucky to catch him.

Thanks very much. For obvious reasons, I didn’t ask at the time, I just did as she said. It was my first (and only) time giving birth. I left it very late going to the hospital so it all happened very quickly.

No urge to push here - ventouse needed for DC1 and DC2
I had epidurals for both. The first one they let wear off - felt the "ring of fire" but no pushing from me hence the episiotomy and suction cup. Second - epi only took one side. Ventouse needed again.
Third one - I did everything I thought was right - sat on a yoga ball, no pain relief at all in case epidural had halted things the first two times, had an enema to make sure bowel was empty...
....It made NO difference at all. No urge to push with my third either and very very bad tearing indeed.
Do not believe everything you read and if you go again, for the love of God, don't believe not having an epidural will help it all be "natural" (and I was already 6cm dilated with 2 and 3).
Can you tell I'm still pissed off?!

Maybe to let the head come gently to reduce tearing?

I didn't get it either, in any of my 3 births. 1st was epidural and b2b, 2nd was straightforward, 3rd was b2b.
I remember asking the midwives to tell me when to push.

I had to be woken up and told to push as I'd finally got an epidural after being labouring for hours. I got my epidural around 1pm and baby was born at 7.15pm. Didn't feel any push urge as I was numb, but the midwife just told me to push as if I was doing a poo. No pain at all. Plenty of pain before the epidural though