Anyone given birth without really "pushing"?

[MiniMarmite]

Just wondering as I hear it is possible! And, if so, would you describe yourself as a particularly relaxed person?

A few weeks away from having my second child. I was induced last time and had very strong and early urges to push. I like the idea of taking things slowly and gently if at all possible!

lilianfox, I am not a MW but my understanding is that if you push when not fully dilated you risk tearing your cervix, ouch! I am not sure what you are ment to do when your body does the involuntary pushing though ...
Maybe start your own thread to get the experts on board?

dd1 lots of pushing
dd2 breathed her out only one push
dd3 pushed herself out
ds pushed himself out

#1 was on land the others all in pool, #3 and #4 the waters went hours before labour so not sure if that's why it was so different. Both dd3 and ds arrived with huge explosive force rather than me deliberately pushing. It was a bit of a shock!

Second birth I didn't really push. My body sort of just "breathed" him out (that's what the midwives said although my memories are of it being slightly more brutal than that !).

He was 10lb 5oz and I was upright on a birthing stool. It was just a reflex action (I believe its called the Ferguson reflex - one of the reasons DS is called Fergus )

werewolf I think the theory of pushing before dilation tearing cervix has been discredited; I'm not an expert but will try to find a reference. Perhaps some recently trained midwives will have good info.

The contracting uterus works to naturally push the baby out anyway so even if you don't consciously add further pressure baby will pop out assuming there are no other barriers.

Oh righto, like I said, am no expert. Just kind of sounded like it made sense...

DS2 arrived with no pushing, body seemed to do all the work for me. Second stage was recorded as 2 minutes long, not bad considering he was 10lb7!!!

I didn't with DD. She was fast though.

I was upright on my knees, and it really hurt and I was tired and TBH I just though that I didn't really want to have to push. SO I relaxed a bit and wondered if she would just come out by herself without me killing myself pushing.

And she did. So it was laziness on my part

Pushed for dd1 as had to get her out quick with aid of ventouse.

With dd2 the mw said I was breathing her out and I was thinking surely they can see how hard I'm pushing, but in reality it was my body doing all the work. Really enjoyed it in a weird sort of way.

Lillianfox I started pushing at 8.5 cm dilated with DS and it was impossible not to push. I was induced with increasing syntonicon to regularise my failing contractions and baby was back to back - apparently early urges to push are very common under these circumstances. In this case it didn't have the effect of getting DS out and I ended up with a ventouse. I did have tearing but nothing too serious as far as I'm aware.

I'm hoping that this one will surf out!

delivered dd in 2 pushes

Never pushed, have 4 dc's. Have actually said that if possible I could sit in another room and let my body get on with it as their births had no involvement from me. The push is the weirdest physical sensation I think someone can have. It's a bit like a VERY strong orgasm!

I didn't push DS2 out - was trying to keep him in as he was an unexpected homebirth and I didn't want him to arrive before competent help (as opposed to incompetent help like DH, bless him)! I didn't push at all, not voluntarily anyway and wasn't really aware of involuntary pushing, just the contractions doing their thing. I was on my knees leaning on the bed so he kind of dropped out. Despite the circumstances I don't think I was particularly stressed - I was very grateful not to have to go to hospital in labour but difficult to say I that I was relaxed - I wasn't just lying there.

Makes up for the 4 hours of pushing with DS1 I reckon.

I believe that it is possible for an unconscious woman to give birth naturally so obviously no voluntary pushing there. That could be completely made up but I did read it in some baby book at some point.

I had no urge to push with DD2 (DC3) her head just popped out - literally! No trauma, no stitches etc.

i have had both extremes, had to push for 3 hours with ds1, and an hour and a half for ds2, then ds3 was three pushes and ds4 i didnt push at all, i was in the birth pool, maddly breathing the gas and air and then he just came out all 10lb 13oz of him, i didnt tear at all either!

expecting no 5 in 3 wks and hoping that it will be nice and easy again....

I gave birth to my 11lb ds2, underwater, no stitches needed, and no pushing either.

I wouldn't say I'm the world's most relaxed person! I do tend to over-think issues, but OTOH I do my research, too. In this case one of the places I researched was Mumsnet - and the result was very favourable indeed.

Believe in yourself and follow your instincts. Listen to those instincts if they tell you relax in spite of the midwife's instructions, but also if they tell you to let the midwife help you, and remember that you have done this before so you will recognise what your body is doing and what you need to do or not do in order to help your body.

My natal hypnotherapy CD arrived today

I was told not to push with ds 1 (no3) he was a 9lber, and I almost felt cheated as I wanted to push sooooo much! But somehow I didn't and I had very little damage.

I think there's a common ground here i.e. fast, furious labours! With DD1 I did three fairly lazy pushes and she came out, with DD2 my body gave birth to her whilst I watched from the other end of the bed thinking "wow, I really was in labour! That's why my back was hurting so much." From my recollection I yelled my head off with each of the two contractions (waters broke with the first one) but it was really exhilarating in a weird way. I had a tiny graze (but then DD2 was 5 weeks early and only 5lb 8oz which probably helped protect my perineum). I think it all rather terrified the midwives ... I'd only been in the hospital for about 10 minutes.

I've never met anyone else who said they enjoyed giving birth, until now, and rather wondered if I was simply misremembering it ... I wish I had been able to show my daughter this thread before she had her baby, because she didn't believe me (I know she didn't) when I said how wonderful it was for me when she was born. She had a good birth too, so she knows now that I wasn't making it up!

I didn't ever get an urge to push, but I did feel some sort of energy was rushing through me. No pain, but very very long and slow - 24 hours. No tears, but the midwives were very skilled and sort of massaged the perineum (?). I was very relaxed because I hadn't read anything, wasn't scared, knew nothing about what was going to happen - just assumed that I'd know what to do when the time came. Also had a lot of faith in the midwives.

Being in water really eased any discomfort (I had back ache with the second one).

So all the very best, MiniMarmite - hope your second labour goes well and that you have a strong and healthy baby.

Thank you Grannieonabike, your experience sounds wonderful.

I have just found out I’m due my 3rd. Very unexpected. I had horrid labour and births with the other 2. One got stuck and forceps delivery, the other I had a midwife that screamed in my ear constantly to push. As I was cut on the 1st birth, I tore badly on the 2nd, the 3rd I am determined to have as little damage as possible by not voluntarily pushing. We are the only mammal proven to do so. I’m glad so many of you have done it so successfully. It’s shouldn’t be a rush. I have always thought we are doing it wrong. Animals can give birth almost silently, as their body does it and they need to protect them selves from predators. So why is it, sweating and screaming and rushing from us. I’m going on the wild side and chilling with this one. I bit yoga breathing I think.