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Childbirth

Share experiences and get support around labour, birth and recovery.

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Original poster

Has anyone experienced pushing for a really long time?

40 replies

plasticspoon · 14/02/2011 21:03

Just wondering whether it's really possible that I was allowed to push for as long as dh and I think I was. We thought ds was ready to emerge at about 1 in the morning (mw thought so) but he didn't make it out till 7am! My memory is of pushing all that time, so at least 6 and probably more like 7 hours in total. All the blemishes on my skin and the area around my eyes was purple by the time he arrived, and the mw did keep saying that someone would "insist on giving us a hand soon" if I couldn't get him out.

Is it possible I would have been allowed to push for so long? I know I could ask for a review meeting but I would feel silly given that there were no major problems but I keep thinking about it because the exhaustion really affected my ability to bond with ds.

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ShowOfHands · 15/02/2011 12:05

DD is 3.9

I had bad ptsd for 3 years and finally got some counselling.

In the post birth pics I had red eyes (burst blood vessels) and a torn muscle, dd had severe bruising and a bad tear on the back of her head (ventouse). I've hidden all of the pictures.

I know now that it's not my fault and that such a lengthy 2nd stage wasn't right.

I've moved on thank you Ooops.

Original poster

plasticspoon · 15/02/2011 12:28

Thanks for all your comments; I think I will give pals a call and see if I can get hold of my notes. Yes he is my first dc, nearly 4 months old now and tbh the whole experience up until very recently has made me think I wouldn't cope with another! [waves to gaelicsheep - recognize you from sleep threads!]

My discharge notes only have the total time in active labour on, about 10 hours. After about 24 hrs in latent phase I got rapidly to 10 cm and the mw kept saying I was a textbook labourer. After that I had an urge to push but it just didn't get us anywhere. Was not surprised when ds turned up with a head on the 91st centile and his hand on his cheek!

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Original poster

plasticspoon · 15/02/2011 12:38

Ah, Showofhands, how interesting that you have responded to my post, thank you. Not sure if you remember but you also responded to a thread I started just before ds was born about the fact that he was LOT. I have been wondering if that also made the whole process more drawn out.

Dear me, I am all over mn at the moment, worrying about everything so apologies if anyone's seen too much of me :)

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NickiAndAlex · 15/02/2011 13:00

I was pushing for about 2 1/2 hours when they decided to try ventouse then CS, at that point I was ready for it to stop any which way. I was pushing for another hour while a theatre freed up (since the baby wasn't in distress). All that time, I couldn't help pushing, I don't know what I could have done if they'd suggested I stop!

But I was absolutely shattered when my baby was born (by CS), so I don't know how some of you coped with pushing for longer!

NancyDrewHadaClue · 15/02/2011 13:11

I hope you get to see someone who can help talk you through your experience.

FWIW I pushed for 3.5 hours. I was on my knees with my back to the consultants, pead and MW's who were discussing getting me to theatre when DD came out. We were all quite shocked!

I was told that the only reason I was left so long is there wasn't a theatre available.

ShowOfHands · 15/02/2011 14:15

Oh I remember you yes, you were worried.

Congratulations on the birth. Don't let what happened rob you of these days, weeks and months. Have a birth debrief. It took me a long time to physically and emotionally get over dd's birth.

is what happened to dd during delivery. An OT baby can and does turn but it can be hard work (as our purpley red eyes post-birth will tell you).

chickinlickin · 15/02/2011 20:14

I was exactly the same as Lizzylou, very long first and second stage and no sleep whatsoever. Most of it was at home but midwife insisted on calling an ambulance after two hours of pushing at home and DS was born by forceps in hospital about six hours after I was first fully dilated.

I was pushing for about the last four hours, much of that was because I hadn't had an epidural and pushing down was the only way to deal with the pain. Anybody that has a long pushing stage, I cannot stress how important it is to do your pelvic floor exercises and get some help to make sure you're doing them properly as I ended up with a slight prolapse.

ThistleWhistle · 15/02/2011 20:26

I was told after 1 hour of pushing that I would need a ventouse (sp). Apparently this was the maximum time allowed before intervention. I was adamant that I wanted no intervention, (was my biggest nightmare). The mw started saying "your baby will start getting distressed" etc, the baby was fine. Luckily by the time the registrar arrived to do the ventouse, 30 mins later, (after 1 1/2 hours of pushing), I had delivered.

MrsChemist · 15/02/2011 20:32

From being fully dilated to birth was about 4 hours. Was pushing for nearly two. I was told not to push because DS was high up and I'd wear myself out, so I spent over two hours ignoring the pushing and getting very high on gas and air and pethedine
Nearly had a ventouse as DS was in distress. Pushed him out just as they were getting tge equipment ready.

rudbekia · 15/02/2011 20:43

I was in second stage (pushing bit) for two hrs, but didn't feel much of an urge to push for the first hr - after which time I was transferred from the MW-led unit to the main hospital. They said I'd been at this stage for too long. I was absolutely knackered - could feel DDs head but for some reason she wasn't getting past the last bit. Episiotomy and ventouse - one small tug and her head was born so she really was 'at the door'. tbh although I wasn't thrilled about the intervention I was relieved for the help as I was properly worn out - she was a big baby with a big head and I'm quite small - I was still very bruised and had an exceptionally sore coccyx for about a month after.

I hope you manage to get some closure.

Original poster

plasticspoon · 15/02/2011 21:04

Thanks all for your responses - chicken, i will get back on the exercises!

I was being continuously monitored as there was meconium in the waters and ds was perfectly fine with rock steady heartbeat throughout so perhaps that is why they let me go so long.

I, on the other hand was so exhausted i just wanted someone to take the baby away so i could sleep :(

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kalo12 · 15/02/2011 21:09

i pushed for 3 hours.

pnd can be linked to difficult birth. i had pnd quite severe. i had counselling and found it really worked.

Poppyella · 15/02/2011 21:52

Anything over a 4 hour second stage calls for an 'incident form' being completed in my hospital.

If you had an epidural, you may have been left for an 'hour for descent' for the first hour after full dilatation. This is to help the head come down a bit just with contractions, to try and make him/her that bit closer to the outside world!

Then the pushing would commence. 1-1.5 hours is normal before the dr's get involved and unless things look imminent, usually forceps or ventouse in the room is the next step. If the baby is in a difficult position or still high, it would be a 'trial' in theatre where you are topped up for a CS if they can't get the baby out vaginally.

So this should all be done within 4 hours. Anything longer definately deviates from the norm and may cause bladder problems in the mother. Not the mention the baby's head being rather squashed!

Please don't feel silly about going to see someone. That's what those services are there for and it would hopefully give you some closure. There does not have to have been anything go wrong to want answers.

eastendmummy · 15/02/2011 21:58

I pushed for 3 hours with ds2 and suffered a bruised coccyx that was really bloody painful for about 7 weeks - my episiotomy was a walk in the park compared to that! He eventually came out with a kiwi plus forceps - ouch!

Plasticspoon it sounds like you had a very difficult birth and I hope that you are able to find someone to talk through your experience. I found it really healing after ds1 birth which was badly managed, resulting in me becoming dehydrated, ds becoming distressed and an EMCS to talk to someone. My VBAC (with a bit of help) was only possible following 3 debrief/counseling sessions with a trained midwife. I'd highly recommend it as it can be very distressing to have such a bad birth experience and the feelings that you have are very normal, and need dealing with to help you move forwards.

HeidiKat · 18/02/2011 21:28

So much of these comments ring a bell with me, I was told at 11pm that I needed to start pushing and my baby would be here by midnight, it was almost four hours as she wasn't born until quarter to three. I was begging for a second shot of diamorphine and the doctor wouldn't let me have it as "the baby will be here soon, there's no point." After lots and lots of pushing I was put on a drip to try to strengthen the contractions but DD still wasn't moving, so they decided to try ventouse but couldn't find a spare plug in the room to plug it into. Ended up with an episiotomy and forceps delivery and by the time DD was actually born I was so tired I was really zonked out, I never had that moment of instant rush of love on seeing my baby, I just wanted all the midwives and doctors to leave me alone and let me sleep, took me a good few hours to bond with baby.

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