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Childbirth

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

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Original poster

Anyone done spontaneous pushing (or rather not done directed pushing)?

38 replies

TallulahBetty · 28/06/2011 18:23

Not sure I've worded that right TBH but oh well..

What I mean is, it seems in most cases (on TV anyway )that as soon as you're 10cm dilated, you have to push push push as directed by the midwife.

I've read about spontaneous pushing where you let gravity and contractions do the pushing which is less likely to result in tearing etc - has anyone got any experience of this? Would love to know if it's better than the directed pushing which seems to be standard.

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DaveGrohlsgirl · 28/06/2011 18:27

I did spotaneous pushing for DD, but only in truth because I didn't realise how far along I was, was standing up, and my body took over.
Directed pushing for DS........but TBH your body does know what to do and when to do it. With DS, I said I wanted to push and it was just a case of the MW checking me to make sure all was OK IYKWIM.

ILikeToMoveItMoveIt · 28/06/2011 18:29

I have pushed during both vb's but I have only done what my body told me to do, the mw's didn't direct me in any way. The didn't tell me to start or stop pushing, my body seemed to know what to do.

I had short second stages (20 & 12 minutes) so there was no need for any cheerleading or purple pushing.

thisisyesterday · 28/06/2011 18:31

i was directed to push in my first labour, but i'd had an epidural, so they had to tell me when to push

wasn't told at all in my subsequent labours. with ds2 i was at home and the midwife KNEW i needed to push by the sounds I was making and she didn't do any directing, just let me do whta i needed to do

ds3 was also born at home but midwives didn't get there in time, so no-one to direct me lol.

thisisyesterday · 28/06/2011 18:31

oh, and i tore with my first but not with 2nd or 3rd

ThingOne · 28/06/2011 18:32

Can't comment about whether it is better as I had one assisted delivery and one spontaneous. The MW hadn't turned up so I just did it, as you would! It wasn't an intellectual decision. I was vaguely upright. It was all hunky dory.

SeenButNotHeard · 28/06/2011 18:34

I did not push at all with dc2.

I was doing hypnobirthing and I really did 'breath' him out - no pushing and midwife had to phsically hold him in as it took everyone unawares and she needed to unwind cord from his neck!

I was at home, so much more relaxed and on my knees, leaning over the front of the sofa, so gravity definately helped

EyeoftheStorm · 28/06/2011 18:35

Mine was spontaneous but he was prem. I did nothing - my body just took over. I did tear though but it was very quick - just 35 minutes from consultant saying, if anything changes, just let us know, to DS2 arriving.

Weirdly, I thought I was upright, on my knees, giving birth, but when I mentioned this later, my DH said I'd been on my back the whole time.

Original poster

TallulahBetty · 28/06/2011 18:39

Thanks for all responses so far. I love the phrase 'breathe him out' - I can imagine that and it sounds really calm and controlled!

Also LOL at 'purple pushing' - reminder me of One Born Every Minute USA the other day - all legs in stirrups

OP posts:

neolara · 28/06/2011 18:42

I had two deliveries where midwives were present. With the first, I had absolutely no urge to push and only pushed when instructed by the midwife. With the second, I definitely had an urge to push and I vaguely remember the midwives talking about pushing. My third dc was born very quickly (30 mins start to finish), with no midwife / ambulance person around. I did absolutely nothing conscious to help her out. I was aware that her head was moving down quickly, but I certainly didn't push.

tigercametotea · 28/06/2011 18:46

With my first labour, I felt I couldn't cope with the pain of contractions, and just wanted to get that baby out as soon as I could. So I started pushing way too early and got so tired in the end. The doctor did an episiotomy on me and the baby practically shot right out when I pushed. With my 2nd labour I waited. I knew I could cope with labour, and I'd read about spontaneous pushing in the Hypnobirthing book so I wanted to wait and see what it felt like - plus wanted to avoid medical intervention in labour. So I really held back on pushing - I mean I actually feel like pushing all the time during the late stages. But I held back. Then at some point it was practically impossible to hold back. I felt an uncontrollable bulge coming out from below, and I actually tried to hold it in a little but it wouldn't let me! And it was actually the baby's sac and it bulged out and felt a bit like a balloon. And anyway the urge to push them was really strong, and one push and the sac broke. I took a breather and felt another urge to push - out came the head. And then another urge to push and out came the body. With my 3rd labour it was very similar. I didn't suffer any tears at all with my 2nd or 3rd labours, only a slight bruising. I'm still not sure if my experiences with my 2nd and 3rd labours were considered to be "sponaneous pushing" though... but what my experiences have shown me was that when the baby's ready to come out it was damn near impossible to hold back the urge to push. Whereas if the baby wasn't quite ready to come out, I could push and push for ages and nothing would happen other than me tiring myself out.

ragged · 28/06/2011 18:52

Yes, with 4th baby, finally got the hang of it (stand and deliver, too). My uterus just whacked down (ctx completely didn't hurt any more). Way to go :).

ginmakesitallok · 28/06/2011 18:54

My first labour I was trying not to push and was waiting for mw to tell me to - til she told me not to be stupid and just do what my body told me to, so I pushed when I felt the urge and it was grand.

DD2 I didn't feel like pushing so much, mw told me we didn't have much time so I'd have to push hard, I told her we had plenty of time, DD wasn't due for another 2 weeks . Then she told me if I didn't puch she'd have to cut me - so I pushed and out popped DD2.

pettyprudence · 28/06/2011 19:22

I did hypnobirthing and breathed my ds out - my second stage was only counted as 22mins and ds came out 12mins after my waters broke. I had a homebirth and the midwives just totally left me to work with my body and were not at all surprised that i didn't "push" (i think i did a bit though!).

I don't think directed pushing is actually that common unless its needed.

RobynLou · 28/06/2011 19:25

no one could've stopped me pushing with DD1, once heard someone describe it a like throwing up but downwards, and that's just how it was with her. she was only 8lb4oz and well positioned though, DD2 was 10lb3oz and back to back all the way out and the pushing had to be directed with her - my body just didn't know what to do at all - v different experience.

VeryHungryKatypillar · 28/06/2011 20:02

With my first and only labour it was definitely my body telling, no, making me push, not the midwife. I initially held back from pushing with the contractions - I was so petrified! But then I just had to, my body was sort of doing it for me, so I joined in to give it some welly. Oh, and shouting 'help me' at the same time !!

FingandJeffing · 28/06/2011 20:11

I've had 2 back to back labours. First I had no urge and had to be directed, 2 hours plus of pushing. Second was totally different, was standing and said to the midwife I think I want to push she said ok go ahead. I then lay on the bed, I know this is against gravity but it felt right for me. I pushed him out in 5 mins, I didn't breathe him out but it was spontaneously driven by me.

edam · 28/06/2011 20:14

Yup, the midwife wasn't in the room when I got the overwhelming need to push so I went ahead (I didn't actually make a decision, my body was doing its own thing). Sadly I got a third degree tear as a result.

Moral of the story is, always ask about staffing levels, especially in the middle of the night when most women give birth...

TheOriginalFAB · 28/06/2011 20:15

No one told me to push with my 2 vaginal deliveries. I went with the contractions and tbh I couldn't have stopped myself.

Baby 1 - out in 20 minutes.
Baby 2 - out in 7 minutes.

tortilla · 28/06/2011 20:21

With DS it was all directed as I had an epidural and needed to be told what to do.

With DD, I told the midwife I was getting an urge to push and she told me to just go with what my body was telling me. I didn't have to consciously push until she was crowning - before that I could feel her descending and it was a case of not fighting my body in any way, and just letting it happen (I was on my knees leaning against a birthing ball so really got the full benefit of gravity). At the point she started crowning the midwife gave me a strict 'Don't push now or you'll tear' command and that was the only interference I got. It was a brilliant experience - when DD emerged, my first thought was 'Oh my god, that was awesome' as I was so amazed at how my body had just taken over. Best experience of my life :o

bumpybecky · 28/06/2011 20:25

first labour (hospital bed) I was directed to push, lasted about 20 mins, tore fairly badly

second labour (home water birth) I didn't push before the baby crowned and only two pushes afterwards

third and fourth labours (both home water births) I didn't push at all, they both exploded from me without any pushes both listed at 1m second stage :)

PotPourri · 28/06/2011 20:29

I can't imagine it is that common to be told to push push when you are not ready, unless you've had an epidural or it is an emergency.

I remember reading on here that it is like doing a poo. If you push before you're ready you'll jsut be pushing against your body. But if you let your body tell you when, then it just happens. In fact, unlike the above example, there is not really a way to stop it happening - I suppose like vomiting as someone else said earlier in the thread.

Hmmmm, and after that pleasant analogy, I'll be off. As you were...

sc2987 · 28/06/2011 20:42

I didn't deliberately push till right at the end. Which I know is usually when they tell you not to, to avoid tearing (I got a second degree tear), but I felt it was the right thing to do, and I think it was, as my daughter's cord was very short and had to snap for her to be born. But the rest I let gravity and my uterus do for me.

diggingintheribs · 28/06/2011 20:46

With first I was directed and the midwife was very good as she read my cues and I didn't tear at all. TBF I didn't have that overwhelming desire to push even though I could feel that I should IYSWIM. I asked to be directed second time too and didn't tear at all

I know a few people who tore really badly because they pushed the baby out when they weren't stretched enough! Another tore badly with an epidural (so directed pushing)

From the views above though it seems to depend on the person. I just did what felt right at the time and I think that's all you can do.

Poppet45 · 28/06/2011 21:47

Potpourri, I think it is quite common sadly. I was helpfully given directed pushing by my MW despite me not asking for her help as a cheerleader, even though I was telling the MW i had no urge at all and thought DS was too high up and stuck. She just told me to push better and harder, and it felt all wrong - like trying to push your ear off your own head, totally impossible. This time round even though it's a VBAC (DS was stuck in an unbirthable position in deep transverse arrest) I will be specifying NO directed pushing and if I need a break between transition and pushing then I'll bloomin well rest and be thankful.

Wholelottalove · 28/06/2011 21:48

First labour back to back hospital and I felt the urge to push and at first was left to get on with it, but after a while I got really tired (very long labour) and the midwife directed me when to push. I was glad of it as DD was born with her hand strapped to her head and I think the midwife telling me when to/not to push saved me from a bad tear.

With DC2 I had a homebirth and I began to feel 'pushy' at the end of contractions only a few minutes after I'd asked to be examined and was told I was 6cm! (I remember thinking at the time 'no I'm not, I'm in transition') I didn't actually say to midwife I felt pushy, was just going with the flow and I decided to get in birth pool (I'd gotten out earlier as it stopped ctx).

The midwife didn't direct me at all, it must have been obvious I was pushing from the noises I was making. My notes had my pushing stage as 2 minutes but I think it was longer. It was slightly shocking actually, feeling my body take over and I briefly went into the panic zone. DS moved down very quicky - I remember feeling very, very surprised and saying 'OMG I think its crowning!' and being totally shocked at how quick it had all been. DS was very congested due to such a quick pushing stage and was all blotchy for a few days. Again I only had 1st degree tear, maybe because I was in water.

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