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Childbirth

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

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Original poster

How did you know you needed to push in labour?

43 replies

Bugaboobabe · 05/06/2012 00:35

I'm due with dc4 in 6 weeks. With dcs 1 and 2 I had epidurals. With dc3 I had gas and air. I think I needed to push for quite a while but didn't realise it and I think I would have given birth far quicker had I realised. I labour quickly and was 3cm. Dh and I were left for about an hour, I should have realised really as contractions were every 2 minutes and lasting one minute, and I had a very heavy 'open' feeling which I now realise was ds's head. I did keep making grunting noises which I couldn't help but kept breathing away. Midwife came back after an hour and realised that things were imminent and I pushed DS out in 3 contractions. I think I could have skipped that hour of painful contractions if I'd realised what was going on.

Sorry this is rambly but I'm hoping to be more aware this time and listen to my body more. Just wondered about others experiences really

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

StarlightMaJesty · 05/06/2012 20:53

Pushing requires no conscious effort. Women in comas birth babies.

If you felt no urge to push it was either because you had drugs preventing it or because you were being told to far too early.

Rachog · 05/06/2012 21:10

I don't remember having the urge with dc1 but I was quite out of it on pethidine.

Dc2 I just had to push couldn't have not. Even though I paniced a bit and said I was too scared. The midwife just said its a bit late now and 15 mums later Dd was born.

PixieCake · 05/06/2012 23:01

Never had the urge.

Had epidural though.

Ended up with ventouse.

Why do they sometimes yell at you to stop pushing?

SeventhEverything · 05/06/2012 23:05

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Jubilissimma · 06/06/2012 10:18

Very speedy birth here - had the urge to push in the car en route to hospital (I don't remember, but apparently I kept saying I needed to!). Arrived at hospital fully dilated, but just had NO urge whatsoever to push. After 2 hours, MW started directing me when to (cue big old tear) and DD born shortly after. No pain relief apart from paracetomol, so wasn't out of it too much. DM didn't feel the urge either, we are medical freaks (or maybe I should have had a roadside delivery!).

littleweed10 · 06/06/2012 21:43

I don't remember needing to push, or having any urge, midwife had to tell me like sheeplikessleep. No epidural, just gas and air. Blame it on being past it tired?

PukeCatcher · 08/06/2012 21:59

Napdamnyou same baby ejecting spasms for me, DD is my first baby and the midwife had left the room with me at 7 cm dialated. After a few minutes I had a WTF is that moment and I was shouting to my husband to "Press The Button" to get the midwife back to examine me while I was on my hands and knees trying desperately to well hold the baby in I suppose (obviously seen too much tv where they tell them not to push).

My body just took over exactly as you described, huge spasms, not painful - just pure relief after the contractions.

They told me to get on the bed on my back and the spasms stopped then and I had to 'manually' push which I found really difficult, the baby got distressed and I ended up with my legs in stirrups and the the threat of them being strapped.

If I knew then what I know now I would have just got on with it in my original position, but I was waiting to be told to push.

BadRoly · 08/06/2012 22:03

I'm afraid I'm another unhelpful "my body took over" pusher. With the 3 vaginal births I had I couldn't help it and all three were out very quickly in a few pushes so I tore badly with each.

Brices · 08/06/2012 22:13

I had no urge to push either birth. Was ready to listen out though second time for signal to push from midwife as apparently pushing helps with pain.

Had a wonderful epidural second time compared to first home water birth so couldn't say if it helps with pain.

I'm on a childbirth thread so have to type, my experience of an epidural was wonderful wonderful

MateyM00 · 08/06/2012 22:17

well, my water broke 10 weeks early, but i had no desire to push.
three days later they decided to induce me due to complications. they inserted the gel at midnight and nothing happened.

they came back at 7 am with more gel and i was 3 cm dilated. the mw went to get a chair for DH and when she came back i said ' i need to push' she said dont be silly, an had a look, 5 mins later DD was out.

All i can say is that it is like a sneeze, you feel it building and then it comes.
I had a wonderful birth experience.

supadupapupascupa · 08/06/2012 22:18

how do you know you need to push to poo? it's a similar feeling...

3monkeys · 08/06/2012 22:20

Was unbearable with DD - was told by midwife I wasn'treally in labour and given co-codamol, then stood up and declared I needed to poo - NOW! Was awful, got to labour ward and she was born in 2 pushes
DS2 the same - needed to push and he was out in 1-2 pushes

bamboobutton · 08/06/2012 22:27

same as lots of other posters, my body just did it.

ds was majorly stuck so was rushed of to theatre for forceps/emcs, even when they were trying to put the spinal in my body kept pushing. it's not easy keeping as still as a statue with massively painful contractions every 30 seconds, or so it seemed, and no G&A. you'll be fine probably

LiviaAugusta · 09/06/2012 18:21

With DS I was pushing for 2 hours as I couldn't feel a thing due to an epidural - I pushed so hard I broke blood vessels on my face (attractive). With DD in transition I decided that I'd had enough and demanded a transfer so I could have an epidural (in my defence I'd been in labour for 18 hours and was off my tits on G&A), my body thought otherwise and just took over. My head was saying I was in too much pain and I wasn't going to push but everything else had other ideas and DD was born with some speed after 2 pushes!

YouveCatToBeKittenMe · 09/06/2012 18:26

I never had an urge to push with the first 3. With DC2 I was so fed up I decided enough was enough and just pushed but I did tear. My second stage was only ever 10 minutes.
However with DC4 I got such an overwhelming feeling that I couldn't not push and I wasn't even fully dilated. I remember the midwife saying don't push if you can help it!, strangely that was the only time i didn't tear.

gnocci · 09/06/2012 19:20

Goodness me I didnt as much as have an urge to push but a total and utterly overwhelming pushing reflex!!! Nothing on this earth could have stopped my body pushing exactly when, how often and how hard it wanted without me doing a single damn thing!!! I was gobsmacked!

gnocci · 09/06/2012 19:22

Read the thread and have seen others have described the same thing.

Joolyjoolyjoo · 09/06/2012 19:26

I'm another one who couldn't not! Agree with napdamnyou- it was like trying not to be sick, but rom the other end

MW didn't believe I was ready to deliver, then panicked and insisted on moving me to another room to deliver! this resulted in me being thrown, naked, into a wheelchair, having a blanket thrown over me, and being told "Do not push!" as I was raced to the other room! It really was like when you are trying not to be sick, but it's just coming up- grim!

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