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Childbirth

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

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Original poster

Uncontrollable pushing?

43 replies

isitbedtimex · 12/04/2022 21:41

Gave birth to my son 5 months ago, im a first time mum. It's all very much a blur now but I remember having the urge to push, but when they checked me I was only 2cm dilated. But I had absolutely no control over my body and the pushing, it was horrendous. I ended up asking for an epidural in the hope it would stop but the epidural failed anyway. I'm just curious if this has happened to anyone else?

OP posts:

PullingAtTeeth · 12/04/2022 21:54

Yes I had the uncontrollable pushing! I hated it! I literally had no power to stop it my body just pushed and pushed and pushed with no breaks. It scared me a lot.

Northernsoullover · 12/04/2022 21:56

I didn't push my second out. He just flew out. It was a bit traumatic to say the least.

TellMeDinosaurFacts · 12/04/2022 22:00

I had no control over the pushing in my second labour (had an epidural with the first). It was completely automatic. Luckily, it was the right time so only lasted about 5 minutes. I remember thinking afterwards how impossible it would have been if anyone had told me to stop!

grosgirl · 12/04/2022 22:02

Had exactly the same and because I wasn't quite 10cm dilated, the midwife kept telling me to 'blow the feeling away.'

Ended up screaming "how???" after hearing that a few times.

Such a weird feeling.

Gunpowder · 12/04/2022 22:08

IIRC from reading Ina May Gaskin (it was a few years ago so I may have remembered wrong) if you feel uncontrollable pushing without being fully dilated it can be because your baby is back to back. I think you are supposed to go on all fours and stick your bottom in the air!

I’m sorry the epidural failed and it was so painful. If you go on and have another baby the likelihood is that your experience will be much better.

Congratulations on your baby

vipersnest1 · 12/04/2022 22:13

Yes, DC1, who was back to back as @Gunpowder said. My cervix swelled up which made matters even worse.
The hospital I gave birth at had a policy of not offering pain relief at that time. (I didn't find this out until after the birth.) When my sister (a very experienced midwife) heard the full story, she said I should have been offered an epidural.

vipersnest1 · 12/04/2022 22:14

Oh, and the midwife didn't know my baby was back to back until they were born and expressed complete surprise.

OldTinHat · 12/04/2022 22:20

I had no urge to push with either of mine 😬 That was a problem in itself.

Lea1437 · 12/04/2022 22:22

Not sure if it's the same but I had constant contractions from the off in my labours. Everyone told me how it's not that bad as you get a break between them but I was lucky to get 40 seconds to catch my breath.

stimpyyouidiot · 12/04/2022 22:30

@grosgirl

Had exactly the same and because I wasn't quite 10cm dilated, the midwife kept telling me to 'blow the feeling away.'

Ended up screaming "how???" after hearing that a few times.

Such a weird feeling.

I had what was called a cervical lip, and my midwives (after leaving me alone to do what needed to be done mostly) told me I wasn't allowed to push when I wasn't actually doing the pushing myself! It was just so distressing and it totally took me out of my calm state because I was fighting against my body, physically was backing myself around the pool I was in to try and fight the pushing. It was absolutely awful but eventually it did go. I do think that if they'd just left me, it would have happened quicker and I'd have been much calmer!

Strawberry0909 · 12/04/2022 22:32

Oh gosh yes, it was horrendous DS2 wasn't back to back but came out 'shocked' and swollen head, my body was pushing for about 5 hours, midwife wasn't concerned as I'd only been 10cm for 2 of those hours

Viviennemary · 12/04/2022 22:38

I had no urge to push. Thats also a problem. What a business.

Mamascoven · 12/04/2022 23:10

Always had urge to push luckily not until 10cm. Gave birth 5 weeks ago so have a very fresh memory of the feeling ha.

Dyra · 12/04/2022 23:42

I had no urge to push with my first, and the urge to push with my second. Unfortunately said urge was at about 3cm. Wound up with a C-section. Turns out baby was back to back and a bit stuck.

BritishDesiGirl · 13/04/2022 03:35

Oh, yes. I was pushing even though l was only 3cm it was uncontrollable and the midwife told the other midwife l was doing it myself when it was happening without my help.

My baby was also back to back.

Seema1234 · 13/04/2022 03:38

Yes, same.

Imicola · 13/04/2022 03:55

Yes, I also had uncontrollable pushing, it was quite scary. I would describe it as a similar feeling/experience to vomiting... only much stronger, more painful and ongoing. I was induced and labour came on relatively quickly. My husband was trying to get the midwives to check on my progress and they were not being very quick... until i suddenly yelled in a panic that i was pushing. Was not fully dilated, I think i had a cervical lip as a PP also said, but i was then rushed to labour suite. It was not really the experience i was expecting...

Fleur405 · 13/04/2022 04:12

Yes this happened to me both times. One midwife was shouting at me to stop pushing but honestly I couldn’t not control it. I now have a prolapsed cervix as a result.

boymummys · 13/04/2022 07:19

Not sure if it's the same, but with my first I had uncontrollable pushing, midwife was shouting at me telling me to stop, I couldn't help it, 20 minutes before the pushing started I was 7cm! She was shouting to stop pushing, I screamed back and said it wasn't me 🤣🤣 turns out when she checked I was actually already 10cm. She couldn't believe it as it took me over 10 hours to get from 3-7cm and only 20 minutes to go from 7-10

Ringmaster27 · 13/04/2022 07:29

Your body has a thing called “foetal ejection reflex”. All the labour hormones combined with the surprisingly impressive strength of the uterine muscles will expel a baby eventually without you doing anything - that’s how women in comas have given birth etc, but you feel the uncontrollable urge to push in order to help the foetal ejection reflex along.
With DC1 (hospital birth) I told the midwife around 2hrs 20mins into labour that I needed to push. She was very flippant, saying “no you don’t, not yet!”….I listened to my body. I couldn’t ignore the urge to push. My baby was born 40 mins later.
DC2 and 3 were both home births. I refused all examinations so have no idea how dilated I was at any point during my labours. I felt that urge to push and that was that - baby was here in minutes few

Trinacham · 13/04/2022 07:35

It is a feeling I will never forget! It's not one I could ever imagine before. I couldn't stop it and we had to call someone as we'd only just arrived at hospital so nobody had been to see me yet when it was happening- luckily fully dilated! I can't imagine how it'd be if I wasn't.. I didn't realise anyone has it without being ready until this thread!

JaneEyress · 13/04/2022 07:43

Had the opposite problem and no urge to push after an induction for PROM and an epidural. Had to be told when to push.

Patchbatch · 13/04/2022 07:47

Yep for 3 hours whilst waiting for ambulance transfer from MLU to hospital. I was in so much pain I reached the point I literally wanted to die as I couldn't cope, their gas and air had run out as well so was on paracetamol . Assessed once I'd been transferred and surorise they hadn't picked up earlier baby was back to back, also had shoulder dystocia so after 3 hours of ridiculous agony had to have forceps- thankfully the painkillers were the biggest relief ever (was an injection in my back but not sure what as worked quicker than an epidural?) As I couldn't stop moving a few had to hold me down to do it hah.

grosgirl · 13/04/2022 07:56

@stimpyyouidiot that's exactly what I had too. They eventually managed to physically push it out of the way.

StrawberrySanta · 13/04/2022 08:41

Yes! I had this with my first but not my second. Though I had reached 9cm and I said it's pushing by itself! And the midwife said listen to your body and go with it (didn't help in the end, required forceps) but I didn't have this with my second strangely

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