This is one of the most common questions I get.
I will say that most un-medicated moms don’t end up needing any guidance with this. Especially if it is not their first baby. Their bodies just take over and do it!
- Kind of like sneezing – it is really hard NOT to sneeze.
- It is really hard NOT to push!
Here is a compilation of posts to help answer the question of How to Push!
Breathing Your Baby Out VS Purple Pushing
Great post with pictures showing different pushing positions.
Is Mother Directed Pushing possible in the Hospital? YES, I have video to prove it.
Pushing is really something! The midwives knew I was getting pushy just by my vocalizations. Hah! I knew I was complete without them even checking me, just based on all that.
With my son, I was on magnesium sulfate for pre-eclampsia, so my muscles were a bit relaxed. I pushed with all my might for him, and in a seated-support, sort of. I tore. Oh well.
But with my second born who was 2 lbs. bigger!), I was on my left side. I pushed a few times very gingerly, to just get a feel for it and to control the pace. I was feeling incredible pressure and I told the nurses that I would be pushing her out with my next push. Hah! And I gave it all I had and could feel her head and then body emerge. No tearing! Oh, and I was in the hospital for both births. With my second, I wasn’t coached at all. Just heard “You are doing great! You are moving her down so well!” and that was great.
I think if there’s no critical need to get the baby out ASAP, they should back off and let the mom do it her way.
They told me I could try to push her out between waves, but I liked the power behind my waves and wanted to use it, instead of waiting.
I think I love this blog. It’s like the go-to place for learning about pregnancy and childbirth. I’ll have to read up on the breastfeeding and such. I have huge phobias in that area.
I will use the analogy of sneezing with my students. That is helpful. I pushed for 45 minutes with my first and just a couple of minutes with my second. Both were unmedicated home births, but I sometimes think that the first go around, you aren’t sure what to expect with pushing and even though I had the urge to push with the first, I wasn’t sure what it would take. With the second, I was in a more upright position and I think that helped too. Both were water births and I still don’t know that I could birth on land. 🙂
Thanks for sharing your experience.
I just wanted to add that some moms don’t get the “urge to push”. I had a natural 43 hour birth and never had the urge. I pushed for 2 hours and needed my midwife to guide me by pressing her fingers where I should push. I felt so lost and confused because everything you read tell you that you will have the urge and I just didn’t. My sister had a similar experience with a 50+ hour un-medicated birth. I still feel like if I were to give birth again, I would be confused on “how” to push.