What are the Best Noises to Make While Pushing?

 Today’s topic is on what are the best types of noises to make while pushing?

Audio is better to demonstrate pushing

I got this great email today with this question and I was typing up an answer to respond to the question, and I realized what I really need to do is make a podcast episode about this. So that’s what I decided to do. I did send my email with my written response, but here is an audio response, which I think will be more powerful.

It is normal to make or not make noises while pushing

First off, know that it is normal to make noises while pushing a baby out.

Also, it can be normal to not make noises while pushing a baby out. There is not a right or wrong way to make noises. Now I say that with a little caveat, because there is one tip that I definitely suggest. And I’ll tell you that in a minute or two.

A Few Pushing Options

So first off know that when a mom is pushing her baby out, it takes a, a little umph, sometimes.

Sometimes moms can actually breathe their baby down and out, like, ah, right. And they just leave their mouth open their bottom, relax, and they breathe their baby out and I’ve seen moms do this. It can work. Moms can do that silently. They don’t need to make noise.

And sometimes moms might feel a desire to actually push in a different way.

 I’m really about following your body, what feels right in the moment? What sounds do you wanna make in the moment? It’s all good to make sounds if you want to, or if you can’t help it and sounds are just coming out.

That is okay.

Breathe Baby Out

So there’s the breathing your baby out

Grunting

and then there’s grunting. So sometimes I’ll hear moms go like, uh, uh, If I hear that noise, at the top of a pressure wave, then I know that a mom is starting to transition into that pushing phase. And sometimes a mom will actually just kind of grunt her baby out a little bit at a time like that.

Roaring

Sometimes moms will more, uh, kind of roar their baby out. That’s how I felt I did it. And it’s actually funny because my birth video of Bryson, which is on YouTube, I get people commenting, asking about pushing because in the video I kind of cut that out because my husband was just focusing on filming the baby actually coming out and I didn’t necessarily want that image on YouTube for the world to see.

So you don’t necessarily hear me pushing, but I definitely was not a quiet pusher. I roared my baby. I was like, ah, you know, so I kind of like roared my baby out and that’s great too.

There again, any way you wanna do it is great.

Practice Making Noises While Pooping!

An idea is just to practice making some noises, before you go into your birthing time, just practice making different noises.

Maybe while you’re pooping, you could be like, oh, you know, just make some noises while you poop to feel. Does that give your body a little bit more energy? How does that work? You know, how does that feel? And just being open to knowing you might make many different types of noises or again, no noises.

It really is what a mom needs in the moment.

I’ve had moms push quietly during part of their pushing time. Push loudly.

Swearing

Sometimes moms will swear while they’re pushing. That’s okay. Even if it’s a person that doesn’t normally swear, whatever comes out, comes out and you know what, everyone in the birthing room has heard it before. It’s okay. Don’t worry about it.

Calling on Heavenly Help

Just let what comes out, come out.

Sometimes people will call upon God or angels as they’re pushing. Or ancestors or again, their loved ones that are there. They’ll like call out for help in a sense. Using their voice to ask for power and help in the moments of pushing. And that’s another great thing.

Lower Noises are Better

So the only caveat that I’m going to give with pushing and noises is that lower noises are better. Lower noises are more open and they’re lower in your body. And like letting things go down and out versus high noises are tight and again, higher in your head. And what we’re going for is open and low.

So if I hear a mom pushing and she’s like, ah, Then I’m going to encourage her to make low noise and I’ll be like, and I’ll model.

It should be like, ah, you know, and I’ll model this lower noise option. And often the moms will switch pretty easily to what I’ve modeled for them. Again, if a mom wants to just stay in that higher range, I’ll probably suggest it a time or two, and then I’m just gonna let her do what she needs to do. And that is fine.

Holding your Breath and Bearing Down

Also, there are times when a care provider will say, “Don’t make noises, just hold your breath and push you know, like bearing down. You can’t see me cuz it’s not a video, but I’ve got my face all clenched and not making noise and I’m pushing down. And that is definitely another way to push. If that’s what feels right for you.

Go ahead and do it. If a care provider’s asking you to do that, I think I would just say, is there an urgent reason for this to go faster? Or can I just keep pushing the way I want? As long as the baby’s doing well and mom’s doing well, just push and make whatever noises you want. I think that sometimes care providers think if you just hold your breath and make no noises and just bear down, it will go more quickly.

And indeed it might, but it also might not. There’s not like a guarantee either way. I’m really all about mom following what feels right to her. and there has been one or two cases at a birth where the baby’s heart, rate’s not looking as good as the doctor wants. And so they’re asking the mom to push more directed or more without noise.

And. The mom chooses to do that. And that’s great.

Be Flexible

So again, just be flexible. Know you might make no noise. Know you also might make a lot of noise or anything in between. They’re all good. All noises are good, except again, for those higher noises. It’s not that those aren’t good. It’s just, they’re not going to be as effective as low noises.

Low is Open and Down

Remember low is open and down and that’s where we’re trying to make the baby go through open and down.

I hope you enjoyed these real life examples – link to videos

I hope this was helpful. And gave you some real life examples. I actually will link in the show notes to some pushing videos that I have on my enjoy birth YouTube channel, where I’ve put together clips of people pushing so that you can see and hear those noises in real life.

Instead of me just making up noises for you, I hope you have a great day and enjoy your week.