What's It Like To Push During Labor - Really?

Before I gave birth the first time, I know I was wondering how in the world I would know when and how to push. I had seen all these faked birth session in movies with the moms screaming and pushing like crazy. Not very tempting.

So what is it like - really?

Here we'll try to describe what it feels like, how you'll know when it is time to push and how to push effectively.

You'll find more information about all the stages of labor here.

How To Push During Labor

• The Second Stage Of Labor - Time To Push
• What Triggers The Pushing?
• So What Does It Feel Like To Push?
• How To Do It?
• What If I Don't Feel The Urge To Push?
• Sponataneous Pushing Video

The Second Stage Of Labor - Time To Push

The pushing is the very last thing that happens during childbirth, but is still called the second stage of labor. It is the stage when the baby is pushed through the birth channel and comes out into the world. Well, the placenta comes after (this is the third stage of labor), but honestly, I don't even remember it coming out, I had a baby in my arms by then. So the pushing comes last.

It is also the stage of labor that is by far the shortest before the baby is born. For a woman giving birth the first time, this stage can last up a few hours. For those giving birth the second or more time, the pushing stage can actually be as short as 10 minutes.

What Triggers The Pushing?

Then sure, a good midwife or doula will help you and let you know if it is time to push or not, because quite often they will want you to wait a little to help the skin around your vagina adapt and thereby avoid being torn.

But it is your body that will signal when your baby has reached low enough in the birth channel, which triggers the pushing urge.

So What Does It Feel Like To Push?

The big difference compared to the contractions before the pushing stage is that you can't fully relax while pushing (obviously) while you can and absolutely should relax during all other types of contractions. The pain is still there, but instead of signaling to you to breathe and relax your body completely, these contractions will urge you to tighten your stomach muscles and push downwards. It is a completely different feeling!

It does hurt and it can be quite overwhelming to feel the head being on its way. But if you trust your body and the midwife and relax, your baby really is about to arrive. Something ot hold onto!

For some women the pushing stage is actually a bit calmer than the last part of the dilation, which can be extremely intense. It is also common to experience a short (and sweet) cal period with almost no contracitons at all between teh last part of the dilation and the pushing. It seems like the body is gathering strenght for this very last part of giving birth.

How To Do It?

Or you could really try to relax the muscles in your pelvic floor and envision yourself blowing out a candle with some force. Those are the muscles you should while pushing. (Not the same at all as the ones used when going to the bathroom!)

Read the above sentence again. This combination of pushing with upper abdominal muscles and relaxing further down is the key to affective pushing. It can take some practice to be able to do this, especially while in pain. So practice how to push during labor before hand! And ask your hubby to remind you.

It is also your choice whether to hold your breath or breathe out (like slowly blowing out the candle) while pushing. Both methods work, but if you do hold your breath, only do it for a few seconds to avoid reducing the amount of oxygen available for your baby.

The pushing stage will go faster and be easier if you stay in an upright position (or at least NOT your back.) Lying on your side is OK too. (For more details on effective birth positions, read this article.)

What If I Don't Feel The Urge To Push?

True, some women don't. Epidural is often a reason for this. These times, the doctor may want to wait you out if the baby is doing fine and see if the urge comes, or speed up the process by providing medication as well as directing you to push even without the urge. (This is called directed pushing.) Before accepting to push with the urge, make sure you ask why.

Spontaneous pushing (as opposed to directed pushing) has been shown to provide more oxygen for the baby, better APGAR's and less trauma of the pelvis floor for mom. So unless your baby is at risk, waiting to your body's signals to push can have real benefits.

Both WHO and the American College of Nurse Midwives (ACNM) are recommending spontenous pushing these days, due to the benefit for the baby and mom.

Sponataneous Pushing Video

Here is an excellent video clip explaining the benefits of spontaneous pushing using an upright position.

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