Do I *have* to actually push, can’t I just concentrate on screaming?
With DD I screamed and screamed and swore (I was very rude apparently, according to DH). I remember my body just pushing and squeezing her out. It was completely involuntary, totally out of my control. The midwives fairly insistently suggested I should be pushing during a contraction and that I was "wasting" the scream, I should use it to push. Do I have to, TBH I was happy just hanging on and screaming. Won’t my body just do it all for me?
Yep, it will do it all for you. If you have a really strong urge to push, then you don't need to make it any faster or more efficient by pushing yourself. If anything, you risk bubs being born too quickly. When I had DD1, they told me not to push and to breathe her out and while it was one of the hardest things I have ever done (because the urge to push was so strong that you can't help but feel like you want to push kwim?) it showed me that my body could get her out on its own. if I had of pushed as well, then she would have come way to fast -as it was it was only 18minutes for her to be born without me pushing at all.
Oh yeah, yeah, yeah they said that too, don’t push just pant, and I was like “umm I’m not, I’m just hanging on to the edge of the bed screaming here ok?”.
When my fourth child was born, I was standing next to the bed making a kind of groany noise. The MW asked me if I was pushing or just groaning and I wailed that I didn't know. It turned out I was pushing
Last edited by hannanat; April 3rd, 2011 at 01:35 PM.
Ha. I had the opposite - 'push, push!' while I screamed I AM!!!!!! Didnt' think I could push any harder if I tried.
Epacris, I think you go (to a certain extent) with what your body tells you. If you want to hang there & scream, do it screaming has always worked well for me.
ETA - I should add, I was being a bit tongue in cheek. I can see the benefits in directing some of that screaming energy into pushing, like Keiki said, and I realise there are times when it's best not to push - you can't always just do what you feel. But I just hate the whole feeling of being directed, instead of encouraged or coached, at that time. Working with what you feel would be so much nicer, if you can, I think.
I was completely the opposite. I didn't scream at all when i was pushing i focused all my energy and thoughts on pushing out my baby, i just wanted to meet her!!
Though i did hear many women screaming until the moment their babies came out. But DP said i just groaned and panted when i was pushing (i had no idea what i was doing as i was so focused on the pushing)
My body pushed Grace out all on it's own...in ONE push!!!! I was on my knees hanging onto the back of the bed and the nurse started telling me to stop pushing and start panting so I wouldn't tear. I wasn't even pushing, LOL, and out she popped. Pushing stage of labour....6 minutes!
i was the same as marlene but it took 2 pushes when i got to the pushing stage the middie told me i had to go to the other room i told her f off b**** lol but yeah if it works i would do it
With DD I didnt push at all! In fact I was so busy concentrating on my moaning and contractions that I didnt even feel her come out!
In hindsight it was great but in saying that I think my giving her a helping hand would have sped the process up a bit.
my first (water birth) the 'erge to push' was overwhelming, and my body just did it (no conciousness on my part), I concisously didn't add to my bodies natural push...i didn't want to rush and tear.
My second (on my knees on a bed), I wasn't conciously pushing...and it turned out I needed too. Two very different births. Both wonderful in their own way.
You may find hanging on and screaming works for you again, you may find you need (or just do) something else. You do as you need to do...
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Do I *have* to actually push, can’t I just concentrate on screaming?
I wonder if focussing some of your screaming energy to help your body push would make it go faster?
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