Please vote, did you have an early urge to push?

[JamieCatheryn]

I'm curious how often mothers have the urge to push before complete dilation. I had it very strongly with both births, myself. I've heard some say pushing with urges didn't cause any problems and helped finish dilation, others had swelling or had to blow and hold back until first stage completed. Others got the urge to push promptly at 10cm or labored down gently without any extra pushing. Please vote and let me know what your experience was? Post in more detail if you'd like, also. Thanks!

[cinderella08]

I went from 5cm to 8cm in less than an hour.  At 8cm I told my midwife I had to push right NOW.  She checked me and said "no, you are only at an 8 - relax - you'll be there soon".  She turned around, ungloved, and washed her hands.  I told her again - I have to push, I AM pushing.  Checked me again and I was complete not 3 minutes later. 

[ZombieMama]

Yes!

I had a very strong urge to push at 8cm, and I did little "half-pushes" to ease the pressure. My body took over at some point, though, and when it actually began pushing for real, I birthed my daughter in 2 pushes.

[thebassomatic76]

I got a very strong, unmistakable urge to push at what turned out to be fully dilated with DS (my first).  No one believed me.  They had just checked me 45 mins prior and I was at 4cm then.  When I got the urge to push, I called a nurse in and told her.  She was kind of condescending and just humoring me and said "but we'll check you anyway."  Turns out I was fully dilated and they said to go ahead and start pushing.

[Sharlla]

With DD we had a water UC so I dont know how dilated I was.  i pushed when  felt the urge and it was only a few pushes that she came out, 

[Jaimee]

#1: reached 10cm and had absolutely no urge to push.  My mw's directed me to push and I  didn't realize that I was having a  latent phase and should have requested to rest instead.

#2: basically unassisted so when I reached that point  in transition where I felt like I couldn't take it  anymore I gave a little push and that started a cascade of reactions that resulted  in my son coming flying  into the world 2 1/2 pushes later.

Interesting article about the "Rule of 10" originally published by Midwifery Today:  http://birthskirt.blogspot.com/2010/03/rule-of-10-versus-womens-primal-wisdom.html

[harli]

I was only at 7cm when I got the urge to push.  The nurse laughed at me, told me I wasn't anywhere near ready and walked out to leave me alone.  It HURT to not push so I did.  DD was born less then 10 min's later after a bunch of little uncontrollable pushes and 2 big uncontrollable pushes.  No swelling, no tearing.  It would have been horrible if I hadn't pushed anyway.

[samstress]

we labored at home as long as we possibly could.  i began to feel the urge to push (but was too afraid to), so we left for the hospital.  on the drive there (about 15 minutes) the urge was even greater, but again i resisted.  when we got there, i was 8 cm.  so, yes, i had an early urge to push.

[bandgeek]

I felt an "early" urge to push but honestly I don't know if I was fully dilated at that point or not.  All I know is that I got into the position I wanted, started pushing a little, then decided it was a false alarm, settled down, then started pushing "for real" 10 or 20 minutes later.  The "early" pushing I did didn't cause any problems.

[indigosky]

No one ever checked my dilation during my homebirth (so I didn't vote), but I don't think I had any early urge to push. The urge to push came on strong for the first time, I let my body do what it wanted to, the baby was born 20 minutes later.

[kitkatkaddoodle]

Both times I felt the urge to push just minutes before they came out, so I assume fully dilated.

[Monarchgrrl]

Originally Posted by indigosky 

No one ever checked my dilation during my homebirth (so I didn't vote), but I don't think I had any early urge to push. The urge to push came on strong for the first time, I let my body do what it wanted to, the baby was born 20 minutes later.

Exactly the same here.

[konayossie]

Well, I didn't vote b/c I didn't birth vaginally unfortunately, but I did get the urge to push at a "stretchy 7 cm." DS was known to be growth restricted so the MW kept telling me I did not have to be fully dilated to push b/c he was going to be so small. Just a few contrax after getting the urge, it disappeared and my cervix actually started un-dilating and DS moved from a +1 back to a 0 station, so my labor was dysfunctional. But, I share my story to say that my CNM was firmly of the opinion that a full 10 isn't "required" if that's not what your body is telling you.

[llwr]

#1 -- at 7cm -- My body was bearing down on its own.  I really wasn't able to control it.  Agreed to epi to take away the urge because I was scared about bruising my cervix and getting no help from staff.  It was a military hospital, so I really had no choice who my staff was.   Then had a host of interventions -- internal monitor, pitocin, fetal scalp monitor, oxygen.....  Apgars were 9 and 10, so obviously there couldn't have been much of a problem.....  I carried her very low.  When I was in triage, the heartbeat was about 3 inches lower on my belly than they expected.

#2  - no checks, but I'm sure it started after full dialation.  Had the baby 11 minutes after getting checked into the hospital. 

[azhie]

Just had my first baby 2 weeks ago! My body started bearing down on its own. I thought I just needed to poop because the midwife told me I was only in early labor with contractions 2 mins apart. She checked me at that point, only 1cm dilated. That was at 7:30am. I sat on the toilet on and off for the next hour attempting to poop. I tried not to give in to the pushing urges but couldn't help it, and baby slid out into the bowl at 8:30am. 

[newlyminted]

Omagad, yes! It was the worst part of labour for me for sure. I got an early urge to push at about 7cm and the front of my cervix was a little swollen so I very much needed to avoid pushing. I really didn't want to end up at the hospital if I could avoid it. I remember labour hurting, especially the back labour but honestly, it was background noise compared to the sheer torture of not being able to push for almost 2 hours. Thankfully I continued to progress. It felt SO good to push. It was my first and it still took an hour but it felt like about 10 minutes to get the wee one out. I am so scared of getting an early urge to push again with this one...

[treegardner]

I never felt any urge to push, even once fully dilated. 

 

 

[la mamita]

Originally Posted by indigosky 

No one ever checked my dilation during my homebirth (so I didn't vote), but I don't think I had any early urge to push. The urge to push came on strong for the first time, I let my body do what it wanted to, the baby was born 20 minutes later.

same here. no vaginal checks during labor for either baby. pushing went smoothly though so i don't think i was pushing before ready.