For your first birth...how long did you push?

[starlein26]

i pushed for 2 hours with ds and i just found out that a colleague of dh's got her dd out with 4 pushes...is this possible? tell me your pushing story.

[scatterbrainedmom]

ds1 I pushed for 2-3 hours -hospital with an epi
ds2 I pushed for about 15 minutes -hospital with an epi
ds3 I pushed less than 20 seconds -home birth

I have friends who have done it natural and with drugs and some pushed for a long time and some very little. I think it just depends on the person.

[Guest*]

I don't know exactly. I wasn't even aware I was pushing until my DH saw dd's head start to crown. I may have been pushing for 1/2 an hour or so in "laborland time." After I finally realized dd was actually crowning, I was very motivated to actively push and she was out in maybe 4 or 5 pushes.

I can't say for sure, though because I wasn't paying attention and wasn't even aware of most of it.

[Eman'smom]

number 1, 30 minutes
number 2 40 minutes (go figure, this is what I get for people telling me wow only 30 minutes of pushing for number one number 2 will fall right out)

[bethwl]

2.5 hours and then she was "helped" along with vacuum extraction. No epidural. The whole labor was 25.5 hours and I think I was just dead tired and not pushing very effectively by that time. Also, I was having "rolling contractions," (what my midwife called them) meaning they were coming with little or no break between them, so I was wanting to push constantly but I was so exhausted and I was wasn't breathing in enough oxygen because I was pushing so much.

I sincerely hope that #2 is not a repeat of that.

[PennyRoo]

50 minutes with #1! And she's my only, so far.

[stacyg]

ds1 hospital - natural - 15 min.

ds2 hospital - natural - 4 pushes

[wednesday]

4 hours. Although it wasn't as bad as it sounds. Like a PP mentioned, I really had no awareness of time passing. I was surprised to find out it had been so long.

[pjs]

# 1 hospital epidural 30 minutes
# 2 birthcenter natural 30 minutes (although my labor was only 3 hours including pushing, with #1 it was 16 hours)

[ABand3]

#1 birth center, no drugs, episiotomy = 5 hours (posterior babe, so much of that time was trying to turn)
#2 birth center, natural = 1 hour
#3 home = less than an hour, but only pushing once in a while, not every ctx

My cousin (hosp w/ epidural) said his wife pushed only 10 minutes with her first, and my thought was maybe she didn't feel the baby descending, or the urge to push and only started pushing when babe was almost out anyway, versus my pushing as soon as I felt the urge (9.5 cm)?

[sciencemama]

Something between 1 hr and 1.5 hrs.... I wasn't paying attention too closely. Looking back, I realize that I probably started pushing a little too early. I didn't have an urge to push with the first contractions-- when the "real" pushing contractions started they were markedly different. This time I plan to wait until I can't NOT push.

[shalena]

I had a natural water birth in a birth center. I pushed 5 times.

[Artisan]

#1= hospital birth with epi, 10#baby, laying on my back, 40mn
#2=unmedicated birth on my side, 5mn

[rdkks]

1st dd=natural, pushed 10-15 minutes (8 lbs 14 oz. baby)
2nd dd= natural, pushed for about 2 minutes (7 lbs. 7 oz. baby)

Both times I had the urge to push for a period before I did push, but was waiting for the doctor. Good thing I did wait too, I think!!

[jmhammond]

I pushed 20 minutes, natural birth, in a hospital with a 5lb 13 oz. baby. I don't remember how many times, but I know it was only 20 minutes, and DS also was "helped" with vaccum (sp?) b/c his heart rate kept dipping below 100 according to the hospital staff...

I have a lot of expectations desires for #2 being different in a birthing center rather than a hospital, but do hope the pushing stage is also quick!

[zjande]

With my 1st I pushed for 30mins. She was only 6lbs 12oz which is why I thought my next one took an entire torturous 2.5 hours- he was 8lbs 13oz. I thought his larger size had made the difference. But my 3rd was also 8lbs 13oz & I pushed for 30mins again. All unmedicated hospital births.

[Dwmama]

100% natural, 24 minutes.

[blissful_maia]

Ayla was 8lbs 13oz, natural, pushed for 2.5 hours after a 26 hour labour. Had a third degree tear...

[jeanine123]

10 min. Vaccuum assisted but I still wonder if the dang thing was really needed or if I would have done it even faster squatting. And to think, I declined squatting when my midwife gave me the option because I had heard it can increase you risk of tearing occaisionally. Well, so does a vaccuum!! Wish I would have squatted instead........oh well, dang hindsight.

[FitMama]

About 40 minutes of pushing with DS1. There was a clock within my view so I could see how much time had passed.

DS2 almost came flying out. I didn't look at the clock this time, but I pushed through about 3 contractions and he was out. It was great!!!