How long did you push for?

[pinksprklybarefoot]

I keep hearing about women who push either for 15 min or 3 hours. Is there a "normal" or "average" time that women push for? How long did the pushing phase take for you?

[Kelleybug]

The longest I have ever pushed for any of my children was 20 minutes. The shortest was 3 pushes. (7cm to birth in 15 minutes)

[alegna]

I pushed somewhere around 6 hours.

-Angela

[PGNPORTLAND]

a very short time - maybe 8-10 minutes and pop! there she was!

[the_lissa]

10 mins with my first and less than five with my second/

[monkeys4mama]

Around 3hrs with the first, but only 5-10 min with the rest of them. I think that's pretty common to push really long with the first and a lot less with later babies. But some women have a long or short pushing stage regardless of what number baby it is. I think it's important to remember that averages are just averages and we're all very different. There's no right or wrong here. With #1 I felt like I was somehow less "good at" birthing b/c some of my friends only pushed 20 min w/ baby #1. But I realize now that's stupid. It's good to *hear* about other mamas experiences but it's not good to compare ourselves by any value judgement, ykwim.

[kerikadi]

15 minutes or less with each of my 4.
I have a good friend that pushed for 6 with her first and 20 miniutes with her second and another friend that pushed for 4.5 with #1 and 2.5 with #2.

Keri

[pookel]

Three hours before getting a c-section, so that may not be what you're interested in knowing.

My mom pushed *once* with me. I was the second child ... I don't know how long she pushed with my brother.

My MIL was in labor for 50+ hours with my husband. I don't know how much of that was pushing, but it was quite a few hours. He came out looking squished and so ugly she burst out crying.

[monkeys4mama]

Originally Posted by pookel

My MIL was in labor for 50+ hours with my husband. I don't know how much of that was pushing, but it was quite a few hours. He came out looking squished and so ugly she burst out crying.

I assume he got cuter over time??? :

[~Heyokha~]

I pushed about 1 hour, no episiotomy and no tear and baby had a HUGE head ( she was in the 100 percentile for head circumference...OUCH)

[KBinSATX]

4 1/2 hourse for me (luckily homebirth or it would have been a c-section) but DS was ROT.

[savithny]

#1 - about 45 minutes from water breaking/urge to push until birth. He was partly posterior and it took a bit for him to come around.

#2 - 1 push. Maybe 2. Exact details are a bit blurry because it happened fast and surprised me. She was not posterior.

[wendyland]

I pushed for 2 hours with my first and tore really bad. With my second, I pushed once and she was totally out. I hope my 3rd goes that well.

[XanaduMama]

Don't know exactly but around 20 minutes, I think. ds was at zero station before I went into labor: my theory is lots of squatting, yoga and optimal fetal positioning obsession during pg...

[lizziejackie]

pushing

first kid, c/s that didn't get to pushing.
second kid, 8lb, 1 hr, 38 min
third kid, 9lb, 3oz, 1 hr 27 min

I could REALLY do w/out pushing -- I stink at it! Good luck to you!

[bornbythesea]

Four hours with my firsts and only so far. That is a long time to push, and I was on the verge on a hospital transfer. I guess I was only "effectively" for 3 hours. It was really hard, but the time flies, and it was still a wonderful birth. Hope the next is easier! Hope yours goes smoothly.

[Cherie2]

2 hours

2 hours ... that was 18 years ago ... (fun reminiscing as we just celebrated this anniversary 2 days ago)

[grapejuicemama]

I think about 15-20 minutes for both births.

Both of my babies were 8 lbs on the dot when born. I had home waterbirths with a mw.

[scsigrl]

First baby-8 minutes- Dr. didn't have time to put his gloves on

He was 8lbs. 9 oz.

[scrapadoozer]

30 minutes but I had a loooooong labor.