With your vbac, did you push with all of your might?

[bfw0729]

I just read a thread in birth and beyond about breathing your baby down and trying not to push. It reminded me of my hbac and how I did the very opposite of that. Once I had the urge to push, I pushed so insanely hard I was screaming to get my little baby out. I was a little hopeful that I could bring her into this world in a more controlled fashion, but there was a lot of emotion behind the pushing. I just wanted her here, birthed vaginally.

I recently watch my birth video and I'm amazed at how loud I was! I held nothing back. I know I could have handled the pushing phase much better, but emotionally, I just needed her in my arms as fast as possible. What was your pushing phase like with your vbac? I'm curious how other mothers handled the pushing phase. Thanks.

ETA: I birthed her in water

[dinan6]

My pushing with dd was interesting, when it came time to push my contractions slowed way down so I got a nice rest in between pushes. I had to be coached a little to keep pushing, as I was pushing when her head would start to come out I would back off maybe from the fear or that intense feeling you get when their head is crowning.. So, it wasn't crazy fast, but after some coaching from the nurses she came down and out with ease.. My first dd was a fast pushing, getting her out..I think I was impatient and just thought I should go for it....

[kitkat5505]

I was the same. I knew I should push slower to avoid tearing and stuff but at the time I was in so much pain and just wanted it over with, plus his heartrate was going down and not recovering so they were telling me we needed to get him out quickly. I was just thinking the whole time "I have to do this! I do NOT want another c/s!" I'm hoping that this next time, planning a waterbirth in a birth center, that I'll be able to control my pushing a little better and not tear this time.

[elphalba]

When it came to pushing, we waited until baby was crowning then I pushed. I was loud and pushed hard... I wanted to do open breath pushing instead of counting to 10; holding your breath pushing. Instead I pushed with each contraction but I was the one directing how often and how hard I pushed.

[limette]

I pushed hard for two hours.

Baby was posterior just like her sister and took forever to come down. The urge to push was overwhelming there was no opting out of it. It was also the only time that I didn't suffer from excruciating back pain, during the pushes. As soon as I stopped the pain would slam back in to place.

[Mama2E&O]

I pushed, but not very hard- my baby was coming down fast on his own.

[MomtoXane]

I had the worst epideral. It only worked on one side and then they doubled the dose so I had absolutely no feeling on the other side. I could not feel my contractions and I could barely feel pushing. I have no idea if it was hard and it definitely didn't seem fast, took almost an hour. I was very calm and centered though. I'm hoping to remain emotionally stable and in control this time, without drugs...

[kltroy]

I pushed quite hard with my VBAC. My first was breech, so I'd never pushed before.... With Claire, they started to get worried about her going into distress when I was 9+ cm dilated, and threatened to put an internal monitor in to see how she was doing. I felt, at that point, like I could push, and said so. They said to go ahead but suggested that I might want to "push her out quickly" um whatever that means!!! Anyway, I felt like I initiated the push when a contraction came, but then my body took over and I couldn't NOT push. Sometimes I had 4 or even 5 HARD pushes before the contraction was over. Once she started to crown I had to blow to stop pushing and let her slow down, which was tough because my body wanted her OUT.

She came out in just under an hour with one small stitches-optional tear. Not too bad for a first vaginal birth

[meatloafkend]

I couldn't help but push! It was the strongest involluntary urge I have EVER had. In fact, I thought the pushing part was the easiest part of the whole labor. Finally something made the pain go away. My husband thought that was going to be the hardest part of the labor...turns out...it was the most satisfying. I think it took me less than 20 minutes to push her out. It's amazing how the body can eliminate pain. I had a 3rd degree tear and didn't even feel it happening. Isn't that crazy!

[roadfamily6now]

my homebirth was so smooth, the uterus did all the pushing I just breathed and let my body work. I did "Push" meaning I did not fight the urges and worked with my body. I did not put any extra effort into it.
I dont think you need to Push like crazy during a homebirth. I think most women just need to let it happen.

[Patrick's mummy]

Originally Posted by bfw0729

I just read a thread in birth and beyond about breathing your baby down and trying not to push. It reminded me of my hbac and how I did the very opposite of that. Once I had the urge to push, I pushed so insanely hard I was screaming to get my little baby out. I was a little hopeful that I could bring her into this world in a more controlled fashion, but there was a lot of emotion behind the pushing. I just wanted her here, birthed vaginally.

That's just how it was for me. I just wanted my baby here quickly so that no one could stop my vba2c from happening!
I transferred in from a hba2c because of very real distress so that was an issue too. But I think it may have been similar anyway...

If I ever have the good fortune to do this again I would take a more measured approach, but having said that, I really enjoyed pushing :

[vivvysue]

i have had three vbacs, with all of them i let my body decide the pushing and just sort of rolled with it. iwas pushing, but i was following my bodies lead and not forcing it kwim. i didnt push more than three or four times with any of them and they were all born quick and easy no tears, a few skid marks.
i was the same as a pp with the resting sort of pushing phase. i think i stopped having contractions for about 15 minutes before delivery of each of them and then like a freight train my womb was doing all the pushing and i was along for the ride. they were all great births that i felt absolutely in control of.

v

[sparkle&shine]

I got to the hospital and was a bit more than 7cm dilated. I got to 10 quickly and they kept asking if I had the urge to push. I didn't and since my water hadn't broken they said that I could just labor him down until I felt the urge. I waited and waited and my little guy just didn't want to come down. Finally about 4ish hours later my water broke and they thought that he might finally be ready to 'come on down'! Well I still didn't get the urge to push so they had me do a few 'practice pushes' to see how it would go. I had no idea how to push so I wasn't really putting all my might into it because I was a bit afraid I would poop- so stupid but without that primal urge my mind was wandering. I had a nurse come in that helped me out so much when my OB starting talking repeat C. She was my boot camp nurse and I pushed with all my might! He finally crowned and had a loop of cord around his neck which is probably why he wasn't engaging properly. They had me wait a moment and took care of that and he was out!

[oregonbound]

With my first VBAC once my water broke he started coming out and the urge to push and the pain was so intense that all I could think of was push. this. baby. out. before. I. explode. I was screaming and really out of control and my OB told me to hold my breath while I pushed. I know everyone says it's a big no-no but I felt like it gave me the grounding I needed and I pushed him out in 2 contractions. With my second VBAC same thing with the uncontrollable urge and the exploding feeling, this time I actually thought about easing her out because it hurt more to push, and my midwife was saying to listen to my body and I didn't have to push her out all at once. Anyhow, I just said to myself one big push and you're done so I pushed as hard as I could and she came out in one contraction, maybe 2 (memory is hazy). Both times, I thought that was the hardest and most painful part.

[velcromom]

I was coached to push with all my might, I didn't want to as I was doing hypnobabies and it instructs to breathe the baby down but my midwife trumped my training. Despite my training, in labor I wasn't even thinking of resisting her suggestions, so weird. Wish I had been able to tell her no, or at least had someone there to explain my wishes to her, she started applying fundal pressure "to speed things up", my baby went into distress and I had to transfer from my hba2c & ended with another c/s.

[Mrs. B]

I pushed for 2hrs 59 minutes and I pushed hard! DS just could not get under the pubic bone. At about 2 hrs and 56 minutes, my mw told me to push like I was constipated and boy, did I push. DS came flying down, and then in one push he came all the way out, head and body. I had third degree tears, but I didn't care, it was worth it.

[PookieMom]

Originally Posted by meatloafkend

I couldn't help but push! It was the strongest involluntary urge I have EVER had. In fact, I thought the pushing part was the easiest part of the whole labor. Finally something made the pain go away. My husband thought that was going to be the hardest part of the labor...turns out...it was the most satisfying. I think it took me less than 20 minutes to push her out. It's amazing how the body can eliminate pain. I had a 3rd degree tear and didn't even feel it happening. Isn't that crazy!

Same here! I think your body just knows what it wants to do.

[Radish4ever]

I *loved* the pushing stage! I didn't rush it and felt like it went really slowly - in reality, it was about 28 minutes ............ I'm glad I didn't push with all my might or try and go faster than I felt I HAD to do by my body, because my 10lb, 1ozer could have torn me up! Luckily i didn't even have a single tear at all!

[Phoebe]

Pushed as hard as I could...for 3.5 hours.
He would not have been a HBAC, or VBAC for that matter if I hadn't pushed that hard. Sometimes I don't think you have a choice really.

[dlm194]

Yep! I started getting into pushing positions at 3pm (I'd been actively laboring for a day and half at this point so I knew we needed to get the baby out before I became totally exhausted). Around 5:30pm I was fully dilated and "officially" pushing. I didn't have anyone counting during my pushes since I could feel everything I needed to my my midwives and doula always let me know when I was pushing well. My dh (a former army Sergeant : ) took care of coaching my vocals for effective pushing. DD finally came out a little after 7pm. I used hypnobabies and hoped to breath the baby out but my labor progressed very slowly so I deferred to my midwives suggestions.