[lucyem]

So far I seem to be the only person I know of who never had any urge to push and never actually pushed on purpose. In my case my body just did it itself. Every other contraction my body pushed. It was like trying to hang onto something solid while being hit with a huge wave. Then every other contraction the midwife said push so I tried and she would say no, push like last time. I eventually figured out to just wait out the non pushing contractions and then hang on tight to someone for the wave contractions otherwise they would have knocked me off the birthing stool they were so intense. Anytone else experience this? I asked this on another board once but since 80%+ of the women on there had epidurals they would never have known anyway. People keep on talking about wanting to push and then how hard pushing was. Whereas I felt like I was just along for the ride. I am very curious to know if I will experience the same thing this time. I also am curious to know if this might have anything to do with my hypnobirthing work.

 

[Noelia430]

Before I read the last line I was thinking that it sounded like a HypnoBirth! It sounds like you were very relaxed and in tune with your body. Your body has a natural expulsive response and even if you don't actively push, your body will do it for you. It sounds like you had a very gentle birth experience.

 

[ChasingPeace]

My body just pushed on its own. I said to my MW "oh, my body is pushing!" and she checked to make sure I was fully dilated (I was, but I had a lip--which she took care of). I would just wait for my body to push, then surrender to it and go with it. I actually found pushing orgasmic, and can't wait to have another baby so I can do it again! I practiced Hypnobabies during my pregnancy, but had no desire to use it when the time actually came, so I'm not sure if the hypnosis had anything to do with it.

 

[Best Feeling]

I never actively pushed either. I could feel the pushing sensations but I was in no way helping out! Actually, I did help "pop" them out at the end. One active push with each babe

DD2 came so fast that I tried NOT pushing for a couple of contractions b/c I was afraid I'd have a massive tear. Ummm, no. That didn't work at all. And I didn't tear

 

[huggerwocky]

I didn't have any urge either and was told I should push.

 

[stafl]

My experience was a bit different, in that I really really wanted to push long before I was fully dilated. Like, even before I was really in labor, I felt like I needed to poop, but nothing came out. I fought the urge to push until I couldn't not push any longer (which, strangely enough, happened *before* I hit transition). I was just along for the ride, my body did all the work, though. I had no choice but to push with the contractions, I couldn't fight it any longer.

 

[Jane]

You might look up "Fetal Ejection Reflex" - it talks about pushing that cannot be stopped and is very effective at moving the baby down.
http://www.collegeofmidwives.org/new..._define01a.htm

 

[orangebird]

Isn't that an urge to push? My body pushed all on it's own and I remember crying out to the midwives "It's making me push!!". There was nothing I could do to stop it. I always considered that my urge to push. If that wasn't an urge, I don't know what is. I had other times where I didn't feel any urge and just sat through it and waited or pushed along with the urgeless contraction, but there were definitely those urges where my body took over and pushed and I could do nothing but go along with it. Isn't that what the pushing urge is? What else would it be?

 

[Lucky Charm]

I loved pushing. It was my favorite part. And one of the many reasons why i would love to have another baby, just so i can push and have that awesome feeling. I did have the urge, and did what my body wanted me to do, needing very little encouragement from the nurse or midwife.

I have had 2 epidurals, and loved them, and i did in fact feel the urge, just not as strong. then again, i had the anesthesiologist "turn it down", so maybe that helped.

Sounds like you had a great experience!

 

[mauiwith3]

I have always felt the urge to push. Like my body was taking over. I then tried to push along with it and it felt so good that is must have been doing something right. I have always pushed along with it and it felt like I was in better control

 

[applejuice]

I never felt that "unmistakeable urge to push" with four homebirths...

I had to be told what it was each time...

We are all different, and that is why it is so wrong for hospitals to treat everyone the same.

 

[G&B'sMama]

With my daughter I did have an urge to bear down with the whole force of my body and I worked very hard at pushing the baby out- which took an hour and forty-five minutes and was really difficult because she had her hand up by her face. Plus, the pushing felt so good- working with that urge. With my son there was no urge to assist my body, it just pushed the baby right out. He was born A LOT faster though- my entire labor with him was less than two hours. I did not have a hypnobirth, but I did use a few of those techniques during the labor. When he was about to be born I even noticed how I was unconsciously “breathing” him down just as described in hypnobirthing. So maybe there is something to that connection.

 

[Losgann]

My first birth, with ds, was in a hospital and was very rushed- doctors and nurses screaming "PUSH!" at me before I was good and ready to.

With dd, I was in a very quiet birth center (water birth) and, I guess because of my prior experience, was determined to push when I was damn good and ready to. But I never had that urge to push. My midwife suggested a few times that I try but I ignored her and listened to my body. All of a sudden my body just pushed all on it's own. I gave into it and dd was born nice and easy in her own time.

I still think that is amazing, I'd always heard you HAVE to push, and I had no idea our bodies could do THAT.