Intensity of pushing

[QHoneyB]

For my first labor I ended up with pitocin, then epidural, couldn't feel a darn thing when it came time to push and ended with vacuum to help.

This time I was going to try to go all natural unless I ended up with a very Lon labor again. It wasn't. But I was in no way prepared for th INTENSITY of the pushing! I read so many birth stories, what to expect during transition, etc. but last night as it came time to push I was like a screaming crazed animal. I didn't know I could scream like that, honestly! thank goodness it didn't dag ou and she was out in just a few pushes (plus an episiotomy, ouchies

Anyone else find the pushing/labor way more intense than you thought it'd be?

It's great to be more awake after thr birth though instead of exhausted and out of it!

[happysmileylady]

Not more intense than I thought it would be, but, well, it sucks. At least to me. Thankfully for me, pushing doesn't last long. All three have been out within a few pushes. But my body seems to just take control and I can't NOT push. There's no break, no take a breather, no breath through the contraction to wait, nothing. And that, I think, is what sucks the most is that I have 100% no control over it. I have had one epidural, 2 births without, and regardless of epidural or not, I don't give birth, I suffer through a labor and delivery over which I have pretty much no control, my body does it all for me. And it hurts and it sucks and it's not fun.

[songbird516]

Yeah I felt like that with my second. For some reason the first was easier. I thought that I would be more "in control" with my second, but the sheer intensity of pushing with the second really freaked me out. Even looking back it makes me uncomfortable because I was so not in control. Fortunately it only lasted about 10 minutes, or 3 or 4 pushes. I can't imagine doing it longer than that!

[ashley84]

Pushing was insane for me with DS. I was screaming like a mad woman. It was so intense. I could not handle the pressure. To top it off, I had no urge to push. I just felt an immediate need to get him out. It took me two hours to get him out. I thought I was going to lose my mind. When he finally did emerge though, he had a nuchal arm (one of his fists was up against his forehead). I think that pretty much explained everything. I'm hoping it's much easier and take way less time with this LO.

[HeatherlovesCDs]

Originally Posted by happysmileylady Not more intense than I thought it would be, but, well, it sucks. At least to me. Thankfully for me, pushing doesn't last long. All three have been out within a few pushes. But my body seems to just take control and I can't NOT push. There's no break, no take a breather, no breath through the contraction to wait, nothing. And that, I think, is what sucks the most is that I have 100% no control over it. I have had one epidural, 2 births without, and regardless of epidural or not, I don't give birth, I suffer through a labor and delivery over which I have pretty much no control, my body does it all for me. And it hurts and it sucks and it's not fun.

Gee, Kim, I'm about to do my first without pain meds (my 4th delivery) and this was so encouraging. (No worries!)

I'm sorry it's like that for you. Personally, I imagine that is how it is going to be for me too. I did go all the way to 9cms with my first and I found the entire experience to be torture to that point. Then, the epi messed with my pushing and 2.5 hrs later, I finally got him out.

I'm hoping that overall this will be a much better experience, but I'm fully expecting to feel the way you describe above.

I wish you a very speedy and "easy" labor this time around.

[mabelinoad]

Yesssss. I took labor ok, sucked but I handled it. When pushing came I screamed all sorts of things I never felt the "spliting in two" some women mentioned....but just crazy, unexplainable, intense pressure. I couldn't wait for it to be over! Then I tore in the same exact place as an episiotomy, 2nd degree. 8wks later it still hurts

We plan more kids...but pushing is the one and only thing making me not want to have a baby lol

[MDever]

I am expecting #5 in Feb. Even with #1 I was only at the hossy for 17 minutes. It was very scary and chaotic. I was thinking that it was going to hurt that bad for like 20 hours Then they kept yelling at me not to push. YEA RIGHT!! I was making this weird growling noise and I swear my throat hurt worse than my bottom after delivery. I finally had a moment of calm and said "listen! the baby is coming out and I do not care who catches her". I have equated it with trying to hold a train in my body. I am a birth junky and love reading birth stories. I always find it so interesting when I read natural birth stories like from the Farm and the women are pushing for hours. Women's bodies are nothing short of amazing for all of their differences.

[happysmileylady]

Originally Posted by HeatherlovesCDs Gee, Kim, I'm about to do my first without pain meds (my 4th delivery) and this was so encouraging. (No worries!) I'm sorry it's like that for you. Personally, I imagine that is how it is going to be for me too. I did go all the way to 9cms with my first and I found the entire experience to be torture to that point. Then, the epi messed with my pushing and 2.5 hrs later, I finally got him out. I'm hoping that overall this will be a much better experience, but I'm fully expecting to feel the way you describe above. I wish you a very speedy and "easy" labor this time around.

Well, if it makes you feel better, in terms of pushing and the urge to push and the pressure, for me at least, I found the epidural made no difference. The pain hurts (though as another poster mentioned, I never had that "ripping in two" pain) but the intensity for me in is the actual act of my body pushing out the baby.

It's a similar but very different feeling to puking really. What I mean is that the feeling of every muscle in your body working and contracting to expel something from your body, and not being able to stop any single second of it and just waiting for it to be over...that's the same feeling. The difference is of course, the item being expelled is much bigger and coming out the other end

ETA: I also feel it necessary to mention, I am still going to try to go epi free this time around too. If it doesn't work that way, it doesn't work that way-I have really long labors and am generally pretty exhausted when I get to the end and doing it all med free just isn't important to me this time around. But I am going to try because I hate needles.

[CutiePatootiesMama]

Yep I just had my first unmedicated birth in May and I agree- everything I read did an awesome job of preparing me for labor but nothing prepared me for pushing. As soon as G was born I actually apologized to the mw for being a drama queen. I was a little embarassed by the way I handled it (not that I should have been but it was so out of character for me). It always makes me feel a little better to hear that other people had the same experience. I actually tried to run away and tell them that I wasn't going to do it. (haha I scooted back in the birthing tub as far as I could get). I'm hoping that whenever I have another baby I can be a little more in control. But like most others are saying- thank goodness it only lasted for a few pushes and then she was out! As intense as it was I will definitely do it again. The rest of it was so much better (labor and recovery).

[HeatherlovesCDs]

Originally Posted by happysmileylady Well, if it makes you feel better, in terms of pushing and the urge to push and the pressure, for me at least, I found the epidural made no difference. The pain hurts (though as another poster mentioned, I never had that "ripping in two" pain) but the intensity for me in is the actual act of my body pushing out the baby. It's a similar but very different feeling to puking really. What I mean is that the feeling of every muscle in your body working and contracting to expel something from your body, and not being able to stop any single second of it and just waiting for it to be over...that's the same feeling. The difference is of course, the item being expelled is much bigger and coming out the other end ETA: I also feel it necessary to mention, I am still going to try to go epi free this time around too. If it doesn't work that way, it doesn't work that way-I have really long labors and am generally pretty exhausted when I get to the end and doing it all med free just isn't important to me this time around. But I am going to try because I hate needles.

I felt the pushing was intense with my 2nd and 3rd deliveries even with the epi's. They were turned off by then. I have no doubt that I wasn't feeling everything, but I remember I had to wait to push with my first set of twins because they didn't have the OR set up. (Almost every hospital requires that twins be delivered in the OR.) I remember I kept telling them I couldn't not push and she was coming out in the hall if they didn't get me in the room because I couldn't stop it. She was out in one or two pushes and less than 2 minutes after me getting into the OR. It was intense with both sets.

I'm assuming it is going to be more intense with no meds. I do fully admit, I'm having second thoughts doing it without the epi. But, my reasons for wanting to go without are very real. I don't respond well to the epi and it got worse with each delivery. With the last, my body freaked out right after delivery and it is attributed to the epi. It was really scary and really awful. I don't want to go through that again and I don't want to go through labor either. But, I'm also very ready to get this baby out. So, labor with no pain meds here we come!!! (I hired a doula this time and I'm going to be at a hospital that is VERY naturally birth friendly with nurses who fully support me doing it without pain meds. Here's hoping they are all going to empower me in a way I wasn't when I got the epi at 9cms with my first.)