How do I push?

How a baby comes earthside is an amazing process. It really is. There are natural pieces that your body does on its own, there are roles the baby plays, and there are sometimes active parts that you need to think about.

For some, pushing is necessary for birth. What do I mean by “for some?” Well, your body is pretty incredible and will push on its own during contractions. Your uterus actually builds up more muscle towards the top (fundus) because this is where the contractions start. The uterus contracts to push the baby down - putting pressure on the cervix to release prostaglandins so it will thin and open. And then it’s to push the baby down the birth canal. 

Some people also experience the fetal ejection reflex where the body quickly pushes the baby out on its own. This is an evolutionary masterpiece that was once needed when there was danger surrounding us. 

And then there are some people who are actually called by their own body to push out the baby. Nope, I don’t mean when the doctors and nurses tell you to push. Because this is when they want you to bear down like a bowel movement. I mean when your body feels like it has to push. That it’s calling you to do so.

So how do you push? I’ve talked with folks who worry about this before labor and even during labor when they do not know what to do. Bearing down is a great way to get it started because it’s a familiar process. But it’s also tiring. 

Quick note…if you do not feel the urge to push, meaning your body is not asking you to, then don’t. If your provider team tells you that you are at 10cm and should start pushing, it’s ok to tell them that you want to wait for your body to do some more work before you push. Your uterus will still push that baby down during labor. The benefit to this is that you do less active work. The negative is that you are still laboring. Sometimes I almost think that we are asked to start pushing at 10cm because it makes labor stop faster. 

If you do want to try pushing, a great method is relaxing your pelvic floor. Yup, relax right, haha. Seriously though, you can do this. This is more like a bowel movement where your knees are up and you do little work. It’s closer to when you pee, but not the fast peeing we all do when we rush. It’s when you allow the muscles to relax to create more space…then your uterus has less to push against!

And you can practice this in advance. Take a breath and relax the muscles every time you use the bathroom to get more in tune with this. You can also meditate and envision what this looks like - your uterus bunching up to push down with all its might while you relax your pelvic floor to open the space for birth. 

So how do you push? Your body will let you know. The key is to remember to listen to it, instead of the provider who says you can start pushing if you want!