Why are women sometimes told when to push?

Question

I can figure out being told not to push -- in a "you need to go slowly here, or you'll tear" way, say -- but the stereotype of hospital birth involves being nagged at to push, and that's a mystery to me. Why on earth would somebody need to be told?

Pray explain?

Re. "Because you listen to the doctor..."

Without questioning anything? No thanks.

Answer 1

Its a matter of when to push. I have two kids and both their births I couldn't feel when a contraction came on because I felt like I was in a constant contraction due to pressure. The doc would watch the monitor and when a contraction started he would say push (others join in for encouragement). At the end of the contraction they say relax. You want to work with your body and push during contractions or you'll be pushing and it wont help the baby get any closer to be born.

Answer 2

Because OBs do not trust women's bodies to do what they are supposed to do. Also if you are drugged up (epidural etc) you may not be able to know when to push.

Personally I had a homebirth transfer after three days of labour and no sleep (just to give you a sense of my state of mind) and I was told I had a cervical lip and not to push for well over an hour. That nearly killed me, because I listened because I was in transition and panicking that the baby was never going to be able to come out (panic is a very common sign of transition, the stage that comes either before a temporary break or pushing depending). So I didn't push

Then when it came time to push I couldn't feel contractions anymore and they kept telling me not to push when I had the urge and to push before I did. Then the realised I was having double contractions and told me to push when I felt like it but still made me do the 10 count thing which is retarded, and I knew it was retarded.

Ugh. Anyway. See still not over it 11 months later. please avoid the f^&%ing hospital. I should have gone back home after the stress test when they said the baby was fine. One of the biggest mistakes of my life (most of which happened during the three days I was in the hospital)

Answer 3

Because you listen to the doctor, he is usually the one standing telling you when to push. In between contractions they are monitoring things, like the baby's heartrate and how the mother is breathing. If you push to often you can actually pass out from lack of oxygen. And if you have had any drugs or epidural you may not know when you are actually having a contraction and that is when you should be pushing. Hope this helps.

Answer 4

Because sometimes when the contractiosn get so close, the woman is more focused on the pain than anything... and you have to wait until your fully dialated befoe you can push. And if you push too soon you can tear the tissues down there.
Pushing is important and timing is important because you don't want to hurt the baby in any way.

Answer 5

I guess you havent had a baby before :) First of all, you have to wait til you are dialated enough to push. Only the doc can see if you are enough. Women may get the urge to push before that, but cant. The doc tells you to push when you are ready. Also, they have to encourage you because you are exhausted, not thinking clearly, and without encouragement, probably wouldnt push for long enough periods of time, or hard enough. The doc can tell by the monitor when a contraction is coming on, and tells you to push THEN, that way you arent wasting your strength by pushing when you are not supposed to.

Answer 6

when i gave birth the woman in the next room refused to push. she had an epidural and couldn't feel a whole lot but she was very afraid and simply wouldn't push. so i heard loud screams out of her room. one saying "push" the other "NO". it took her a long time to finally give birth. i guess it didn't make matters any better when she heard me scream while pushing (no epidural). but in the end she was just as proud and happy a mom as me, so wether you need to be told or not, the result is the same!

Answer 7

They tell you when to push, so that your pushing with contractions, this way as the contraction pushes down on the baby, you push with it, thus, exerting enough force to push the baby out,eventually. The birth canal is like a vacuum, when you push the baby comes down some, but is sucked backwards just bit. So that's why normally it takes, alot more pushes to deliver larger babies, than smaller ones.

Answer 8

some women or most are so caught up in the pain and moment that at most times there not pushing but they just feel the pressure like they really are. its also like a little cheer support so women dont give up, and also to have the baby delivered vaginally rather then c-section. some ladies will start pushing and later when the heads half way stop and give up that results in a cone head shape baby.

Answer 9

honestly it is because most women dont know their own bodies. I have had two medication free deliveries. With my first one I listened to the doctor instead of pushing when my body was telling me to and stopping when my body told me to. I tore and needed eight stitches. With my second I told the doctor when I was pushing and when I was resting and gave everything enough time to stretch without tearing.

Answer 10

I was in so much pain with my 3rd that i could not tell the difference between contractions and none contractions. I deleivered all 3 with out drugs but with him i had to be told when to push.