I haven't had many births on my shifts for the past week or so. A few, but not many. I've taken care of quite a few laboring women though! I seem to be having a run of getting them through their labor, and towards the 2nd stage, but not quite at the pushing part yet. Which is my favorite part - unless it's lasting fooorrrevvvverrrr.
One thing that is tiring for everyone involved: pushing with a first time mother who has a dense epidural, and it takes her 2-3 hours to finally push her baby out. Sometimes that is WITH laboring down (passive descent), and WITH various position changes to help ensure the most optimal fetal position and rotation into that position for birth. Women in this situation get tired, they get discourage, and they often tell me that they just can't do it anymore. I try and try and try to be the best cheerleader, being encouraging, and describing what type of progress I'm able to see. What usually helps a woman connect to her baby is when I have the father look and tell her how much hair the baby has & what color it looks to be! That usually gives a woman that extra ummph and energy to push her baby down some more. It's almost like - oh yeah - we're having a BABY!!!
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I agree! I love working with first time mamas, but do NOT like that average long second stage. Ooof! It's so exhausting for everyone involved.
I have a question: I had an epidural (with a second degree tear) with my first baby and pushed for over an hour. With my second baby I had no epidural, pushed through two contractions over an intact perineum. Do you think the epidural had something to do with that, or was it more likely that the second one went more smoothly due to lack of epidural? Just wondering since you're pretty much an expert. :)
Duh. I meant to say was it the lack of epidural or the fact that it was baby #2?
That's funny, I was very discouraged when I reached down and touched my baby's head. My husband told me "this much" was showing, I thought he meant that much was OUT of me.
Seeing the baby's head in the mirror didn't help either. And this was a homebirth. :)
I pushed for over 2 hours even without an epidural, at home. I wish I'd been in the hospital with some pain relief instead of at home getting shrieked at and shamed by my nasty midwife.
Giving birth is hard work. Sorry our efforts aren't always satisfying to the audience.
Maggie - it was more than likely the fact that it was baby #2, PLUS the fact that you didn't have an epidural (easier to push when you can feel where to push). However, pushing for only one hour with your first was pretty awesome too! The average pushing stage for a first time mom (with or without an epidural) is about 2 hrs.
Astraea - I'm sorry if I can across as non-supportive. I can absolutely empathize with a long pushing stage with a first baby (my first was also about 2 hours of pushing, unmedicated). It's draining for everyone in the room, was my point. Physically the most draining for the birthing woman! But also draining (physically and emotionally) for her support persons, and her nurse. This is why I advocate passive descent (laboring down) for as long as possible before beginning the pushing phase of labor and birth -- usually with an epidural in place! Conserves energy, and shortens the actual pushing time.
"Came" across, not can. (In my last comment)
I've had pushing stages anywhere from 3 hours to 3 minutes. I'll take the 3 minutes. :D
At a recent doula birth the client, a first-time mom with an epidural, only pushed about 3 times before the baby was born! Talk about surprise from the nursing staff and on-call OB. (and me, too! I had no epidural, squatting at home, and a small baby and still pushed for 45 minutes, lol. In my case I was trying to slow it down, though, because we were planning a hospital birth!)
When my first was pushed out in 8 minutes with a dense epidural and a spinal (as in absolutely NO feeling whatsoever), I realized that any future births would happen pretty darn fast. My second was out in 9 minutes (all natural). My twins? Baby A was out in two pushes and baby B came 9 minutes later (half of that was the doc trying twice to break her water). I actually refused a practice push with the twins because I was reasonably certain that they would come flying out since they weren't 8 and 8.5 pounds like their older sibs.
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