# Did you get the urge to push before 10cm?



## NDH

Two part question. 

Did you get the urge to push before 10cm dilated? If yes, did you push anyway or did you wait until you were fully dilated?

I was 6 cms when I got the urge to push and waited 2 excruciating hours til the midwife said I could push. Worst part of labour IME. If it happens again I plan on pushing anyway. Or at least not deliberately trying not to push.


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## NaturalMomma

I have no idea since my MW didn't check before I started pushing. I just pushed when I felt like it. 

Many women start pushing around 9 cms and that will open up that last cm. Some get the urge prior and can do some breathing to help. You don't always have to push either, because your body will do it involunatarily.


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## NDH

Oh darn forgot the option for those who don't know cause they either didn't get checked or just pushed when they were told without feeling the need to.


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## Mandyblur

I listened to my body - when it told me to push i pushed. I always listen more to my body than my midwife. Anyway i ended up with no tears or anything so listening to my natural instincts worked well for me.

I was 6cm when i pushed with my son and 7cm with my daughter x


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## neadyda

Apparently I was 8/9cm but I had the urge to push! So I did!


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## staralfur

I got the urge to push at 9cm and couldn't not push. The nurse kept saying "you can't push yet" but my body just did it anyway. I agree it was probably the hardest part of labour.


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## amjon

I never really had the "urge" to push other than feeling like I had to pee and nothing would come out (because the sack was putting pressure in there). I just pushed when her behind was crowning because the nurse told me I could. Her body was out in about 3 pushes, then I had to wait for the nurse to cut the cord from her neck and the head was another 3.


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## MrsStutler

One of my most vivid memories (and I don't really remember a lot from 5cm-10) was the nurse telling me I was at 9 but not to push yet. The urge was unbelievably strong and I have to admit I didn't really fight it, but I didn't full on push either. I remember asking the nurse over and over "check again! Check again!!":haha: When she told me I was 9 3/4 I wanted to strangle her. Lol


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## MillerBabe

NDH said:


> Two part question.
> 
> Did you get the urge to push before 10cm dilated? If yes, did you push anyway or did you wait until you were fully dilated?
> 
> I was 6 cms when I got the urge to push and waited 2 excruciating hours til the midwife said I could push. Worst part of labour IME. If it happens again I plan on pushing anyway. Or at least not deliberately trying not to push.

I am so happy to read this because everyone I have talked to does not know what I mean....I was ready to push at 7cm and it took me another 8 HOURS to get to 10 and they would not let me push yet...it was excrutating...you cant help but push a bit and then I swelled up from trying so hard not to push but still pushing anyway that it SLOWED my labour down so bad....I was so releived to finally be allowed to push!


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## NDH

MillerBabe said:


> NDH said:
> 
> 
> Two part question.
> 
> Did you get the urge to push before 10cm dilated? If yes, did you push anyway or did you wait until you were fully dilated?
> 
> I was 6 cms when I got the urge to push and waited 2 excruciating hours til the midwife said I could push. Worst part of labour IME. If it happens again I plan on pushing anyway. Or at least not deliberately trying not to push.
> 
> I am so happy to read this because everyone I have talked to does not know what I mean....I was ready to push at 7cm and it took me another 8 HOURS to get to 10 and they would not let me push yet...it was excrutating...you cant help but push a bit and then I swelled up from trying so hard not to push but still pushing anyway that it SLOWED my labour down so bad....I was so releived to finally be allowed to push!Click to expand...

Yeah I wish I'd thought to question it and researched when I was pregnant. I questioned and researched everything else :dohh: I'd never even heard of anyone pushing/needing to push early.

Oh man I can't imagine not being allowed to push for 8 hours! 2 hours was excruciating enough. I know what you mean about pushing a bit anyway (I kept insisting I wasn't pushing just doing a poo lol). In my daze I did remember that the midwives had all told me to keep my mouth open and relaxed as open mouth = open cervix and I wondered how I was supposed to relax my mouth while clenching and straining not to push. But I trusted my midwife (who really was wonderful and super supportive of a natural birth and she never once left my side so I really can't fault her) out of fear that I'd damage my cervix if I pushed too soon. I definitely now believe it would have gone so much quicker if I'd trusted my body instead.


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## Numero_uno

I wasn't checked, just started pushing and then was told could see the head


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## Bevziibubble

I made it to 10cm dilated and then had the urge to push but I was told I had to wait for two more hours to push as LO was back to back with me but needed a bit more time to turn round the right way. But I had such a strong urge to push and I couldn't stop my body, it was pushing by itself! In the end they just had to let me push and I had a ventouse delivery as LO got distressed


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## CatandKitten

I started feeling slightly pushy on the way to the hospital (I arrived at an 8).


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## Bay

With my first, i was pushing but i wasn't aware i was, just kind of bore down a little as it helped with the pain (does that make sense?). I was 9.5cm when i got to hospital and the midwife told me i was pushing when she observed me during a contraction. 

I was told not to push until i was 10cm ... Not fun.


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## hollyrose

i got the urge to push at 7cms but i didn't actively push although my body was involuntarily pushing anyway iykwim?


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## bumblebeexo

I wasn't checked, so I have no idea. I was 7cm when I got to hospital, and I was pushing four hours later, so I think I would have been.


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## wishuwerehere

I never experienced an overwhelming urge to push but pushed because I was at 10 and the mw told me to - I ended up with a tear so will not be doing that in future!


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## Mummy Bean

I got the urge at 7cm when it turned out he turned around, so ended up getting a epidural shortly after


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## we can't wait

I didn't get the urge to push until I was 10cm, but I tried to hold back from pushing because my mom wasn't there yet (as I progressed very quickly). It was SO painful to try to not push, so I couldn't help it. Luckily my mom made it in time (about 20 minutes before DD was born).


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## AimeeM

with my first and second no. With my third I had a severe urge to push at 5cm but I did go from 5 to 10 within a couple of mins so it wasn't an issue.


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## Dory85

I had zero urge to push throughout the whole of my labour. Despite drinking buckets of water, I was vomiting loads and so my contractions spaced out again so could have something to do with that. I just pushed when I was told to because LO was distressed.


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## MummyClaire28

I had a strong urge to push at 9cm, but mw told me not too, in the end when I could push at 10cm, he was almost in the birth canal


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## sopava

I was between 6 and seven, dig. Diddn't feel the urge, body just took over and did it involuntarily. Midwife let me off do my own thing.


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## Dawnlouise30

I had the urge to push at 7 cm, it was hell trying not to push. In the end i pushed sooner than i should which resulted in a tear.... he was finally born via forceps with an episiotomy and at this stage i had an epidural so they told me when to push.... but when i could feel things the urge to push was so overwhelming that the only thing which stopped me was using the gas and air.


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## Vesta

I felt the urge to push from about 4cm. My birth notes have a few comments about "involuntary pushing" so I guess I must have been pushing without meaning to.


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## missmiylove

Might be a dumb question but why do they always tell people not to push if your body is telling you to push?


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## lizardbreath

Can no longer have posts here


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## NDH

missmiylove said:


> Might be a dumb question but why do they always tell people not to push if your body is telling you to push?

Because medical professionals are taught that pushing before 10cm dilated will damage your cervix and get the baby stuck. So instead of trusting that the labouring woman knows and trusts her own body they only let you push at 10cm.


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## Bay

I had the urge to push @ 6cm. And I was told not to push because I might damage my cervix etc. An hour later I was fully dilated and after 3 pushes baby was born (they didn't bother to check, but could just tell from the way I was screaming). I couldn't help but not push that whole hour, light little pushes to cope with the pain. 

It was torture trying to not push when your body really wants you to.


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## Fish&Chips

I had the urge to push from 2cms!!!! I had to have an epidural to stop me. It was horrific x


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## PepsiChic

I got the urge to push very strongly at 8cm, my OBGYN said to wait, I waited and owch it hurt, instead of breathing through the contractions I instantly tensed up to stop the pushing motion and it *really* hurt.

However, by waiting till I was a full 10cm, I didnt tear, didnt graze, nothing! Even the "ring of fire" wasnt as bad as Ive heard about. I was even up and showering 30 minutes later!


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## dan-o

I was pushing involuntarily when I was around the 9cm mark, but my midwife kept saying 'you're not pushing are you?' to which I kept replying 'I'm not doing it myself, I can't bloody help it lol!!! 

Anyway, my anterior lip went fairly quickly and then the HB started dropping so I was told to push him out asap, so actually bore down with the contractions then and got him out in about 3 contractions. He was back to back though (and came out that way) so maybe that makes a difference?


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## AimeeM

missmiylove said:


> Might be a dumb question but why do they always tell people not to push if your body is telling you to push?

I have heard of some one who kept pushing at 5cm and ended up in severe pain and quite unwell from a damaged cervix.


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## Sarahcake

Yup I pushed early, it was the most incredible urge and it was like my body was just doing it and I didn't have a say. Was checked at 8pm and was 7cms and pushing hard (completely involuntary) was checked again at 8:07 as my sons heart rate was dropping and I was 10cms - that's when things went crazy in that room. After a lot of intervention, my son was born 20 mins later.


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## Dahlia2007

Even when my MW told me I could start pushing, I didn't feel the urge to push! I didn't have an epidural, but that urge just wasn't there.


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## MummyToAmberx

With my first i felt the urge to push but i was only checked 30mins before hand was 8cm so MW said don't push yet, it was getting worse and worse she said you wont be ready yet. 
To which my reply was * i neeeed to push!!* got onto the bed she said 'oh sorry!' your waters are about to go and your 10cm... durr

with second i felt urge at 8cm, she said when i was contracting i was getting smaller lol
she told me not to push so just tried to carry on trying not to tense up. 
it got worse and worse i asked if someone would break my waters 'no!' 
then mw said if you want to push, then push but it felt uncomforable because my waters hadn't gone. 

they finally went as i pushed..


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## kerrie24

I got the urge to push before they told me I was in labour,I had been being monitored and they wanted to send me home.I went to loo and had a feel but babies head wasnt there yet so I walked around a bit then when I was pushing involuntary they took me seriously.


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## Tanni_Pants

I wanted to push at 8+1/2 but even at 10 I wasn't allowed to push.
Baby was too distressed, I had to wait 4 hours to let him come down on his own before I could try again. Otherwise it would've been a section....


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## Blah11

I started to feel the heavy feeling in my bum at the height of contractions when i was about 9cm but didnt feel the overwhelming urge to push until about half an hour later so I reckon I was 10cm by then.


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## Dahlia2007

Tanni_Pants said:


> I wanted to push at 8+1/2 but even at 10 I wasn't allowed to push.
> Baby was too distressed, I had to wait 4 hours to let him come down on his own before I could try again. Otherwise it would've been a section....

That is very interesting. I never knew you could fully dilate, but baby not be down on the canal


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## anita665

I'm pretty sure I was the full 10cm before I got the urge to push in both of my previous labours. It's really interesting how different women's bodies do different things!

I could feel the head shift down with a contraction and it gave me this feeling like I was going to poo myself :blush: which I couldn't help but go with and it caused the water to break. I'm guessing that was the contraction pushing babies head over the cervix and the pressure caused the waters to go. From then I had to push.


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## MissCherry15

had urge to push for over an hour before i was in so much pain trying not to push that i finally told the midwife i needed to push, they didnt believe me but i told them fine i will push whether they like it or not... they then checked me to find out i was 8cm and the consultant said.. if i need to push just push. So i did and 10minutes later she was born x


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## manchester1

i was 9cm and couldnt help but push! 18 mins later out came baby!


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## Bay

MissCherry15 said:


> had urge to push for over an hour before i was in so much pain trying not to push that i finally told the midwife i needed to push, they didnt believe me but i told them fine i will push whether they like it or not... they then checked me to find out i was 8cm and the consultant said.. if i need to push just push. So i did and 10minutes later she was born x

I guess pushing early worked out okay for you? 

I was always told i wasn't allowed to push until 10cm .. Not even at 9.5cm. I do wonder how much of this is really necessary. Surely if something feels so natural it can't be so bad?


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## summer rain

With my two middle boys I got to 9cm and couldn't progress further as the membranes were very stubborn so had to have my waters broken both times as soon as my waters were broken I automatically progressed to a 10 and felt ready to push but they wouldn't believe me and insisted on examining me again. With my youngest I semi-involuntarily pushed him out with membranes intact not sure how many cm I was but probably not yet 10, he was totally fine and I had the least under carriage damage out of any of mine xx


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## Blah11

If you push before 10cm it probably wont do any damage but if there is cervix and its stopping your babys head coming out then all the pushing is just wasted energy. Thats why MWs advise against it.


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## mommy0629

I only had the urge to push with the last two contractions before I was checked, told I was 10 cm and to push with the next one.


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## XJessicaX

I started to push at 9.5cm. Had a small lip of cervix still there but I pushed anyway! Wasnt a controlled thing, my body did it all for me.


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## AimeeM

Dahlia2007 said:


> Tanni_Pants said:
> 
> 
> I wanted to push at 8+1/2 but even at 10 I wasn't allowed to push.
> Baby was too distressed, I had to wait 4 hours to let him come down on his own before I could try again. Otherwise it would've been a section....
> 
> That is very interesting. I never knew you could fully dilate, but baby not be down on the canalClick to expand...

I thought you had to be fully dilated for baby to enter the canal x


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## susan_1981

I got the urge to push when I was only 3cm. He was born bout 6 hours after I felt that first urge x


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## hubblybubbly

I was somewhere between 8-9cm when I got the urge to push,and couldn't help but start, after a few pushes with the midwife telling me not to she checked me and I was 10cm. So who knows,maybe pushing helped me dilate, maybe I had dilated between the last examine and the urge.
Next time I just want to go with my bodies instinct. I want to avoid examinations if possible.
X


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## Fish&Chips

susan_1981 said:


> I got the urge to push when I was only 3cm. He was born bout 6 hours after I felt that first urge x

It's nice to hear from someone with a similar experience to mine! x


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## lily24

I'm so glad I found this.
I couldn't help but push at 8cm, my body just done it, I really had no control and the MW was really getting cross with me!
What actually happens if u push before 10cm, its something I'm not sure about.

Having to fight what ur body wanted/needed to do was extremely difficult :cry:


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## meandu

not until 10cm, 2 pushes with 2nd baby & she was out:thumbup:


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## Tanni_Pants

AimeeM said:


> Dahlia2007 said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Tanni_Pants said:
> 
> 
> I wanted to push at 8+1/2 but even at 10 I wasn't allowed to push.
> Baby was too distressed, I had to wait 4 hours to let him come down on his own before I could try again. Otherwise it would've been a section....
> 
> That is very interesting. I never knew you could fully dilate, but baby not be down on the canalClick to expand...
> 
> I thought you had to be fully dilated for baby to enter the canal xClick to expand...



I got the urge to push before he was in the canal.
Because he was distressed I had to wait for the contractions to push him further down, and he was well in view before I could try and push him out.


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## Mrs Doddy

I started pushing at 9cm and the midwifed were ok with this


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## iwanababybump

I got the urge at 9cm and started pushing without even thinking about it to be honest


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