To those who have experienced labour before - How long were you 'pushing'??

[Popples1]

38 minutes in total. I had a water birth followed by 3 lots of stitches - 1 perineal tear and two labial tears. I was really nervous about knowing how/when to push when I was pregnant but when it happens, the urge is so powerful you can't do anything else except push for all you're worth. I really enjoyed it!

 

[MoldyVoldy]

In all, pushing was like 25 minutes. It went slow at first because I farted in the nurses face during one of the first pushes and I got embarrassed and didn't want to push too hard in fear of farting again...

Then like 10 minutes in, I was like, "Screw this!" And really got into it. lol

note to self: Don't read forum posts while dying for a wee.

 

[Popples1]

That's hilarious. I just laughed so hard that Leo came off my boob! My birthing pool was full of poop by the end but I couldn't care less. I'm impressed you had the mental control to actually feel
embarrassed at that point in labour!

 

[immy11]

First babe, 3.3kg 15 minutes pushing, no stitches! Great birth

 

[MindUtopia]

My whole 2nd stage was 3 hours and 51 minutes (from being fully dilated and starting to get the urge to push until she was born). But contractions spaced out a lot during that and things slowed down even though I was still getting a strong urge to push at every contraction, they just weren't coming as quickly. She was turned to the side though and in a weird almost back to back position though, so my guess was she was turning during that time and also the midwives showed up (I had a home birth) and started to pester me a bit. If I'd been on my own or they'd just stayed out of the way more, it would have been faster. It did not seem like 4 hours though and wasn't hard or tiring (okay, was doing a lot of squatting and my thighs started to get tired!). Baby and I were both fine, so we just carried on. Most aren't nearly that long though (and actually I had a relatively quick labour, just a long 2nd stage), but when all my friends talk about how they pushed for 30 minutes, I think that sounds amazing!

 

[smallpeanut]

With dd it was 45 mins and with ds it was 10 mins. He was out in three pushes!

 

[Cariad_x]

10 minutes.

I was contracting for 27 hours before pushing and had a failed epidural. My waters went 36 hours before LO was born and I developed an infection in labour resulting in a high BP, pulse and temp. I was on IV antibiotics and LO was in distress (his HB kept dropping) and I was told I had half an hour to get him out or I would need an emergency c-section. I freaked out and he came out pretty quickly - even the midwives were shocked!

 

[kaths101]

I pooped in the pool too
A soon as I got on my knees the urge to push came and he was out in about 10 minutes (10lbs 11oz) ..he was my second baby

My first the pushing stage was weird, I was walking around and felt the urge to push the midwife didnt believe me as last time she checked about 30 minutes earlier I was only 3cm anyway she told me to hop onto the bed and his head was there! She gave me a puff of gas and air, took it away again and he was delivered in a few pushes. In his notes it said 8 minutes!

I didn't drink RLT with either of them!

 

[bamm]

I had to labour in bed, but I was pushing for an hour and 10. I drank RLT from about 32 weeks, and upped it to a LOT in the weeks after, but didn't seem to help, and I had a 2nd degree tear.

 

[sojourn]

I pushed for about an hour and a half.
However, pushing was AMAZING! For me, the pushing didn't hurt at all, it was relief. I didn't have an epidural, and I labored at the hospital for about two hours (at home longer) before pushing.
I planned on going natural, but I talked to my husband and mentioned that if it was going to last all day and night that I was going to need an epidural. Then, I realized that I had already been pushing through a few contractions. So I just kept pushing. It felt great.

 

[Popples1]

I pushed for about an hour and a half.
However, pushing was AMAZING! For me, the pushing didn't hurt at all, it was relief. I didn't have an epidural, and I labored at the hospital for about two hours (at home longer) before pushing.
I planned on going natural, but I talked to my husband and mentioned that if it was going to last all day and night that I was going to need an epidural. Then, I realized that I had already been pushing through a few contractions. So I just kept pushing. It felt great.

I'm totally with you on this. It was hard work but so satisfying to feel him move downwards!

 

[SouthernC]

I pushed for 30 minutes with my son, would have been less if they had cut me sooner. But had to have 17 stitches as well.

 

[dairymomma]

I had a 19 hour labor with my DS and pushed for 10 minutes (13 if you count the 'practice push' they had me do after they broke my water). With DD, I pushed for 20 minutes but my cervix wasn't quite totally dilated (I was barely a 10 and I should have waited another contraction or two before having the dr break my water.) and my first 4 pushes didn't do anything because DD was stuck on a little lip of my cervix. I relaxed through 3 contractions (hardest thing I've ever done because my contractions were giving me UBER BAD charlie horse-like cramps in my upper thighs) and then it took just 1 push for her to come out.

Hoping this baby follows the same pattern.

 

[kaylamariee]

I pushed for bout half an hour with my first! They let me 'labour down, which is letting the baby come down the birth canal further on its own (I was fully dilated) they do this to reduce the risk of tearing.. I had 1 stitch! Worked pretty well

 

[ashlee2916]

2 hours including being assisted via ventouse x

 

[erin5]

My first 2 took 7 minutes, my 3rd was a c/s, and my fourth took 14 minutes.

Needless to say, when I am ready to push, I am ready to push.

 

[loulou1979]

I was pushing for 2 hours with my daughter. I really hope this time its quicker!

 

[staralfur]

I pushed for about an hour. I tore horribly and it was the most tiring and painful thing I've ever done. I would seriously trade another 17 hours of contractions for that hour of pushing.

 

[ThinkPositiv]

I pushed for an hour and a half and labored for maybe 3-4 hours before at home. My contractions during pushing went to 7 mins apart so it wasn't very bad at all and like another mom posted, pushing was relief! When she crowned... That burned.... A lot, but the pushing was good! I had a small graze, no tears and did it drug free and would do it all over again in a heart beat.

 

[lovelylaura]

43 mins the first time. 6 minutes the next time.