# Poll: For your first birth...how long did you push?



## cynthia mosher (Aug 20, 1999)

Having a discussion with friends I was a bit surprised at how long some of them pushed with their first birth. I have had precipitious labor with all of mine so I'm sort of an outlier and maybe contributes to my quick second stage of labor too. So I thought I'd ask all of you to see what the average is for Mothering moms.


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## annlea (Nov 24, 2013)

Took me an hour to get my first one out!


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## JenRN (Sep 10, 2010)

I pushed for 2.5 hours. DD was OP/asynclitic when I began pushing, and finally turned during pushing. That, and the fact she was 9.5 pounds with a 15 inch head, is why I think I had to push so long. I am TRULY hoping I don't have to push that long with this one!!!


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## mamashanti (Mar 21, 2013)

I voted 4-6.... because i didn't push continuously while trying at home, but I'd say it was probably an hour total before I gave up and went to the hospital . My baby was in a bad position, asynclitic and I suspect OP but rotated because I had horrible back labor the whole time, and i had a swollen cervix and lip that wouldn't budge... so I pushed and pushed and nothing happened for awhile except for more pain. At the hospital I pushed pretty continuously from 4pm-7:30pm when she was born. 3.5 hours of serious pushing, an hour and a half or so with experimenting with it. hopefully next time it's like 15 minutes. I cannot do that again. I busted blood vessels in my eyes and I was sore and my face was swollen for a week, no exaggeration. I was FORCED on my back, so that probably contributed to it taking so long. If I had been upright with gravity... who knows, maybe half the time?? I had an almost 9 lb baby with a huge head (93rd percentile)


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## fruitfulmomma (Jun 8, 2002)

I think it was about 45 minutes. I had a long labor though - 36 hours total.


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## kungfumoose (Feb 8, 2006)

My first 2 children were born by emergency c-section, and I never got to the pushing stage (or even past 6cm) but my third was a VBAC, and my first vaginal birth. I pushed for less than 9 minutes. No one is sure exactly how long, because it happened so fast we didn't check the time, but the doctor said it was definitely less than 9 minutes. It was only 3 contractions of pushing. Crazy fast!!


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## philomom (Sep 12, 2004)

Twenty minutes with daughter.

Three pushes total for our son two years later. I was standing up for his birth.


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## nameisrio (Aug 30, 2008)

30 minutes - no epidural to slow things down.


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## Infinitania (Jan 20, 2014)

3 hours. Home water birth with lots of moving around. There was very little pain but progress was slow, steady but slow. His hand was up by his head which is likely what was contributing but the mw were also just letting things go at my pace, very relaxed & I didn't tear.


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## tourist. (Feb 1, 2008)

2.5 hours with my first (at home, no epidural).


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## Talena Krull (May 13, 2011)

I have long labors and push a long time as well. my first it was over 2 hours, my second was 1 1/2 hours and my 3rd was over 2 hours again. I'm expecting number 4 and am (stupidly) hoping it will be short and sweet this time around.


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## happymama28 (Apr 22, 2011)

Labor was 10 hours long and I pushed for 5-1/2 hours. My contractions suddenly began 1-2 minutes apart and never slowed down. It was like sprinting a marathon.


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## msella (Dec 5, 2013)

This will sound nuts to some I am certain, but I did not push- at all with either of my daughters. My body literally expelled them from my body, and no effort was required of me other than being a part of the process. Both were vaginal, drug free midwife assisted births. 3 hours of labor for the first and then 2 hours of labor. But I did nothing but hand myself over to the process... it sounds crazy even now. But I never pushed at all.


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## aelfie (Mar 16, 2010)

Birth 1: 45 minutes

Birth 2 (Twin A) Two pushes

Birth 3 (Twin B) Push and a half (should of been 1 push but the doc had me stop so she could get a grip on her she flew out so fast)

Birth 4: 2 pushes (9lb baby...big boy! It took two so I wouldn't rip)


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## zoeline (Jan 20, 2014)

I pushed for a little over four hours total, 36 hour labor. Two different two hour episodes of pushing at home and then more after I was transferred to the hospital. Baby girl's head wasn't in the right position so I stayed stuck at 9 cm for hours. She was finally born with the help of forceps--9 lb 15 oz. After all that I am not convinced she needs siblings.


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## jihan (Jan 19, 2011)

6 hours in an assisted home birth. My son failed to engage and apparently his umbilical was too short - a scant 13", and it was wrapped around his neck (from what my husband tells me). We tried all sorts of positions, but it was sitting in a birthing stool that ultimately brought him out. Total of 20 hours of labor.


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## runbeck1 (Oct 16, 2009)

I pushed for 45 minutes after about 13 hours of labor.


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## 3lilchunklins (Feb 22, 2012)

10 minutes right on the dot LOL


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## L'lee (Dec 6, 2005)

Baby 1: 2 hours (but my contractions were spaced pretty far apart at that point, so maybe a dozen or so contractions? 15 - 20 min of actual pushing?) - I said 1-2 hrs in the poll.

Baby 2: No pushes - precipitous labor was about 2 1/2 hours and I was holding her in as the MW arrived and my next contraction she just slid right out.

Baby 3: 2 pushes (so maybe 10 minutes, 1 or 2 of which were actually pushing?) - first got him in position, second got him out.


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## tresleo (Mar 15, 2004)

Three pushes.

First one I yelled during, and was told to lay down and stop screaming - then the resident cut an episiotomy, with no warning. And my mom later voiced how she was upset I bled on her purse on the chair across the room.

Second for the head, and third for the body.


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## jditrimares (Mar 26, 2012)

I pushed for 5 hours before my midwife suggested that the baby was probably in military position and that we might need to transfer to the hospital. Then we tried at home for a couple more hours before I gave up, and with me sobbing, we went to the hospital. I reluctantly had an epi and pitocin, The epi helped open my pelvis and the pitocin helped my contractions strengthen (at this point I had been awake for more than 48 hours) and she FINALLY moved down from a 0 position to a +3.5. I got two hours of sleep after the epi and she was vacuum extracted (with another 20 minutes of pushing) at 8:10 am . I was fully dilated and pushing at 8:45pm the night before! So that's almost 12 hours since the first push. I was EXHAUSTED. My face hurt. I'm sincerely hoping that our next baby, due this April comes out in 2 pushes!


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## MamaKuma (Jan 12, 2013)

I only pushed the length of seven rushes. After sixteen hours of back labour, I was glad that part went quickly!


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## Katie8681 (Dec 29, 2010)

I put 10-30 but thinking back, probably less than 10. I had a second stage like being strapped to the front of a jetplane.  I remember 4 distinct humongous involuntary pushes. Yikes! I dunno how you ladies that push 2+hrs do it. Much respect.


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## lesleyrae (Sep 19, 2009)

My first (2) births were twins, a scheduled C-section for large, breech twins. No labor at all. My first VBAC, labor was about 17 hours. I pushed for about 16 minutes. She was 9 lb 6 oz, and had her hand up by her face. I tore a lot. My second VBAC, labor was about 28 hours but only one hour at the hospital. I squatted with the bar and pushed for about 10 minutes (maybe 3 pushes?). He was 8 lb 14 oz, and I still tore, but less.


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## Viola (Feb 1, 2002)

An hour and 45 minutes, although I didn't push the whole time. And much of the time I was pushing, it was awful because I had an epidural and couldn't feel anything. Somehow she turned from posterior to anterior, and the epidural got turned off so I could feel stuff, and then she came out pretty quickly after that.


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## JenniferKS (Jan 10, 2014)

If I remember right all four of mine fell between 15 and 30 minutes. I wanted to vote but didn't see how - poll must be closed?


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## PreggoInLove (Nov 12, 2013)

dd1 - 50 minutes (hospital, epidural, on my back)

dd2 - 60 seconds I think, 3 very quick "I'M DONE WITH THIS" pushes and she was out (homebirth, pushed on birthing stool)


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## CTri17 (Jul 1, 2009)

1 hour and 15 min with DD1

20 min with DD2


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## squiggles (Jul 23, 2013)

My labor/delivery was unexpectedly fast. First mild cramps around 3am. Water broke around 11am. Around noon I was only 1-2 cm. Was admitted to hospital around 2pm because of broken water. When Dr got there around 5pm I was 10cm. Approximately 12 pushes over 10 mins or so and my little angel was born at 528 pm







no pain meds like I planned, just iv fluids per hospital policy and antibiotics because gbs +. Had to go under anesthesia after tho because of retained placenta.


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## pamelaweichmann (Jan 20, 2014)

I pushed as hard as I could for 2 hours. I was supposed to do the hypnobirthing technique of breathing the baby down but that was not working. My baby was born on thursday. My contractions began on Tuesday. It was a long labor!


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## mamakitsune (Jun 29, 2012)

All 3 of my children were less than 10 minutes of pushing. I labored quite awhile with all of them (back labor), and when I felt like I needed to it was time.


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## mamazakka (Jun 10, 2008)

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *msella*
> 
> This will sound nuts to some I am certain, but I did not push- at all with either of my daughters. My body literally expelled them from my body, and no effort was required of me other than being a part of the process. Both were vaginal, drug free midwife assisted births. 3 hours of labor for the first and then 2 hours of labor. But I did nothing but hand myself over to the process... it sounds crazy even now. But I never pushed at all.


Quote:


> Originally Posted by *nameisrio*
> 
> 30 minutes - no epidural to slow things down.


The above comments are so accurate to my experience: my first 4 babies were born in the hospital, flat on my back, with Pitocin and epidurals and episiotomies, and many, many hours of ineffectual pushing. I ended up with 'healthy' babies, born vaginally, but from a cut, swollen, and very exhausted Mama. Last two babies were born without hospital intervention, (one at a birth center, last one at home) with no Pit, no epidural, no episiotomies, and I was able to move around and change position freely - and I did not push at all. My body pushed for me when it was ready, my only job was to relax through the contractions, which made them bearable. I had building contractions for several hours and then, maybe 2 or three big body 'pulses' and the babies were out. From my experience, looking back, I think pushing for hours is due to a misunderstanding and a mishandling of the entire process, by an entire culture of misinformation, which we become victims of, unless we self-educate and can break free.


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## annlea (Nov 24, 2013)

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *msella*
> 
> This will sound nuts to some I am certain, but I did not push- at all with either of my daughters. My body literally expelled them from my body, and no effort was required of me other than being a part of the process. Both were vaginal, drug free midwife assisted births. 3 hours of labor for the first and then 2 hours of labor. But I did nothing but hand myself over to the process... it sounds crazy even now. But I never pushed at all.


Not too nuts...my great aunt was the exact same way with ALL of her kids. She would be walking and just feel a baby all the sudden!


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## crazykittymomma (Mar 3, 2009)

My first was an emergency c/s, but my second was a vaginal birth and I pushed for an hour and 45 minutes. I was told to push as soon as I was dilated and I think I just wasn't ready. With my third I pushed for 19 minutes, but my body was doing it all on it's own. I really only consciously pushed once at the end once her head was halfway out and the rest of her flew out.


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## Lyndsey Long (Jan 22, 2014)

My labor was 29.5 hrs from start to finish. They said "we have to stop your labor we don't have enough staff to go around" but I never fully stopped! It was horrible. Next day they started me up again mad I went all day and well into the night before I finally had my daughter!


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## IdentityCrisisMama (May 12, 2003)

So jealous of all these fast 2nd stagers! For me it was 4 hours for the first birth and 2 hours for the second. (oh, and reading along at some of the comments -- I was super active during both births and unmedicated). Some people just take a while to get the baby down.


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## Chloe'sMama (Oct 14, 2008)

Just over an hour with DD1. She was born posterior, although i didn't feel like like I had was back labor. I had an epidural for the last 20 minutes of labor and for the pushing (and pitocin for the entire labor) and was pushing on my back. I think it would have taken longer, but the doctor stretched and tore me to the point of a 2nd degree tear (with her hands, since I refused an episiotomy). She was also 10 lbs, 5 oz, so lots of baby to push out.

DD2 was about 5 minutes of pushing and DS was about 8 minutes of pushing, both on my back, but with a majority of my labor on the toilet, which I think helped bring them down quickly (and labor for both was around 3 hours). They were 9 lbs, 12 oz and 9 lbs, 6 oz (mine seem to get smaller each time.)


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## BeeandOwlsMum (Jul 11, 2002)

3 hours with my first. She was sunny side up with a nuchal hand. Home water birth.

With my second? 30 minutes.


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## cynthiamoon (Nov 29, 2009)

45 minutes at midnight with an epidural, while on my back, after 21hrs of labor.

Didn't get the epi until my water had broken and I was like 7cm. I dilated really quickly while relaxing under the epi, and though I was a little out of touch with pushing, it worked well enough!


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## BK Mommy (Dec 26, 2010)

Home water birth. From very first contraction to birth was a total of 6.5 hours. It was very fast but my husband thinks I pushed for 2.5 of those hours. I would've said it was 1 hour but had no concept of time during. Not sure why pushing seems so long compared to the rest of labor. Dd was 8lbs 7oz which isn't tiny but isn't off the charts large so who knows. She had a nice shaped head when she was delivered....very round.


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## lonicera (Dec 2, 2013)

Four hours for the first, home-birth, nuchal hand, big baby... hemorrhaging mommy.

Two years for the second. Two years of pushing all the adoption paperwork across desks.

None at all for the third: c-section.


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## IdentityCrisisMama (May 12, 2003)

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *lonicera*
> 
> Two years for the second. Two years of pushing all the adoption paperwork across desks.



















Good one!


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## motherVS (Jun 13, 2013)

Pushed 2+ hours at Birthing Center (was only allowed 2 hours of consistent pushing, but was actually pushing longer than two hours there). Transferred to hospital for another two, only to end up have a CS.


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## callieollie (Jan 2, 2007)

Ds1: 3 1/2 hours and then a vaccum was used. He was posterior and 28 hours of back labor.

Dd1: 4 minutes

Dd2: 14 seconds


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## rebeccajm (Jul 29, 2009)

#1, section

#2, 3.5 hours. In the bed with epidural. (I got epi at 9.5 cm, and shouldn't have.)

#2, I pushed maybe 2 minutes, and she flew out. All natural.


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## MissAnthrope (Jan 31, 2011)

I've never pushed more than 30 minutes-- not with the nuchal hand baby, not even with the late-turning nearly-shoulder-dystocia baby.

I have short labors (less than 12 hours start-to-finish), usually only about 10-15 minutes' pushing, I've never torn or been cut, and I bleed moderately to lightly for about 10 days afterward and am back to feeling like myself after two weeks.

I'm lucky.


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## blessed5312 (Sep 15, 2012)

With my first 5 pushes (it was a 46 hour labor total). With my second 3 pushes (10 hour labor). Not sure with my last babe, it was longer though he had his arm up by his head (6 hour labor).


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## TinyFrog (Jan 24, 2006)

I believe my MW wrote down that I pushed for about an hour but really I was relaxed and let my body do all the work without actively getting involved until the last 10 minutes. Since she thought I had been pushing she thought it was moving slow and had me move to the toilet from the tub. I was then moved to the bed to check progress where they found DD crowning and realized she was a little stuck and at that point I was encouraged to push. Even then it wasn't until the MW assistant was in my face and showing me how to make some noise and push out DD. So really *I* think I only actively pushed for about 10 minutes.


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## yogajo (Sep 9, 2011)

took like 18 hours to be dilated but once I was ready the 'active' delivery stage of my birth was only 20 minutes and I only pushed once to get my water to break. Then I just breathed him out. A very lovely home water birth with a fully intact perineum. I even succeed on my intention for an orgasmic birth with a flooding orgasm mid-labour that made them think my water broke. I am excited as we prepare to get pregnant with a second soon and can't wait to have an even better more orgasmic birth.


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## heather626 (May 31, 2013)

Dr told me I could give a seminar on pushing form. Less than 10 minutes. I had no idea, I just wanted it to be over!


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## fernie momma (Nov 25, 2009)

7 hours for the first, 15 minutes for the second! What a difference!!


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## Blue Lotus (Jun 16, 2006)

Wow! What a variety of responses!!

Birth #1 - 42+ hour labor, maybe an hour or more of pushing (was exhausted and had epidural after 30+ hours of very painful labor)

Birth #2 - 4 hour labor at home, pushed maybe 20 minutes (just as MW arrived)

Birth #3 - 2 Hour labor at home, pushed 10-20 minutes since baby's shoulder was stuck on my pubic symphysis (MW made sure to show up early this time since my last birth she almost missed!).

All my babes have been posterior and the last two turned during labor or just before.


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## mbpdep (Apr 15, 2009)

Labor total was 12 hrs. 30 min. pushing in the water, which went very fast. I had a home, water birth.


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## tsume (Jun 4, 2005)

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *msella*
> 
> This will sound nuts to some I am certain, but I did not push- at all with either of my daughters. My body literally expelled them from my body, and no effort was required of me other than being a part of the process. Both were vaginal, drug free midwife assisted births. 3 hours of labor for the first and then 2 hours of labor. But I did nothing but hand myself over to the process... it sounds crazy even now. But I never pushed at all.


then i'm also a nutter.








my first i pushed for 14 minutes (directed pushing on back) and 2-4 were homebirths and i did not push at all. they yo-yo'd out on their own.


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## girlspn (Apr 14, 2011)

I was in the hospital, sitting on the toilet trying to relieve constipation. Midwife checked me 30 mins prior and I was only 1 cm dilated. Contractions were very intense already though.

My body was pushing and suddenly I felt myself sort of split open below (don't know how else to describe it). I could feel the baby's head. I freaked out! I started to worry labor was going too fast because I heard the tearing can be bad when the pushing isn't controlled. Anyway, baby slid out a few minutes later into the toilet.


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## MissAnthrope (Jan 31, 2011)

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *tsume*
> 
> then i'm also a nutter.
> 
> ...


There's actually a name for that. It's called the fetal ejection reflex. I've never experienced it-- and I might never, because I'm such a control freak, the hardest part of labor for me is letting go and trusting-- but it's a thing.


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## fireweedsmom (Jan 26, 2009)

Five hours - standing the whole time. He was posterior and stubborn! The second two were both under ten minutes - much nicer!


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## cwill (Jun 16, 2011)

I pushed 2.5 hours with my first and 6 minutes with my second. Both were hospital births with an epidural placed around 7 cm.


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## Haselnuss (Sep 20, 2008)

Three hours. A homebirth, all natural, 21 hours of labor total. I'm surprised I'm falling into the most common category, since I always thought three hours was considered a really long time to push (or unacceptably long to OB's. I had a CNM). I figured I would have ended up with a c-section if I had been in a hospital.

Although if it's not considered pushing if it is a reflex, maybe I didn't push at all? Not to be gross, but that stage of labor always reminded me more of throwing up than anything - not really voluntary. 1 hour with the second, maybe half an hour with the third, and for the fourth I don't know... five minutes?


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## paxye (Mar 31, 2005)

I voted less than an hour but I didn't push with my first. I did push with my 2nd, 3rd and 4th but it was less than a minute each time. One or two pushes (not controlled by me) for the head and the other (slightly more controlled by me) for the body.

It was definitely fetal ejection reflex each time...


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## philothea (Jun 14, 2012)

I pushed for under 15 minutes. It was completely involuntary as my midwife was telling me to stop at first and I tried to stop but it was completely impossible! My body just TOOK OVER and out she flew into the water of our homebirth.







She was also posterior!

ETA: I submitted my reply before reading through any of the other replies. Now that I just read through them I wanted to add that I am with the ladies who experienced "fetal ejection reflex." I had never even heard of that, but fits exactly what I've tried to describe to people. It is crazy to me when I hear of or see a woman being told by a doctor or nurse "ok now it's time to push" or "now you need to push" as though the woman isn't given the chance to know that for herself(!!), to listen to her body and allow it to naturally transition into a state where it will push for her. I didn't *push* one single time. My midwife only did a cervical check to see if I could go in the water and discovered I was only at 4cm, that is why she told me i should stop pushing so that I wouldn't swell my cervix. But like I said, try though I might, there was NO stopping my body... it was expelling this baby whether anyone liked it or not.








As I've heard others explain or seen women in birth videos who are straining their faces and appear to be *pushing* similarly to how you push a huge heavy piece of furniture... it makes me wonder if they are being told to push too soon...? I'm not saying that I did a "better job in my labor" or anything like that so please don't take it that way. I know every woman's labor experience is unique and I believe that is one of the beauties of it all! Maybe some women would truly never get to that point, but I am simply questioning if more women were left alone during labor and free to surrender to their bodies instead of being *told* when, what and where to do something... then would there be a higher percentage of women experiencing the "no push phenomenon" fetal ejection reflex..? i wonder...


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## Curious (Jan 4, 2002)

I pushed 10 hours, not including a 2 hour boycott. I had a doula and a midwife and had been in labor for 3 days. When Dd stopped moving down after 8 hours of very gradual progress, I crossed my legs and insisted they consult the OB on duty to evaulate for pushing her back up an doing a C-section. I refused to continue pushing until they consulted her, and it took a good long time to get her, because for awhile they didn't take my boycott seriously.

The OB came in and she was great. We discussed options including forceps (I negotiated for one gentle tug only and then no further attempts, and I don't think she even ended up trying that. She did an exam on me that made me feel like a farm animal, and determined that I had some funny twists in my pelvis that were hard for Dd to work her way around. She said I had a small pelvis, but Dd was thought to be small so everyone agreed "there should be plenty of room."

I asked for an oxygen mask and had them turn it all the way up - and the drops in heart rate went away. I felt better about continuing after that. The OB did something with her arm that made me feel certain she'd also delivered troubled cattle, and got me doing heavy duty hospital pushes - the ones where you count to ten and your veins pop out of your head. Dd started doing some serious moving. The doula had me hanging from a bar over the bed, so we used gravity to it's best. The OB guided her around the twists and turns, and after two more hours of pushing, out she came, looking like a plump, pink two month old, happy and relaxed as if she hadn't been through any big deal. She was about 2 pounds bigger than they expected, and everyone said, no wonder.


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## blissfish (Aug 16, 2005)

I feel like my reply (12+ hours) is misleading, as my son was wrapped in the umbilical cord so tightly he couldn't descend, which led to an emergency C-section after HB/Transfer. But still...


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## richella (Nov 30, 2004)

I voted for 2-4, but I'm really not sure. I remember looking at the clock once or twice, and thinking that that thing, the hands, the numbers, it was all meaningless. I was in a different place, where time didn't exist. Then again it seemed like forever.


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## KaliShanti (Mar 23, 2008)

About 45 mins for baby 1, homebirth, purple pushing on my back. 6 hr 45 min labor.


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## janaesherman (Jan 11, 2011)

15 min. with my first, but I only had a 2 1/2 hour labor. Delivered at home by my husband with the midwife right there. All my labors were fast like this though.


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## dimples41479 (Oct 25, 2013)

3.5 hours, almost ended up with an emergency c-section. my daughter was 11lbs 2oz so she was big and almost got stuck


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## Theleastofthese (Jan 14, 2014)

3 pushes total, less than 5 minutes. First push, water broke, second push, head was out, third push, the whole baby. I had felt like pushing probably about 15 minutes before, but we were in the car, and i breathed deeply through the contractions so i wouldnt push. I definitely felt the baby pushing as well, he shifted position and pushed his legs so he would go down further in the car. I am pretty sure that was the fetal ejection reflex. He was ready to get out! He was born at a midwife run birth center. Total labor was 4 hours.


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## bruna (Jan 16, 2013)

Fetal Ejection Reflex - Wow!- I'm so glad to hear this term, and know now that others had the same experience.
My son shot out in one incredible burst! I was in 1st and 2nd phase labour for maybe 5 hours, just following my instincts, totally left alone for the most part. I was laying on the floor silently riding some mega pain/ power rushes as the baby moved down in transition. Midwife arrives and suggests I get up on the bed, so I crawl there hands and knees, and stay and hands and knees, Could have been 3 or 4 contractions, and my body just squeezing itself, bearing down with all it's might.
Similar to the vomit reflex, in that it is completely involuntary and forceful.
A totally wild beautiful ride.
So yes, no voluntary pushing, but I answered 10-20 for the time it took to eject, an approximation.


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## vanni (Jan 16, 2012)

An hour here as well! And I did Hypnobabies, which helped a lot!


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## Almi (Oct 9, 2010)

My first two were twins, second two singles. All born unassisted.

#1 - 4 lbs, 2 oz; #2 - 5 lbs, 6 oz; #3 - 8 lbs; #4 - 7 lbs

All had similar head circumference, with my last one possibly a little bit bigger. I birthed upright on my knees with my twins and on the toilet for my last two. Pushing was different for each of them, but I pushed for less than 5 minutes with all of them.


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## Almi (Oct 9, 2010)

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *bruna*
> 
> Fetal Ejection Reflex - Wow!- I'm so glad to hear this term, and know now that others had the same experience.
> My son shot out in one incredible burst! I was in 1st and 2nd phase labour for maybe 5 hours, just following my instincts, totally left alone for the most part. I was laying on the floor silently riding some mega pain/ power rushes as the baby moved down in transition. Midwife arrives and suggests I get up on the bed, so I crawl there hands and knees, and stay and hands and knees, Could have been 3 or 4 contractions, and my body just squeezing itself, bearing down with all it's might.
> ...


This is what I got each time, uncontrollable pushing! It is incredibly intense.


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## YvonneC-M (Feb 9, 2010)

Boy, do I wish I'd felt that fetal ejection reflex! First baby, 2.5 hours of pushing, after 3 days in labor. Birthed in a hospital, with an epidural. Second baby, pushed about 30 minutes, also in a hospital but no interventions. Both times I started pushing when my OB instructed me to start, not because I felt the urge. Everything turned out fine, but next time I'll wait. Both babies were more than 8 lbs.


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## erigeron (Oct 29, 2010)

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Philothea*
> Maybe some women would truly never get to that point, but I am simply questioning if more women were left alone during labor and free to surrender to their bodies instead of being *told* when, what and where to do something... then would there be a higher percentage of women experiencing the "no push phenomenon" fetal ejection reflex..? i wonder...


I sort of wonder about this. I don't think I had the fetal ejection reflex per se but I had a lot of rectal pressure in late 1st stage and it felt good to be able to push rather than trying to just live with that pressure. I did ask my midwife if not actively pushing and instead "laboring down" was an option. She said I could do either way but labor would probably take longer if I didn't actively push. Maybe if I'd had an epidural "laboring down" would have sounded a little better, but as it was I was like, I want this baby out, so let's push.


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## rdeesides (Jan 23, 2014)

1st and only child. Had an epidural and was in labor about 14 hours. However only had to push about 3 times. It was miraculously easy.


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## Lodybean (May 10, 2012)

When it was all said and done, I labored for 44.5 hours (6-8 hours were drugged) two and a half of which were active pushing. My poor little boy had the worst claymation horrific shaped head from being in the birth canal for so long. I tore and got stitched up, had hemmoroids for months, but everything is ok now. Little boy is almost five! My second birth was so much easier. 22 hours of total labor, I pushed maybe 4 times, drug free!


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## catnip (Mar 25, 2002)

I didn't? I fought pushing for about 40 minutes, because I hit second stage at home, and then got to the hospital, and they didn't want me pushing until the doctor got there. So 13 minutes later, doctor or no, poof, baby.


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## Hannahberry (Dec 27, 2013)

My first came 4 weeks early (36 weeks) and we hadn't had our crash course in labouring techniques yet, so... i pushed like heck when the urge came, not knowing that the baby's head would move down the canal and then back up a bit, and then again, and then again. I cranked him out of there, like an animal, I think in about 10 minutes with lots of tearing! ugh. I knew better for number 2 and 3, and still only did 10-15 minutes of pushing, but allowed for some ebb and flow in the process!


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## Sharlla (Jul 14, 2005)

With my first bit was 30 mins. I was just induced 36 weeks and ended up with a epi. It was a 4 hour total from contractions to birth so not horrible.


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## CuddleBug'sMama (Jan 29, 2008)

My first was a c-section and I never got to pushing. My second was a VBAC and I pushed for 45 min. My third (2nd VBAC) I pushed for 20 min


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## 3 angels (Jun 18, 2009)

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *msella*
> 
> This will sound nuts to some I am certain, but I did not push- at all with either of my daughters. My body literally expelled them from my body, and no effort was required of me other than being a part of the process. Both were vaginal, drug free midwife assisted births. 3 hours of labor for the first and then 2 hours of labor. But I did nothing but hand myself over to the process... it sounds crazy even now. But I never pushed at all.


 On my fifth baby I studied unassisted birth voraciously just to learn what it was supposed to be like when no one interfered or coached. I read hundreds of stories. Many, even a majority of the moms described delivery just like you did. It isn't crazy at all. It is what can often happen when a birthing mother is undistracted by her birthing assistants. In my first four births I had never felt a "pushing contraction", it was always transition and then my body quit. The pushing phase always took FOREVER with me doing all the work. I realized that hospital staff had made me wait too long to push with every birth. Those really hard to deal with contractions that came at about 8cm&#8230;that is when I should have pushed because those contractions were powerful and they would have gotten the baby out efficiently. When I felt those huge contractions with my fifth baby the nurse said I was 5-7cm. I pushed, very slightly, through each contraction from then on and I felt my body do all the rest of the work. My baby was born with very little effort from me an hour later. My main job was major pushing the last two minutes when the shoulders got stuck.


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## CrunchyMomToBe (May 24, 2011)

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *msella*
> 
> This will sound nuts to some I am certain, but I did not push- at all with either of my daughters. My body literally expelled them from my body, and no effort was required of me other than being a part of the process. Both were vaginal, drug free midwife assisted births. 3 hours of labor for the first and then 2 hours of labor. But I did nothing but hand myself over to the process... it sounds crazy even now. But I never pushed at all.
> [/quote
> ...


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## lesal (Jul 12, 2007)

I had hard back labor for a day and a half and pushed for three hours with my daughter. She was face-up, weighed 9 lbs. and had a very large head. My pubic symphisis separated during the birth. The labor was mostly natural, but I was not able to get past 5 cm without assistance, so I was given pitocin and an epidural and woke up less than 2 hours later with the urge to push and sensation in my pelvic floor. The epidural failed in just the right way, so I was able to feel enough to push out my daughter. Apparently women in my situation almost always end up with a c-section, so I feel very fortunate to have had the birth experience that I did. My amazing doula and husband were essential to the process, as I needed counter-pressure on my low back through all of my contractions.


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## jtapc90 (Jul 3, 2012)

I tend to have very long and intense labors followed by a fast and intense pushing stage. By no means does it get easier with subsequent births, not for me anyways.


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## pink3mama (Jan 17, 2014)

With my first it was 45min to an hour. I had an epi though so that could have contributed!


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## straighthaircurly (Dec 17, 2005)

Overall labor was about 28 hours. But the pushing was super quick...less than 20 minutes. I joke that he pushed himself out (all 9 lbs 10 oz. of him).


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## WallaWallaMamma (Dec 14, 2013)

Boy am I glad to read that some subsequent labors aren't easier for others! I was in active labor for about 12 hours with both my girls. The first time, I pushed for three and a half hours on my back before I just got too tired and she got stuck in an awkward position (the women in my family have especially narrow pelvises). I opted for a c-section but bet I could have done it if they let me move. With my second girl, I planned a home water birth but the cord was too tightly wrapped around her neck and she had dangerous tachycardia, so I transferred to hospital at 9 cm and had to get another c-section (no vbacs allowed where I live). Wish it could have been more natural, but without help I and/or my girls would have died. Hooray for modern medicine when you need it!


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## Nicoleleavitt (Jan 18, 2014)

According to my midwife, I pushed for 4 hours and 2 minutes. I was in labor for 55 hours (from when I called her with minute long contractions, which were 4 minutes apart), and really intense labor for about 32 hours. I had back labor so never felt the urge to push. My partner sat on the edge of the island in our kitchen, and I hung my arms over his thighs and had each foot on a chair, so I could hang my bum down low. Where I had the back labor, I wasn't getting signals from body of where to push, so my midwife held her fingers inside of me and told me to push them out. Once my daughter crowned, I waddled to the living room, where the birth pool was, and had her there. She was 9 lbs 9 oz with a 13 3/4" head, and didn't need 1 stitch!!


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## Weisabunny (Aug 3, 2009)

First baby - 17 minutes. She was 10.6 lbs. I woke at 5 am with lower back pressure, drove 45 mins to closest birthing center at 5 pm, I was 7 centimeters dialated, got into the tub, labored another 2.5 hrs, pushed 17 minutes. Was lovely and peaceful. For me anyway. The cord was wrapped around her neck, she was just fine but I wonder what it was like for her spiritually.

Second baby - maybe one minute. He was 9/14 lbs. I woke at 4 am sweating. One 'intense' contraction, water broke, went into bathroom, he pretty much fell out of me =).

Wonder what the third one would be like, ha! =)


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## pamelaweichmann (Jan 20, 2014)

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Philothea*
> 
> I pushed for under 15 minutes. It was completely involuntary as my midwife was telling me to stop at first and I tried to stop but it was completely impossible! My body just TOOK OVER and out she flew into the water of our homebirth.
> 
> ...


I did all the preparation for a hypnobirthing (relaxing, calm. No pushing, etc). I was in a very natural-child-birth supportive hospital, in active labor for 7 hours. Prior to that I was in early labor for 50 hours (surges ranging from 10 to 4 minutes apart). For the first 4 hours of active labor my midwife was okay with me changing positions and locations. I went from bed to tub to bathroom to tub to bed. The last two hours she suggested I push because he was in the birth canal but my surges were too weak to expell him. I ended up needing pitocin ( for only 5 minutes) to jump start my surges.... That was after an hour and a half of him hanging out in the birth canal. I also began to dehydrate and I and the baby were low on oxygen so I needed an oxygen mask and am IV of fluids. I NEVER wanted all those things but it was becoming dangerous for me and my baby. Oh... My midwife also had to give me an episiotomy... After he was born she said that in any other hospital they would have rushed me into the OR for a c section... It wasn't the calm hypno-water birth I wanted but I did it without pain meds and vaginally. My point is...if u were able to have your ideal birth you are lucky. Sometimes circumstances cause women to have those less-than- ideal births...I was one of them but I am thankful he arrived without being in a drug-haze. Of course, we are now in full blown attachment parenting and he is thriving!


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## mama Adhiambo (Jan 5, 2011)

She came out in 3 pushes. The doctor wouldn't have been there in time except she scared the nurses by moving away from the heart monitor shortly before I started pushing. The doctor got there and saw that everything was actually fine and said, I'm going to go get coffee. Well, he didn't have time for coffee. My labor was only 6 hours in the hospital and from time of contractions 9 hours total. My parents joked that the next kid would be born at home or on the way to the hospital.


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## QHAmom (Mar 15, 2010)

I don't see an option for "not applicable". My OB convinced my to be induced, after 2 days I had not dilated at all, and was basically forced to have a c-section. With my 2nd, I pushed about 30 minutes after 12 hours of labor to birth an 11 pound baby. I had #3 a home water birth and went from water breaking at 6 cm to done in 35 minutes, mostly involuntary pushing contractions, maybe 2 active pushes for a 10lb 13oz baby.


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## EstherRose (Oct 17, 2013)

My first came 5 weeks early - which was a big surprise to me - and the labor was fast & furious. I was terrified and could only think, "this isn't supposed to be happening yet!" All in all I pushed maybe 20 min or so, but for the first part I was literally closing my legs. I just didn't want it to happen. I'm a midwife, and the intensity of this emotional reaction was a huge lesson!! Our minds are truly mighty, and can make a difference in labor and birth...but in the end, our bodies are mighty too!! But to all you preggos reading this, remember that fast pushing isn't always best though, and sometimes a slower 2nd stage will actually prevent tears. Small babies that fly out can feel worse than the big bubbas sometimes


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## tremieli (Feb 26, 2013)

Maybe 15 minutes with my first, but may have been more like 10.


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## janecarmel (Nov 2, 2005)

With my first, I had an induction epidural and a monitor belt around my belly and the OB basically told me when to push. My doula noticed and pointed out that I could tell when to push on my own and so we took off the monitor. I started the pushing stage at 5:45pm and DS1 was born at 6:15pm. I think there were 12 pushes in all.

For my second, I wanted a much more natural experience. I was in transition for about 90 minutes and I didn't push until I felt I had to, at the very end. Two pushes and he was out.


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## JustJenny (Nov 4, 2006)

6 hour unmedicated birth center birth with 22 minutes of pushing. Super intense with both stages!


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## MyLilPwny (Feb 22, 2008)

I pushed for 1 hour. Her head was crowning at the 4 hour mark with no pushing. Contractions did the work for me up til then. But then the last hour was all my pushing. It wasn't easy to get that head out lol. Total labor time was 5 hours. Home birth.


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## slammerkin (Nov 11, 2012)

4 hours of active pushing after the midwife broke my water and she descended, with maybe 30 mins of spontaneous mild pushing before that. Total active labor of around 14 hours, with on and off contractions for two days beforehand. I don't think there was any significant "reason" for it taking that long other than my tissues apparently being super tight. I didn't know the pushing went on so long until I was told afterward - it hadn't seemed that long to me while I was in the "zone" so to speak. Pushed in the birth pool for most of the time, then tried the stool for maybe two pushes and it was useless, then finally got her moving down while on my back on the bed. Thankfully DD tolerated it all without any issues. Her heart rate barely had a hiccup the whole time.

ETA: I pushed when I had the urge, not when told to do so. But no amount of "breathing the baby down" would have gotten that child out of me. She had to be PUSHED out and it took a lot of work. And I don't think there was any way I was going to avoid tearing. I had 2nd degree tears down the perineum and into the vagina on two sides. Once my tissues finally tore she shot out of me all at once - no pause between head and body. And she was only 7.5 lbs.


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## contactmaya (Feb 21, 2006)

I pushed for about 20minutes for all three of my babies.

Im glad it was only 20minutes, because despite the pain of labor for me (the low moaning helped me, but i got a sore throat from moaning so much ), and the fact that transition has gotta be one of the most unpleasant things-sweating, vomiting...i still found the pushing phase the worst of all, in that each time i feared for my baby and for myself in that time. Only 20mintes....but 20 minutes of thinking i was going to break in half, or my baby was going to suffocate in my birth canal and never come out. And then she came! Perked up, and looked around! My ds 1 and 2 both had meconium but were fine after a minute...everything was fine! I still feel so blessed.

The irony is (and im grateful for this irony), i had no tears whatsoever with my last two 9lber babies, despite fearing i was going to break in half. With my first (a hospital birth, my other two were homebirths) i got a very small episiotomy which my midewife later told me was unnecessary.

And i'd do it all again!


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## olimama826 (Oct 19, 2013)

I pushed for about an hour and 45 minutes but that's because both of his hands/forearms came out with his head. They were crossed at the forearms, making the elbows wider so he got a bit stuck and I had to hike a leg up! I was very glad I was in water for that.


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## kitteh (Jun 25, 2009)

My first was born posterior and after stalling at 8cm for 8 hours I consented to pitocin, but no epidural. Still, because of the pitocin they had me strapped to the bed and I pushed on my back for 2.5 hours. It was the classic nurse-directed purple pushing complete with counting and everyone cheering me on. Labor was a total of 28 hours. She was 7 lbs 12 oz and born Sunnyside up!

My second was a hospital-based water birth and after 6 hours of labor I pushed for about 45 minutes. She was 9lbs 9oz. Although I felt my body spontaneously pushing on its own, I was surprised that I had to work so hard on top of that in order to get her out! No tears with either one, but I have had some mild pelvic-floor issues after the last.


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## Tiffa (Mar 24, 2013)

I was in labor for about 13 hours total, and he pretty much came out on his own in less than ten minutes. Technically my body was pushing, but I wasn't conciously doing any work. If anything I was trying to hold back a little so that he wouldn't come quite so fast. Holding back hurts a lot more than just letting them come! I had the bed in an upright position, and pushed myself up with my arms during contractions to relieve the pressure on my bottom. I screamed during every pushing contraction. And I pretty much yelled at the nurse when she tried to get me to "help them hold my legs back". I was busy, and I figured she and my husband had it covered. The doctor was hardly there at all, and hardly did anything.


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## AliLuke (Feb 6, 2014)

My first was 4 1/2 hours, but my second was a 9 minute self projector I don't like to talk about the third..., haha.


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## LilyKay (Jun 28, 2011)

First birth, somewhere around 3 hours.

Second birth, I think 15 minutes


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## miramom (Nov 12, 2008)

First baby was 5 hours of labor, including 30 minutes of pushing in an awkward position(hospital). Second baby was 2.5 hours of labor, including a couple pushes while squatting in a pool(homebirth).


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## frugalmama (Sep 12, 2009)

5-10 minutes. I remember it was 3 pushes total, and dd shot out like a rocket. The student OB nearly dropped her - she was surprised!

Total labor was about 8 hours. Water broke the day before, went to the hospital after 24 hours with no sign of labor, finally got in a room about 1 am, dd was born at 9:15 in the morning, just in time for me to get breakfast.


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## Harmony96 (Jun 3, 2005)

It was about 10-15 minutes for all three of my pushed births.


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