Why do women need help to push?
You would imagine that pushing is easy. Why do many women struggle in the pushing stage?
The second stage of labor can be the most challenging time of giving birth for some women. Contrary to what books may tell you, it is not always a relief to push.
I have attended a number of births as a doula where the mother sailed through the entire first stage of labor with ease (or relative ease, let's say) only to find that her biggest challenge and even most intense pain came during the pushing stage.
This can be extremely frustrating for many women since many books describe pushing as a "relief" to the mother or that it "feels better" to push than it did in transition. Birth videos seldom help the situation. They are frequently edited in a way that makes it appear that women push for about 2 minutes!
My new article on Pushing Techniques can offer help as you plan your own labor and birth. What are essential things to do while you push? Few mothers realize, for example, the tremendous benefit of "laboring down" or not pushing after your cervix is fully dilated. Another thing to remember is that if you are interested in laboring your baby down, you often have to ASK your provider for their okay since it is not the norm in most birthing facilities.
I have also written an article on how squeamish fathers can find a role entitled, Husband doesn't like blood!. Rather than leaving mom by herself or taking the father out of his safe zone, I have listed some practical ideas to manage this issue for everyone in the room!
In a response to the acetaminophen recall, I have included another article on what to do if you are pregnant and wondering what to do about taking acetaminophen. It can be found under Acetaminophen safe for pregnancy? This is a big issue since this is often the only OTC pain reliever pregnant women can safely use.
Have a wonderful week everyone! I will be training doulas at my home this weekend and look forward to sharing and teaching and getting to know these special women who may wind up being YOUR doula someday! :)
Feel free to respond to any article, discussion or blog.
Warmly,
Brenda
