QuestionWhen I was delivering my third son, my labor went very quickly. I was giving cervidil at like 8:30pm and by 9 I was having strong contractions and he was delivered at 11:17pm. So my doctor was on his way to the hospital and I was having really strong urges to push. They ended up calling the ER doctor up and they kept telling me not to push because I wasn't dilated enough. I ended up pushing at least once on every contraction during this time as I could not help myself. Then they would scream, "Don't push, BREATHE." So I would start the blowing to try not to push. My question is, was I fully dilated and they were lying to me trying to wait for my dr.? Do women get the urge to push when they aren't completely dilated? My water bag was bulging out of me and when the ER dr. broke it, my son flew out. He was a healthy 8 lb. 8 oz. Thank you!
AnswerI hate to say the hospital staff was lying to you, especially since I was not there, but it is very uncommon for your body to get the uncontrollable urge to push when it really is not safe to push. The only time is it truly recommended for a mother to actively ignore the pushing instinct is during a breech birth, to allow extra time for the cervix to open and allow the head to be born after the body. In a normal, head-first birth, normal pushing urges are healthy and can sometimes even speed up the final stages of dilation and effacement.
While it is not normal to get pushing urges before it is time to push, it is very, very common for mothers to be told not to push because the doctor is not there yet. Even though nurses are required in most places to catch at least one baby a year, the hospital always prefers the doctor to at least be in attendance, and nurses have even been known to hold a woman's legs together or even push the baby back inside just to wait for the doctor.
