A C-section is major surgery. The procedure can increase complications for the mother and raise the risk during future pregnancies. Women giving birth for the first time should be allowed to push for at least three hours, the guidelines say. And if epidural anesthesia is used, they can push even longer.
For first-time mothers the average length of pushing is one-to-two hours. In some instances, pushing can last longer than two hours if mother and baby are tolerating it. Normally, the baby is born with his face looking toward mother's back (referred to as an anterior position).
Ask your doctor what time your surgery is scheduled. Plan to arrive at Labor and Delivery 2 hours before that time, unless your doctor tells you otherwise. In the OR: • You will drink an antacid drink. The anesthesia team will give you spinal anesthesia or place an epidural.
But if you're close to 10 centimeters dilated the research suggests it's not an issue. Evidence suggests it's more of a theoretical fear that just adds additional stress and in some cases results in an epidural (or a higher dose of epidural) to mask that urge.
The “push” phase of your delivery depends on many different factors, including what kind of shape you're in, how big the baby is, if you've received an epidural, and so on. Some women push for as long as four hours straight, and some deliver baby on their second push.
For babies, longer pushing times have been associated with higher rates of low Apgar scores, NICU admissions, birth trauma and other newborn health problems. In one study, researchers found the overall combined rate of newborn complications is around 2.5% for first-time mothers who push 3 or more hours.
Pushing too soon could make you tired and cause your cervix to swell, which might delay delivery. Pant or blow your way through the contractions. Transition typically lasts 15 to 60 minutes.
Until recently, women have been asked to start pushing as soon as the cervix has dilated to 10 centimeters, but as long as you do not have a fever and your baby's heart rate is normal, there are many benefits to waiting to push until you feel the need to push.
The second, pushing phase of labor continues after the cervix is fully dilated (open) to 10 cm until the delivery of your baby. It averages 4 to 8 hours but can be as short as several minutes.
The second stage of labor begins once you are fully dilated to 10 cm. Your provider will let you know that it is time to start pushing your baby out. This stage can be as short as 20 minutes or as long as a few hours.
Even though labor and vaginal birth can be hard work, they are generally easier on a woman's body than a cesarean. Recovery after vaginal birth is usually shorter and less painful than after a C-section, and allows the woman to spend more time with her baby.
The first stage of labor is the longest stage. For first-time moms, it can last from 12 to 19 hours. It may be shorter (about 14 hours) for moms who've already had children. It's when contractions become strong and regular enough to cause your cervix to dilate (open) and thin out (efface).
Labor that isn't progressing (labor dystocia) is one of the most common reasons for a C-section. Issues with labor progression include prolonged first stage (prolonged dilation or opening of the cervix) or prolonged second stage (prolonged time of pushing after complete cervical dilation).
The most common reason for telling a women not to push is that her cervix is not fully dilated. Often when a baby is in an occipito posterior position the woman will feel the urge to push before the cervix is completely open.
However, women who delayed pushing experienced longer labors and higher risks of severe postpartum bleeding and infections. Their babies also were more likely to develop sepsis—a serious complication related to infection. The study appears in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
Purple pushing, coached pushing, holding your breath, all mean basically the same thing. Mothers being instructed on pushing causes them to hold their breath and push down into their bottom. Another more normal and less exhausting option would be “breathing or bearing down” working with the contractions.
(The last part of active labor, when the cervix dilates fully from 8 to 10 cm, is called transition.) This process takes about 5 to 7 hours if you're a first-time mom, or between 2 and 4 hours if you've had a baby before. The exact duration of this stage is different for everyone.
Doctors have to wait until the cervix is at least 4 centimeters dilated before doing an epidural. Otherwise, the epidural will slow the process down too much. However, once the cervix becomes fully dilated it is too late for an epidural to be given.
(Some OBs will go ahead and break your water at 3 or 4 centimeters.) The reasoning behind this: “Artificial rupture of membranes” (popping a hole in the amniotic sac) will usually jumpstart labor by getting serious contractions underway.
Vaginal birth is still recommended is your baby is estimated to weigh less than 5,000 g (10 lbs) if you don't have diabetes. If your baby is estimated to weigh more than 4,500 g (8.4 lbs), and your labor stalls in the active stage or the baby doesn't descend, this is an indication for cesarean delivery.
For most people, active labor is more painful than pushing because it lasts longer, gets more and more intense as it progresses, and involves many muscles, ligaments, organs, nerves, and skin surfaces.
Pushing happens during the second stage of labor, once your cervix is completely dilated (open). By pushing, you're moving your baby down the birth canal to the outside world. Your provider, nurses, or labor coach will help you know when and how to push – this can be more difficult if you've had an epidural.