Help the mother have a safe birth
If the mother needs help pushing
A woman’s own urge to push usually brings the baby down best. But sometimes a
mother needs suggestions for comfortable positions and methods of pushing. She
may need help if she does not get an urge to push even after her cervix has been
completely open for several hours — or if the way she is pushing does not seem to
be bringing the baby down. Tension and fear can make it hard for her to open up
and let the baby out. Or she may need help pushing when the baby is in trouble
(his heartbeat is too slow) and the birth must happen very fast.
Here are 3 ways of pushing that often work well:
Pant pushing: The mother
pants and gives several short,
strong pushes during each
contraction.
uunnh!
uunh!
Moan or growl pushing:
The mother takes a deep breath.
Then she gives a long, low moan
or growl and a strong push
during the contraction.
aaarrrg!
Hold-the-breath pushing: The mother takes
2 deep breaths, holds the second breath, and
then during the contraction, pushes as hard and
long as she can. She should keep her chin on
her chest. This may be the best method if the
baby is coming slowly.
nnnn................
During each push, the mother should keep her mouth and legs relaxed and
open, her chin down on her chest, and her bottom down.
Sometimes women push down and pull up at the same time. This pulling holds
the baby in instead of pushing her out. Pulling slows progress and makes labor
more painful. Encourage the mother to hold her bottom down and keep her
thighs relaxed and open. She can also try the hold-the-breath method for pushing.
Y es !
This mother is
pushing her
bottom down.
No!
This mother
is lifting her
bottom up.
201
A Book for Midwives (2010)