New research that could save you hours of pushing...

This week we want to share some new research that was recently published by the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology about the "pushing stage" of labor. 

In most hospitals, it is standard practice to encourage active pushing with each contraction once it has been determined that the cervix is 10cm dilated. This study looked at what happens when we wait to start pushing instead of beginning as soon as someone is found to be fully dilated. 

The results were really profound. 

When pushing was delayed until the urge was present and the baby had descended on their own, the actual time spent actively pushing was significantly shorter. Like, minutes instead of hours.

(When you consider that most first time moms push an average of 1-2 hours, sometimes more, to get their babies out...this is astonishing) 

In fact, according to the study, the average pushing time was around 8 minutes, with most pushing for less than 15 minutes. Rates of hemorrhage and severe tearing were low, and newborn outcomes were also reassuring.

Basically, this research proved what ancient wisdom already knows - that letting the body do it's thing leads to the least path of resistance in birth. 

And while we're super stoked to have this research in black and white, it's also important to note that it takes an average of 15-20 years for new research to be implemented into standard practice in the hospital system.

Therefore, we recommend reading and printing this article out, and sharing it with your birth team so that you can advocate for waiting to push until your baby and body are ready. 

Here's the link to the full article: Active second-stage duration under 15 minutes in spontaneous vaginal deliveries with delayed pushing

Sometimes the most supportive thing we can do in birth is simply allow the body to do what it already knows how to do. And we're so glad that, little by little, science is catching up. 

Always in your corner,
Kayla & Leslie