Reuters article...

[Amy]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20051230/od_nm/odd_birth_dc

I am pretty sure that I'd still be pushing if I had been instructed to
push ten *minutes* per contraction. Hee hee...

Amy

[Mum of Two]

"Amy" > wrote in message
oups.com...
> http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20051230/od_nm/odd_birth_dc
>
> I am pretty sure that I'd still be pushing if I had been instructed to
> push ten *minutes* per contraction. Hee hee...

The study findings don't particularly surprise me.


--
Amy
Mum to Carlos born sleeping 20/11/02,
& Ana born screaming 30/06/04
http://www.freewebs.com/carlos2002/
http://www.babiesonline.com/babies/a/ana%5Fj%5F2004/
My blog: http://spaces.msn.com/members/querer-hijo-querer-hija/

[[email protected]]

In misc.kids.pregnancy Mum of Two > wrote:

: The study findings don't particularly surprise me.

This is what I thought when I read it.

Larry

[[email protected]]

They don't mention the biohazard posed by fed up mothers grabbing the
chorus line chanting "push, push!" and flinging them across the room.

M.

[Mum of Two]

> wrote in message
oups.com...
> They don't mention the biohazard posed by fed up mothers grabbing the
> chorus line chanting "push, push!" and flinging them across the room.

No kidding! Not that anyone did that to me after I involuntarily threw a cup
of water across the room.


--
Amy
Mum to Carlos born sleeping 20/11/02,
& Ana born screaming 30/06/04
http://www.freewebs.com/carlos2002/
http://www.babiesonline.com/babies/a/ana%5Fj%5F2004/
My blog: http://spaces.msn.com/members/querer-hijo-querer-hija/

[Sue]

Whatever. I think the mom should do what's comfortable for them. I found it
emensely helpful to have the nurse count to ten during the pushing stage. I
found that I could concentrate better and knowing that when I got to ten,
that it was over for a bit. To each their own. :o)
--
Sue (mom to three girls)

"Amy" > wrote in message
oups.com...
> http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20051230/od_nm/odd_birth_dc
>
> I am pretty sure that I'd still be pushing if I had been instructed to
> push ten *minutes* per contraction. Hee hee...
>
> Amy
>

[Ericka Kammerer]

Sue wrote:
> Whatever. I think the mom should do what's comfortable for them. I found it
> emensely helpful to have the nurse count to ten during the pushing stage. I
> found that I could concentrate better and knowing that when I got to ten,
> that it was over for a bit. To each their own. :o)

But I think the point of the article was simply
for women to push as they pleased. If it pleased you
to push in that way, fine. Still, I think it's a pretty
important tidbit that allowing women to push how and
when they please results in less trauma for the women.
That's a goal worth having! I pushed as I pleased all
three times, and didn't require any stitches. (I
don't think that's the only reason, but I think it's
a contributing factor.)

Best wishes,
Ericka

[Anonymama]

In article >,
"Sue" > wrote:

> Whatever. I think the mom should do what's comfortable for them. I found it
> emensely helpful to have the nurse count to ten during the pushing stage. I
> found that I could concentrate better and knowing that when I got to ten,
> that it was over for a bit. To each their own. :o)

I had a similar experience with my first -- I was a bit nutso from
exhaustion and stress, and liked having someone (politely) tell me what
to do. This time I'm hoping to be more in control, mentally and
physically.
--
Sara
accompanied by TK, due in April

Quoting, for users of Google Groups:
http://groups.google.com/support/bin/answer.py?answer=14213&topic=250

[Mum of Two]

"Anonymama" > wrote in message
...
> In article >,
> "Sue" > wrote:
>
>> Whatever. I think the mom should do what's comfortable for them. I found
>> it
>> emensely helpful to have the nurse count to ten during the pushing stage.
>> I
>> found that I could concentrate better and knowing that when I got to ten,
>> that it was over for a bit. To each their own. :o)
>
> I had a similar experience with my first -- I was a bit nutso from
> exhaustion and stress, and liked having someone (politely) tell me what
> to do. This time I'm hoping to be more in control, mentally and
> physically.

Ericka has hit the nail on the head I think. If you like coached labour,
it's obviously the thing for you. I guess it provides some people with a
sense of security, and that's fine. If you don't though, it's good to know
that you're not missing out by forgoing it. I take antenatal booking calls
and a lot of first-timers seem to be under a lot of pressure to 'get it
right' when they'd have probably been better posting to these groups,
knowing the facts and their rights, putting it down in a birth plan then
just going with the flow.

--
Amy
Mum to Carlos born sleeping 20/11/02,
& Ana born screaming 30/06/04
http://www.freewebs.com/carlos2002/
http://www.babiesonline.com/babies/a/ana%5Fj%5F2004/
My blog: http://spaces.msn.com/members/querer-hijo-querer-hija/

[Ericka Kammerer]

Mum of Two wrote:

> Ericka has hit the nail on the head I think. If you like coached labour,
> it's obviously the thing for you. I guess it provides some people with a
> sense of security, and that's fine. If you don't though, it's good to know
> that you're not missing out by forgoing it. I take antenatal booking calls
> and a lot of first-timers seem to be under a lot of pressure to 'get it
> right' when they'd have probably been better posting to these groups,
> knowing the facts and their rights, putting it down in a birth plan then
> just going with the flow.

To me, the issue is that the coached pushing often
gets women holding their breath, pushing too hard, pushing
in a bad position, etc. These things can cause some real
damage. If a woman is feeling fine with the coaching,
then odds are better that damage isn't being done. On
the other hand, if it's a matter of providing focus and
support, that could likely be done without the downsides
of insisting on breath-holding, super-duper, long stints
of pushing while on one's back or tailbone, which is all
too often the case ;-)

Best wishes,
Ericka

[[email protected]]

In misc.kids.breastfeeding Ericka Kammerer > wrote:
: Mum of Two wrote:

:> Ericka has hit the nail on the head I think. If you like coached labour,
:> it's obviously the thing for you. I guess it provides some people with a
:> sense of security, and that's fine. If you don't though, it's good to know
:> that you're not missing out by forgoing it. I take antenatal booking calls
:> and a lot of first-timers seem to be under a lot of pressure to 'get it
:> right' when they'd have probably been better posting to these groups,
:> knowing the facts and their rights, putting it down in a birth plan then
:> just going with the flow.

: To me, the issue is that the coached pushing often
: gets women holding their breath, pushing too hard, pushing
: in a bad position, etc. These things can cause some real
: damage. If a woman is feeling fine with the coaching,
: then odds are better that damage isn't being done. On
: the other hand, if it's a matter of providing focus and
: support, that could likely be done without the downsides
: of insisting on breath-holding, super-duper, long stints
: of pushing while on one's back or tailbone, which is all
: too often the case ;-)

: Best wishes,
: Ericka

This was one of the very issues identified in the MCA articles
I posted a link to earlier today. According to them directed
pushing is one of the causes of pelvic floor dysfunction.

The articles should be read for other reasons, too. They
directly address a number of the issues alath and Ericka were
having such a spirited and informative (IMHO) disucssion about.

I spend a couple of hours perusing the pages after I posted the
link. If I have any criticisms, the first is that they offer
way two few quantitative results, and they are buried way to
far down in a chain on long links, and their recommendations
are stated way to insipidly and "politically correctly."

Larry

[Amy]

(Just replying to the most recent post, here.)

*sigh* Nobody gets me.

The part that I was pointing out was this:

"Researchers at the University of Texas Southwestern found that women
who were told to push 10 ****minutes**** for every contraction gave
birth 13 minutes faster than those who were not given specific
instructions." (emphasis mine).

And I said, "If I had pushed ten minutes for every contraction, I'd
still be pushing!" <rimshot>

Maybe it helps if you picture me with some of those Groucho Marx
glasses and a cigar.

I know, I know, they meant seconds. I just thought it was funny.

Amy (not funny)

[Michelle J. Haines]

Amy wrote:
> (Just replying to the most recent post, here.)
>
> *sigh* Nobody gets me.

No, some of us got it, it just wasn't funny enough to warrant a "me too"
post. ;)

Michelle
Flutist

[Ericka Kammerer]

Amy wrote:
> (Just replying to the most recent post, here.)
>
> *sigh* Nobody gets me.
>
> The part that I was pointing out was this:
>
> "Researchers at the University of Texas Southwestern found that women
> who were told to push 10 ****minutes**** for every contraction gave
> birth 13 minutes faster than those who were not given specific
> instructions." (emphasis mine).
>
> And I said, "If I had pushed ten minutes for every contraction, I'd
> still be pushing!" <rimshot>
>
> Maybe it helps if you picture me with some of those Groucho Marx
> glasses and a cigar.
>
> I know, I know, they meant seconds. I just thought it was funny.
>
> Amy (not funny)

I got you, and thought it was amusing ;-) I
was just responding to downstream comments...

Best wishes,
Ericka

[Amy]

Michelle J. Haines wrote:
> Amy wrote:
> > (Just replying to the most recent post, here.)
> >
> > *sigh* Nobody gets me.
>
> No, some of us got it, it just wasn't funny enough to warrant a "me too"
> post. ;)

Phew!!! I was ready to start tapping the microphone and saying, "Hey,
is this thing on?" :)

Amy

[Mum of Two]

"Amy" > wrote in message
oups.com...
>
> (Just replying to the most recent post, here.)
>
> *sigh* Nobody gets me.
>
> The part that I was pointing out was this:
>
> "Researchers at the University of Texas Southwestern found that women
> who were told to push 10 ****minutes**** for every contraction gave
> birth 13 minutes faster than those who were not given specific
> instructions." (emphasis mine).

Yeah, I got it. I just thought it was interesting for other reasons ;-) I
did do a double take at the minutes part, for a while there I wondered if
I'd got off really, really easy.


--
Amy
Mum to Carlos born sleeping 20/11/02,
& Ana born screaming 30/06/04
http://www.freewebs.com/carlos2002/
http://www.babiesonline.com/babies/a/ana%5Fj%5F2004/
My blog: http://spaces.msn.com/members/querer-hijo-querer-hija/