Bearing down vs pushing

hailyf

Between lurking and reading my hypnobirthing materials, I have seen a lot of talk about "bearing down" before pushing. Can someone clarify exactly what the difference is? I just picture a woman in the squatting position, which I know isnt quite right!

KateLouise

My interpretation is the difference between a bowel motion that comes out fairly easily and one that needs definite pushing.

The bearing down is where you're opening up your pelvis and working with your body (as opposed to holding back) but not not pushing with all your might.

For me I find it most comfortable to open up my pelvis area in a standing position with one foot on a low stool, and kind of squatting/lowering myself down through the contraction.  

ETA: Just for clarification, the above description is me in labour. NOT me on the toilet.  :-)

Sawyerplus1

This is my experience: With DS1 and DD I wouldn't say I ever had to 'bear down'. Once it was time to push, my body just took over and started pushing. It was a very overwhelming situation and I felt like I had little to no control over it. With DS2, however, I had a feeling around 8 cms of needing to push just a little bit with every contraction. It was very much a gentle 'bearing down' sensation that was moving baby down. I was in control and wasn't pushing to get baby out, and it felt good during the contraction. That, to me, was a new experience in labor, and what I would consider the difference between bearing down and pushing.

drpayne

Huh.  I always thought they were the same thing.  I mean, can you do one without the other?

BriDaily

Sometimes a birthing ball is helpful for bearing down on. You just want to open up your pelvis and let the baby move down into the birthing canal. Pushing would happen once the baby is in the birthing canal. But even then you should listen to your body and let the contractions/pressure waves take the lead and just breathe through them and relax as much as possible. I imagined I was breathing in peace as I entered a pressure wave... at the peak I held my breathe and imagined joy in my stomach... and as it was leaving, I breathed out and imagined pushing out love. It made my midwives cry afterwards when I told them. They said for a first time mom, I looked like a pro... and I definitely warrant it to what I just told you