How long did you push?

apple_green · May 2012

I feel like I need a dose of reality. TV shows make it look like pushing only lasts for one minute... and my midwife mentioned recently that lots of women push for a few hours. What was your experience? And while I'm here - how long did transition last?

pinksweetpea2 · May 2012

3.5 hours with my first

50 minutes with my second

I have no idea how long transition lasted with either. Sorry.

Manderlin923 · May 2012

I know I was 6-7cm around 4:15am, then at 8:15am my MW broke my water and I started pushing about an hour after that. I pushed for an hour and a half or so. It felt like forever, but it is below average.

I've heard of people pushing 4 or 5 hours on this board.

annabelle.27 · May 2012

pushing: three hours with DS1 (with zero progress- ended in c-section), 1 hr 15 minutes with DS2 (vbac).

transition: DS1: not sure. An hour? Two? In labour for 16 hours in all (including the pushing time). DS2: I'm convinced that my entire pre-pushing labour was transition based on the intensity of the pain starting with the first contraction, so 45 minutes. My midwife didn't get to my house until well after I had started pushing so I never had any cervical checks to confirm that.

Britrichele17 · May 2012

2.5 hours with first

25 min. with second

transition was about 4-5 hrs. with first and 3.5 hrs with second

StefandTodd · May 2012

I was in transition for an hour, maaaaybe 2. I pushed for about 20 minutes, but I remember asking my doula if I even pushed for 5. It seemed to go incredibly fast.

iris427 · May 2012

Around 2 hours with my first, then I had a c/s. 3.5 hours with my second, which was a vaginal birth. I am not sure how long transition was with my med-free birth, I wasn't paying attention to the clock. But it was fast, because my entire delivery from the first twinge to baby in my arms was under 6 hours.

Tash13 · May 2012

Transition and pushing were under a half an hour total. Pushing was through 3 or 4 contractions, under 15 minutes.

pixieprincss · May 2012

I pushed for 3.5 hours. I have no idea on transition.

sarahintx05 · May 2012

I pushed for 15 minutes, transition probably lasted an hour. However, my active labor was 24+ hours, so it was long until the very end.

Harper'smom · May 2012

I pushed for 5.5 hours (baby was malpositioned until the MW corrected the issue, and then it only took about 10 minutes).

apple_green · May 2012

Tash13:
Transition and pushing were under a half an hour total. Pushing was through 3 or 4 contractions, under 15 minutes.

I want this!!

nosoup4u · May 2012

I pushed for 4+ hours with my first, and then had a c-section. He was OP.

I pushed 2.5 hours with my second, which is still within the range of normal for first-time vaginal births.

Transition was probably about 1-2 hours both times, but I honestly lost track of time at that point, I just remember sh!t getting real crazy, and then pushing started.

Sawyerplus1 · May 2012

DS: pushed for 65 minutes. Im pretty sure transition lasted an hour. I was stuck at 8 cms for about 8 hours. Once my MW broke my water she predicted I would be ready to push in an hour, and I was.

DD: pushed maybe twice before she was out. Again not sure about transition because Dr broke my water at 6 cms, and DD was out 30 minutes later, so it was fast!

judahsmommy1 · May 2012

I don't know how long transition was because I had an epi with my first. I went from 4 cm to fully dilated in under 2 hours. (Don't think me too lucky, this is after over 24 hours of hard labor!) I pushed through 4 contractions. I remember sitting in the hospital bed trying to prep myself for a long pushing phase, trying to psyche myself up that it could be hard and challenging as they prepared everything around me. I gave a little practice push just by myself and remember feeling him drop with just the tiny little push and thinking "I've never done this before, but I don't think this is going to take hours!" It took 3 pushes to get to crowning and 1 to get him the rest of the way out. I'm a little bit worried that this one is going to fall out of me before I can get to the hospital.

lily225 · May 2012

DD1: I pushed for maybe 10 minutes initially while my dr. was trying to push the last bit of cervical lip away (OUCH!!) Once I was fully complete I pushed for 20 minutes.

DD2: She was out in 2 pushes, no Dr. present. (The nurse didn't believe me when I said it would be fast!)

DS: I pushed for 3 contractions (had an epidural that time) for a total of maybe 6 minutes? Tops.

For my first two labors, I feel like my transitions went pretty quickly. Both times i was checked and was at 7cm after making a noticeable difference in my demeanor and confidence. Neither one lasted more than 10-15 minutes before getting that check. Both times I then had my water broken at 7cm and from that point with DD1 it was maybe 30 minutes till I was pushing and with DD2 less than 10 minutes till pushing.

I can't say I really felt it with DS. I stalled a bit at 6cm and was miserable from the horrible pitocin contractions and was already feeling pressure to push which was horrible. It was at that point that I got an epidural so I think I kind of got to skip over transition (if you don't count the horrible last 30-45 minute pre-epidural

margaret_howell · May 2012

20 mins with my first. I had a pretty short labor. From the time I woke up with contractions to baby being born was 6 hours.

I'm hoping this one is just as quick!

laura.noel · May 2012

28 minutes. It felt like nothing, it went really fast.

jennyann28 · May 2012

Not sure... She was out in maybe 5 contractions? It was incredibly fast. I went from 4cm to baby out in an hour & 15 min. My body was pushing on its own before I even tried. They said my 2nd baby will be born FAST. I'm not even thinking that far ahead yet!

Temp174496125006552 · May 2012

With my daughter, labor was about 6.5 hours from start to finish. I pushed for about 30 minutes or so.

With my son, my whole labor was about 5.5 hours and I pushed for around 10 minutes. He was in distress and I was working really hard to get him out.

I don't remember how long transition was with either one of them.

I'm 29 weeks pregnant and hoping this little guy's birth will be as easy as his siblings births were.

iluvmytxrgr · May 2012

#1: 3 hours (medicated)

#2: 20 min

#3: 30 min

#4: 30 min

redheadinlove · May 2012

58 minutes from the time they gave me permission to push to when she was born. I kinda snuck a few pushes in before that though.

Transition...probably about 3 hours

FyreFlyeRush · May 2012

My membranes ruptured spontaneously at around 9am, and she was born at 9:42. They estimated my transition at 15 minutes, and she was out in 3 pushes + 1 practice push that had me crowning. I had an involuntary push in the stairwell that I think really helped because I was standing. So, maybe 15 minutes. My total labor was about 30 hours, but only 4 of that was active labor and includes transition and delivery.

CTri17 · May 2012

1.25 hours w/ dd1

12 min w dd2

transition w/ dd1 I don't even remember having

dd2 maybe an hour?

hunnybunny614 · May 2012

Wow, I'm jealous at all of your quick labors.

I was at 4-5cm when the dr. broke my water. It only took an hour to get to 10cm. DS was OP so it took nearly three hours of pushing.

rebbieW · May 2012

I'm not sure with my first, but I don't think it was longer than 45 minutes and the pushing didn't bother me a bit. Faster with the second and third - maybe 15 minutes tops? Transition was also much longer with #1 - 3-4 hours? And only minutes long with the other 2.

EDD June 25

Nechie122 · May 2012

I spent 16 minutes in the hospital before DD was born -- and that includes triage, transport to the in-hospital birthing center and pushing. So pushing was super-quick.

Transition was probably about two hours, give or take a half hour.

kaeti_su · May 2012

I pushed for 15-20 minutes as a first-time mom. I'm not sure how long transition lasted, since I don't really know when it started.

ridesbuttons · May 2012

DS1: 2 hours; ? transition: labour/contractions got steadily stronger, longer and closer together, I don't remember 'transition' as an independant part of the process

DS2: 3 pushes (a minute or three), transition was noticeable, it lasted 15ish minutes

superned · May 2012

I pushed for 50 minutes.

It's hard to say how long transition was, but I would ballpark it at 2.5-3.5 hours.

momma2be1990 · May 2012

50 mins or less for pushing with my first, only reason i say less is cuz the nurse was holding my son in as the doctor wasnt there it woulda been around 30 mins or so pushing if the doc was there...on my 2nd and im hoping quicker!

BostonGayGal · May 2012

I waited until she had descended, then pushed three times during one contraction. So I guess I pushed for about 2 minutes?

HSartteach · May 2012

DS: The doctor's notes say about an hour...I think it was longer. It ended in c/s though

DD: 3.5 hours. Totally worth it. I wouldn't stretch enough though to get her head out, and I think that held things up.

I have no idea about transition.

aliciaroset · May 2012

transition was 45-1 hour I think (my contractions spaced out )

I hate to tell you this but I pushed for 4.5 hours and still needed a vacuum assist to get her out. We think she had her hand up by her face. I was very thankful that the hospital knew what kind of momma I was and let me and my team do our work in private without bothering us. The midwife checked me at 2 hours and said I still had a long way to go. They didn't offer the vacuum until after 4 hours.

bearkatjen · May 2012

I pushed three times, and that was it. The first time I felt DS move into place, and the pressure was crazy, then I gave another push, and then the final push. All together it was under 15 minutes, maybe under 10, it was pretty fast. Most of the labors on my mom's side are quick with just a couple of pushes.

I don't even know what transition is. I had to be induced at 38 weeks for pre-e, so I had my water broken, and I was put on pitocin. My labor was 7 hours, which I felt was pretty good considering DS was sky high, and I was maybe 2cm at best. One doctor said 2 cm, and another said I didn't have any progress, so who knows.

tokenhoser · May 2012

Pushed for 2 hours.

Not sure about transition. I'd say about an 90 minutes. My labour was 14 hours total, but only the last 5 were hard.

Celyn · May 2012

DS1 - w/ epidural, pushed for 1:45.

DS2 - unmedicated, spent a half hour fighting the urge to push because my dr wasn't there, then pushed for an hour. The nurses thought he'd come faster, hence making me breath through for so long. But, his cord was around his neck a few times, so getting him out was challenging. They had to cut the cord before his shoulders delivered, because the cord wasn't long enough for him to descend any further and his decels were down to 30.

BrideNamedMeg · May 2012

With my 1st, I pushed for 20 minutes

My 2nd, I pushed for over 2 hours, but he was posterior and over 9lbs.

I'm hoping when we go for #3 my pushing experience is more like #1 because 2+ hours is pretty tiring!

stever · May 2012

2.5 hours. Transition only took an hour or so.

stahlop · May 2012

Honestly, I don't remember transition at all. I really don't remember a point where I thought I couldn't make it (which is what I've heard transition feels like). I pushed for about 2 1/2 hours. I remember specifically pushing starting at 11:30 pm because I said I had hoped he'd be born fast so I'd have him on the same day I'd been laboring on. No such luck though. I was stuck at a 9 with just a little lip for an hour before I was officially at a 10. He came at 2:11 am.