Making noise while pushing

Everyusernameistaken · August 2014

Hi ladies!
Totally rando question, but for those of you who've gone through the pushing stage before, did your dr/mw tell you not to moan or cry out while pushing? I'm a moaner, it really helped me get through labor and when I made noise while pushing it seemed to make it a bit more tolerable, but my Dr told me it would make my pushes less effective and wear me out. Just curious if anyone else was told this?
Thanks

Everyusernameistaken · August 2014

Damasked said:
I'm planning on following the advice of L. Ron Hubbard and am having a silent birth. :P

Maybe my Dr is a scientologist

trebekastan · August 2014

This is the opposite of what any MW will tell you. You are not supposed to do "blue pushing" where you are holding your breathe. I'm guessing that is why he is telling you to not make noises because you would be "wasting" that air. Or maybe he doesn't like to have to listen to that for an hour or more....either way, FUCK HIM.

Everyusernameistaken · August 2014

trebekastan said:
This is the opposite of what any MW will tell you. You are not supposed to do "blue pushing" where you are holding your breathe. I'm guessing that is why he is telling you to not make noises because you would be "wasting" that air. Or maybe he doesn't like to have to listen to that for an hour or more....either way, FUCK HIM.

This is good to know, thank you!

Everyusernameistaken · August 2014

sparklegrump said:
I made really low grunting hippo sounds. It felt great. Don't scream though. High pitched noises do nothing but exhaust you. Maybe that's what he meant?

Haha yeah it's possible, I was pretty screechy.

an02102 · August 2014

I was told this last time and my pushes became much more effective after I quit making noise.

Everyusernameistaken · August 2014

kshayes0315 said:

sparklegrump said:
I made really low grunting hippo sounds. It felt great. Don't scream though. High pitched noises do nothing but exhaust you. Maybe that's what he meant?
This. My MW last time was all about letting the noise out if you need to but to make low pitched sounds rather than high pitched sounds.
This is an article about vocalize room and how it can help you relax through labor.
https://bringbirthhome.com/guest-writers/vocalization-during-labor/

Great article, thanks!

bumpuser5078523 · August 2014

I was also told low noises compared to high pitched. High means you are tensing up and not relaxed, which is less favorable.

AmandaR204 · August 2014

Omg ya, I was shushed by a nurse...and my dr. Told me holding in my screams would give me better pushing leverage.

teenybean · August 2014

All that jazz about growling and low moans is the bees knees! Screeching/high pitched wailing will wear you out. And it seems to increase fear/fight or flight response which can slow contractions.
At some point most women will be much more effective with some breath holding coached or not. In truth women without pain medication of any kind doing only self directed spontaneous pushing, will at some point do some breath holding, its part of the natural pushing reflex. Just my experience. Kinda like when a toddler poops there's a pushing reflex involved.
Some coaching improves efficiency for most women, in my opinion, open glottis, growling or otherwise.

wrightpalomo · August 2014

My sister and I were just talking about this! She said the most horrifying part of birth was listening to the other women on her floor screaming like they were dying. Since she said that I've been kind of worried I'll end up in a room next to a real screamer and it'll drive me up the wall. But when you think about the really high-pitched screaming, it does make sense that it would exhaust you more than anything.

Irisheyes1247 · August 2014

@wrightpalomo‌ I am apparently some sort of sadist I intentionally listened to see if I could hear others and never did.

I was very quiet for baby 1 and much more vocal, grunts and moans, with baby 2. I think you have to do what works but screaming and shrieking won't get you anywhere.

RedBaramid · August 2014

Yeah we were told in class that the low growling/moans could be helpful, but that the high pitched noises were just us wasting air. It makes sense if you think about it, if you are screaming you are sort of forcing air out, verses growling or moaning it's sort of coming out slowly. You're going to want to use your air to help you push so the slow exhale sounds make the most sense here.

dal2aus · August 2014

Irisheyes1247 said:

@wrightpalomo‌ I am apparently some sort of sadist I intentionally listened to see if I could hear others and never did. I was very quiet for baby 1 and much more vocal, grunts and moans, with baby 2. I think you have to do what works but screaming and shrieking won't get you anywhere.

I must be a sadist too. During the L&D tour, I was listening to hear if anyone was screaming or howling, but I was disappointed. I had never been in an L&D wing before, so I was expecting it to be dramatic like on TV. I guess it was a slow night.

cozybluebear · August 2014

I didn't make a sound. Then again, I had an epidural so pushing was a breeze. I was laughing and joking in between contractions and pushing.

camichael84 · August 2014

@Irisheyes1247 and @dal2aus, our Lamaze class took place in the L&D wing of our hospital, and two classes in a row we heard women giving birth. We were told the rooms are pretty sound proof and you rarely hear women in labor, and what we were hearing was as the door was being opened and closed. I can say I'm glad I heard them just as an "okay, this is normal" thing, but that it terrified me at the same time.

brittneyandadam · August 2014

Do what you need to do to get that baby out.

wrightpalomo · August 2014

I've been calming myself down about this with the reassurance that our hospital has an 85% epidural rate (much higher than the national average) so the vast majority of the women won't be in too much pain

Bella2425 · August 2014

I don't think I made much noise besides saying "oh my god" after every push. I really didn't want to be the screaming cow lady. I do remember the person delivering in the room next to me putting on quite a show though. She was not having a good time.

suitern · August 2014

I had an epidural the first time and I had the midwives and the drs yelling at me to push-so I am sure people heard that since it was the last ditch effort before an emergency c-section.

While in labor with DS I heard a lady next door screaming like she was dying-it was terrifying to be quite honest.

A few weeks ago when I was in for monitoring in L&D I heard another lady screaming like she was dying-the nurse informed us it was an unplanned natural birth. Which wasn't encouraging since I am hoping for a natural birth this time!!

LTMama · August 2014

I had to ask DH what kinds of noises I was making, because I honestly don't remember. He said pre-epi I was kind of moaning in pain. Post epi, I was snoring

During pushing he said I was kind of grunting and straining, but I didn't scream or anything. I don't recall it hurting at all.

Everyusernameistaken · August 2014

Bella2425 said:
I don't think I made much noise besides saying "oh my god" after every push. I really didn't want to be the screaming cow lady. I do remember the person delivering in the room next to me putting on quite a show though. She was not having a good time.

Honestly after three hours of pushing I wasn't too worried about how I sounded, I just wanted that baby OUT, whether I was the "screaming cow lady" or not.

blue+skies · August 2014

My body was ready to push before the doc and nurses were ready, so instead of giving me any kind of pushing instructions, they were busy getting the room ready. Once they were ready to pay attention to me, I was screaming at the top of my lungs with every push. They told me to stop screaming and do low grunts and moans. Apparently if it feels like the baby is going to be birthed through your anus, you're doing it all wrong.

meganmccr · August 2014

While pushing DD out the nurse told me I should yell so I did...didn't really make me feel any better. Long story short doctor told me to stop it bc when I inhaled after yelling/grunting the baby got sucked back in haha

Ivorytower2 · August 2014

At prenatal yoga last weekend, my instructor told us that we should view the pain as joy and during labor instead of "ow", we should say "Wow" in order to honor the birth process.

She then lit 2 tons of incense and at that point I had to call it a day.

Everyusernameistaken · August 2014

Ivorytower2 said:
At prenatal yoga last weekend, my instructor told us that we should view the pain as joy and during labor instead of "ow", we should say "Wow" in order to honor the birth process.

She then lit 2 tons of incense and at that point I had to call it a day.

Haha this is awesome, I will totally be doing that.

Or not.

mavelle93 · August 2014

I don't think it matters if you are making noise or not as long as you are pushing effective. Someone told me if you don't poop or get a hemorrhoid when you are pushing, you aren't pushing effectively.

I hope I just poop. :P

wrightpalomo · August 2014

Ivorytower2 said:

At prenatal yoga last weekend, my instructor told us that we should view the pain as joy and during labor instead of "ow", we should say "Wow" in order to honor the birth process. She then lit 2 tons of incense and at that point I had to call it a day.

Aaaaannnd this is one of the reasons I avoid yoga!

brittneyandadam · August 2014

I'm actually really nervous about the pooping thing. My GI is so sensitive...I have visions I'll have diarrhea and it'll squirt across the room or in someone's face.

wrightpalomo · August 2014

@dearfoam‌ while incense is annoying I was talking about the "pain as joy" line. I think sometimes (like in labor) your body hurts. It's fine to just say, "Man, this shit hurts." I don't see the benefit of pretending that labor isn't hard, painful work.

alanaw121 · August 2014

Was in triage for pre-term labor earlier this week and a woman sounded like she was being murdered she was screaming so much. Then I heard her husband saying some choice things about her grip on his hand. Pretty sure he thought she was breaking his fingers since he kept making grunting/ whining noises and yelling at her to let go. It was all somewhat amusing once I saw him walk out of the room and he looked like a body builder. I didn't see the woman but a pictures her as being petite.

Want a personalized experience?

Making noise while pushing

Re: Making noise while pushing

Choose Another Board

Search Boards