In tonight's class we talked about the stages of labor.  I asked the moms and dads, in movies or on TV, how do women know it's time to push?  The answer was, when they are told to "Pushpushpushpushppppuuuusssshhhhh!!!!!!!"  Moms push while their faces are turning into blue balloons, and the message is sent over and over again:  You won't know how or when to push.  You need to wait for someone to tell you.  

I then shared, "I only know how things are at my house, but when someone is in the bathroom having a BM, they don't need someone else on the other side of the door telling them to 'Pushpushpushpushppppuuuusssshhhhh!!!!!!!'  Why is that?"  

Shaking off the visual, a dad said, "You don't need anyone to tell you -- you just know." 
 
This often-practiced (well-mastered?), necessary bodily function and the way we know how to do it can guide us when it is time to push a baby out.  Society would have us believe otherwise, that we must rely on experts to tell us when our bodies are ready to push out our babies -- you make the baby, you grow the baby, but you won't actually know how to push the baby out -- yet many women have found this is simply not true.  

There is evidence that shows when women direct their own pushing, babies receive more oxygen during second stage, pushing time is reduced, and there is less damage to the pelvic-floor muscles.  We have the built-in ability to feel and follow our bodies' urges to push, while also knowing the guidance and wisdom coming from within makes the way safer and more effective than any outside "Pushpushpushpushppppuuuusssshhhhh!!!!!!!"

Do you believe it?  Click here to read even more about what the evidence says.