Directed pushing

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I have a question about helping pts push. My preceptor has the pt hold her breath and push for a count of 10 x 3 per contraction, while we hold her legs. This is how I learned in nursing school and is the way I have always seen it done.

The internship class I am taking says not to do any of that. The legs should be down, have her breathe while pushing and don't count, let her push however long/little she wants during a contraction. (This class is not held at my hospital but is a consortium of several hospitals which hold a joint class.)

I can understand the not holding your breath while pushing, that makes sense to me. But I don't see how having the pt's legs down and not coaching her to push would work. Is it really more effective than the traditional way?

I want to use the most update practices but I would really need to see a nurse help a pt push the new way before I would be comfortable trying it myself. All the nurses on my unit push the old way. I have been using the count to 10 x 3 method because I am not sure how to use the new method and there is no one to show me.

What are your thoughts how to help a pt push and what method do you use? Thank you for your help!

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Specializes in Maternal - Child Health.

The "hold your breath and count to 10" method seems to be the old stand-by, and may have some value for patients who have "heavy" epidurals and can't feel anything to guide their pushing.

I have no research to back me up, but I believe the other method to be more productive for most patients, as they are able to work with their own bodies to bring about effective pushing without exhausting themselves, and stressing their babies.

I also believe that allowing the patient to position her legs comfortably makes much more sense than holding them up (exhausting the nurse and the SO), or using stirrups, which are terribly uncomfortable and unnatural.

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Specializes in Pediatric Pulmonology and Allergy.

Just curious - if a woman in labor said she was more comfortable pushing in a different position than the one you were taught, would you let her do her thing or insist that "this is the way it's always been done"?

My opinion is that a mother in labor RULES. Whatever she feels comfortable with is what should be done. No questions asked.

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When I was laboring, I definitely felt the urge to push. I couldn't resist it, it was so strong. I didn't need anyone to tell me to push! But, I can see how someone with an epidural might need coaching.

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Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.

with natural labor, there is no need to tell a woman to push or how, I have learned. Labor under anesthesia, well that is quite a different thing. Sometimes, this MUST be coached to get anyplace at all.

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I'm an advocate for natural birth as well as active birth and hope to eventually become a CNM. I'm a pre-nursing student, starting clinicals this fall. Is my maternity clinical going to be a huge problem for me? ;)

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Specializes in L&D.

Sometimes I use directed pushing, sometimes not. I just play it by ear. A patient will start pushing on her own when she gets the urge. Many of our clients are so used to being told what to do that they don't know they can do what works for them. I tell them to do whatever their body is telling them to do. Usually they will start out with short, tentative pushes and then move into longer, stronger pushes as the baby moves down and the stimulus gets stronger. Give lots of support that whatever they are doing is right.

Just because someone is 10cm dilated does not mean that they are ready to push. The baby will move down with uterine contractions alone to a level where the urge to push takes over. Change her position frequently so the fetal head is in the best position and it will happen.

That said, sometimes I direct the pushing: if the baby isn't moving after a reasonable period of time (very subjective on my part), with stong epidurals, if the patient just isn't tuned into her body and is panicing and fighting her labor.

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JOGNN had a great article on this ... I believe it was the Nov/Dec 2005 issue but I can't seem to find it in all of my piles of magazines right now! It was titled something like "Spontaneous Vs. Directed Pushing" ... fantastic idea ... now if we could only get our docs to read the article and go along with it! :roll

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Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.
I'm an advocate for natural birth as well as active birth and hope to eventually become a CNM. I'm a pre-nursing student, starting clinicals this fall. Is my maternity clinical going to be a huge problem for me? ;)

Depends on your attitude. Go with the intention to learn some things (which you will)--- while keeping your values intact. You will do ok.

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Depends on your attitude. Go with the intention to learn some things (which you will)--- while keeping your values intact. You will do ok.

Second this. You will learn things, and you will change your mind about things. But, speaking from a similar perspective (SNM in a very medicalized setting who has strong beliefs about the naturalness of childbirth), you will also learn to nod you head and go with the flow, knowing full well that when you get out of school, you'll have a greater capacity to be able to practice in a setting more to you liking with a style more to your liking.

I directed push and have legs back with the strong epidurals, not with the rest, unless it's going not so well for some reason.

Becki, SNM (graduating Aug 2006)

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JOGNN had a great article on this ... I believe it was the Nov/Dec 2005 issue but I can't seem to find it in all of my piles of magazines right now! It was titled something like "Spontaneous Vs. Directed Pushing" ... fantastic idea ... now if we could only get our docs to read the article and go along with it! :roll

Could you possibly mean "A randomized trial of coached versus uncoached maternal pushing during the second stage of labor" by Bloom et al that was published in the January 2006 issue of AJOG?

If so PubMed has the abstract with links to the full text (for a cost). http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=16389004&query_hl

MedPage Today has a teaching brief that discusses it. http://www.medpagetoday.com/OBGYN/Pregnancy/tb/2408

And Nursing Center has a CE on the topic

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JOGNN had a great article on this ... I believe it was the Nov/Dec 2005 issue but I can't seem to find it in all of my piles of magazines right now! It was titled something like "Spontaneous Vs. Directed Pushing" ... fantastic idea ... now if we could only get our docs to read the article and go along with it! :roll

I think this is the one:

Sampselle CM. Miller JM. Luecha Y. Fischer K. Rosten L. Provider support of spontaneous pushing during the second stage of labor. JOGNN - Journal of Obstetric, Gynecologic, & Neonatal Nursing. 34(6):695-702, 2005 Nov-Dec.

Becki

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