![]() ![]() This theory has been taught to midwives since the 1930s and Ina May Gaskin herself warned against ‘early pushing’ in Spiritual Midwifery. This post is an attempt to prompt some re-thinking about this issue, or rather this non-issue.ġ. Like most midwives, I was taught that women must not push until the cervix has fully dilated. Before anyone gets defensive – I am not pointing fingers or blaming individuals, because I have been that midwife. The message the woman takes from her birth is that her body failed her, when in fact it was the midwife/system that failed her. The end of the story is usually an instrumental birth (ventouse or forceps) for an epidural related problem – fetal distress caused by directed pushing ‘failure to progress’ baby mal-positioned due to supine position and reduced pelvic tone. Later, another vaginal examination finds that the cervix has fully dilated and now she is coached to push. An epidural is inserted along with all the accompanying machines and monitoring. She is unable to stop pushing and fights her body creating more pain. Because she is unable to stop pushing she may be advised to have an epidural. The woman becomes confused and frightened. Her body is lying to her – she is not ready to push. ![]() The woman is told to stop pushing because she is ‘not fully dilated’ and will damage herself. After a little while the midwife checks to ‘see what is happening’ and finds an anterior cervical lip. She begins to push with contractions, and her midwife encourages her to follow her body. Here is a scenario I keep hearing over and over: A woman is labouring away and all is good. ![]()
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