Women in Labor Shouldn’t Push

For many moms and moms-to-be, it is an absolutely amazing and unexpected news. We associate birth with pain, risk and, of course, strains. There are very few women who give birth easily and painlessly. So it is surprising to learn about the new discovery made by British obstetricians, who argue that you needn’t push during childbirth.

Pushing hard increases pain, the possibility of ruptures, post-partum depression and fear of subsequent childbirth. According to Dr. Smith, the head of the obstetric department at Midway hospital, you shouldn’t push hard, if you want to avoid complications.

Gravity is enough to help give birth normally. The rest is done with the help of natural physiology. We advise women to change their body position so as to use gravity. Remember, there are alternative positions for giving birth: standing upright, sitting, or standing on all fours.

As a result of such a mild approach, the British doctors were able to reduce the number of labor injuries and 3rd-4th degree ruptures from 6% to 1%. A team of obstetricians headed by Dr. Smith received the prestigious Johnson award for outstanding achievements in the field of maternal health. The award to the doctors was presented by the representatives of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists.

So, if you want your delivery to be safe and comfortable, British doctors recommend not to squeeze the baby out, but to calm down, relax, take a comfortable position and breathe deeply. They say an obstetrician’s role is to support the baby when he or she is born, not to pull them out.