You know the drill – you hear of women that spend not just 30, or 60, or 90 minues pushing, but upwards of 120 minutes of pushing…or more! Then mom to be gets fatigued and can’t do it anymore – especially while only having ice chips for who know HOW long by this point – and a C section is recommended. Embattled mom-to-be agrees.
Meanwhile, mom’s blood vessels have popped open under her eyes, her internal organs are “not the same” and may even “hang low” down there, and her stomach muscles have bulged out and split further than they did during pregnancy.
Now, while baby positioning can definitely put a wrench in even the best of circumstances (baby going shoulder first, or hip first, or head face up) pushing can go MUCH BETTER.
In fact, this is called PERFECT PUSHING®!
So what does that entail?
Just like with the Seated Tuplers, which ideally have been done during the entire pregnancy, the transverse is brought all the way back to the spine (feels like belly button to the spine) WHILE the pelvic floor remains relaxed! This puts a backward force on the abdominals, rather than a forward forceful motion which is counterproductive!
Why does my midwife and Ob tell me to BEAR DOWN AND PUSH then?
It is impossible to try and teach someone a new skill during labor, and especially when they are in pain. “Bear down and push” is the extent of what they can say really if the mom has not been engaging the transverse muscle during pregnancy, and strengthening it with the Tupler Technique®.
The best thing to do is think BEAR BACK (bringing the transverse to the spine) while either breathing out slowing alternated with holding breath. That will save the blood vessels on the face caused by pressure in the head from BEARING DOWN, and will save the bowel, bladder, and uterus from getting unnecessary forceful pressure outward “down there” which can contribute to not fun post recovery (all those things hanging very low on the vaginal area).
How do I practice pushing correctly?
A very good question! People usually make a face at me when I tell them the answer, but the BEST TIME TO PRACTICE PUSHING the baby out correctly, is DURING A BOWEL MOVEMENT. It is the same exact feeling you have – and you want to bear BACK during the bowel movement while opening up and RELAXING the pelvic floor. So you can practice roughly once a day until you deliver!
On a side note, it help IMMENSELY for practicing purposed to put your feet on a 7 to 9 inch stool while doing thing because your body will be in a more “squatty” position, which opens everything up down there (and unkinks the bowel in 2 places) – makes for a much quicker and easier bowel movement. I use the $4 stool with the blue dots from ikea 🙂
Why doesn’t my midwife or doctor tell me what I need to be doing to understand and do PERFECT PUSHING®?
Among the top ten reasons:
- It takes TIME to teach someone how to engage the transverse muscle correctly (SEATED TUPLERS; Tupler Technique®) and this does not fit into their time frame as practitioners
- Many have not learned about PERFECT PUSHING yet!! But it is ideal for them to learn because their patients push babies out much quicker than their counterparts (women who “bear down.”)
- As stated before, women cannot learn a new skill while in pain or during labor – especially one involving muscle strength (transverse strength) – and it must be practiced and strengthened during pregnancy.
So its ok for me to do the Tupler Technique and Seated Tuplers during pregnancy? I thought I wasn’t supposed to do ab work during pregnancy?
First of YES – it is SO IMPORTANT to do Seated Tuplers during pregnancy!!!! I can’t stress this enough!
- It will keep your recti together as much as possibly, if not totally, during pregnancy!
- It will keep you strong!!
- It will alleviate those pregnancy backaches (work the lower lumbars)!!
- It will make your recovery SO MUCH BETTER!
- It will help your midsection to bounce back more more quickly!
- It will help you keep mind body connection with your transverse and recti during pregnancy RATHER THAN LETTING THEM ATROPHY!!!!!
- It will make pushing SO much more effective (just remember to do seated tuplers WHILE relaxing the pelvic floor when pregnant, and the pelvic floor which naturally want to also be working with the transverse).
The abs that are TERRIBLE to do during pregnancy (and ANYTIME REALLY) are crunches, pilates 100, teaser, standard oblique work, corkscrew, jackknifing – all those things create a FOREWARD FORCEFUL MOTION of the abdominals which can easily create a diastasis and weaken the abdominals, ESPECIALLY with the added foreward forceful PRESSURE caused by the expanding uterus.
So please pass on this info to doulas, midwives, friends, daughters – anyone who is having a baby or help those who have babies!! My last pregnancy with #3 – I did one MONSTER push with the transverse all the way back to the spine. I was told I could take a break and try again, but my transverse was so strong that I was good to go – and out she came! My pregnant clients have also confirmed – their pushing went so much faster while engaging the transverse during labor (and relaxing the pelvic floor)!
For more info go to:
http://www.diastasisrehab.com/perfect-pushing.html
