Top 5 tips for pushing with an epidural

by Alyssa Leon

08/22/2023

Read below for our TOP 5 TIPS for pushing with an epidural:⁠
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💥Let your body do the work! Just because you are 10 cm dilated doesn't mean you need to immediately start pushing. Wait until baby is lower in the pelvis to lessen the time you're pushing, to conserve your energy, and to lessen the chances of "not progressing."⁠
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💥There is no one "good" position, so keep changing it up, even with an epidural! You can try side laying, on your back with knees out, on your back with knees in, side laying on the other side, modified squat bar, supported on your knees...keep rotating through until your babe is in your arms.⁠
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💥We call this, "finding your center." Slow your breathing back down, close your eyes, let your body be limp in the bed, clear your mind. This is also a great time for a cold towel on the temple, a sip of water, ice, or juice for a quick energy burst!⁠
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💥Because we don't always feel the same pressure as we do without the epidural, there will be more guided pushing from your birth team. Instead of breathing away the contraction, you want to hold on to the power and bring it down to keep moving baby.⁠
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💥The mirror will either be a hard no or a hard yes, I rarely see anything in between lol When you have been pushing for a while, it can feel defeating, so sometimes being able to see the change with what pushes are effective and which are not can be a great motivator. ⁠