Epidurals decrease pushing sensations!
Can you imagine sitting on the toilet to relieve yourself without any sensation that you need to? Pushing with an epidural is similar. You might have trouble feeling the descent of the baby's head. You might have difficulty knowing where to put your efforts and energy, and if you push incorrectly for a long period of time, you might find yourself exhausted and unable to give the effort needed to get your baby out.
What can you do?
Most doctors will allow women with epidurals to push upward of three hours before suggesting interventions (so long as mama and baby are tolerating pushing well). How can you decrease the time limit before other interventions are suggested?
Request to "labor down." This allows your contractions to do the work of bringing the baby down the birth canal while you are still comfortable and decreases the amount of effort you may have to give toward pushing in the long run.
Allow your doctor or midwife to put manual pressure on your perineum to help you feel the location where your effort should be focused. (If you are uncomfortable with this, ignore it )
Request a rolled towel under your hips to open the pelvis, or if you are able, try to push in different positions to facilitate pelvic mobility and baby's rotation
Request that the doctor turn the epidural down or off at the time of pushing. --- The epidural takes a couple hours to completely wear off, so you're not at risk of feeling everything. But you will have a much higher chance of beginning to feel the sensations of baby descending and know how to work with your body and your baby to get them out!
If you allow your body to do the work while you're comfortable, you move about during pushing, and allow yourself to feel just a little, you will be able to birth your baby with strength, beauty, and control!
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