17/04/2026
Also known as 'purple pushing'— it actively works against the way the body is designed to birth.
Why “hold your breath and push for 10” is biomechanically backwards.
Directed, breath‑holding pushing:
**Closes the glottis, which increases intrathoracic pressure
**Reduces oxygen flow to both mother and baby
**Creates unnecessary strain on pelvic floor muscles
**Shortens the exhale, which is the natural mechanism that helps the uterus and abdominal muscles work together
**Ignores fetal rotation, which often needs time and subtle movement, not force
**Can increase perineal trauma
**Disrupts the Ferguson reflex, which is the body’s built‑in pushing reflex
In other words: it’s the opposite of what physiology wants.
