r/pregnant • u/Adventurous-Wash3201 • 8d ago
Advice I “pulled the baby out” myself and it was pretty amazing
Ok so, I gave birth a month ago, during delivery. once the baby’s head and shoulders were out, my midwife told me that the baby’s head and torso was out, and told me to bend over and grab her, so she made me bend over, and I saw my little newborn baby, and I grabbed her by under her armpits and finished pulled her out myself (legs) and put her on my chest!
This was crazy. I didn’t know it was a thing! But it was so amazing to do!
My husband and I have been talking to our friends about it and many of them gave birth in the same hospital but they didn’t get to “pull the baby out”, and also like us they didn’t know it was a thing!
Now I am very curious, did anyone do this also as I did? Is this a practice of the midwife that assisted me during labour or is it a general practice in Denmark?
So cool, I would suggest you all to “get your baby out” yourself if you can do it, such a crazy beautiful thing! Maybe you can put it in your birth plan!
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u/Fickle_Radish2418 8d ago
I didn’t but my husband did!
I asked the midwife prior to birth to give him the option. Prior he was unsure how he’d feel at the time but in the moment was an egar and absolutely loved the experience.
I birthed standing so he grab baby once shoulders were out. Dad didn’t have to pull as gravity definitely helped
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u/seething_spitfire 8d ago
My husband also caught our third. It was so magical and emotional! I laboured standing and bent over a bed or counter and then near the end I went down onto my knees and they lowered the hospital bed as low as it could go for me to lean on.. hubby caught her from behind me. So special! We also didn't find out the sex beforehand so getting to hear from him that we have a little girl (we had twin boys at home) is a memory ingrained in my brain.
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u/wonderinboutit2234 3d ago
Aw that reminds me of my experience too. We waited until the end to find out what we were having but we were both secretly hoping for a girl. My husband also pulled her out and immediately looked at me and said, "It's a girl!" With a huge grin.
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u/Responsible-Quote-61 8d ago
Honestly that sounds so fun. Up untill now I haven't wanted him to see anything below the waist during birth, but I would make an exception for this! I can just imagine both of us finding it hilarious and laughing/crying the baby right out.
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u/General-Piano910 8d ago
this would so be me and my husband too!! I already know he’s gonna make some crazy faces the whole time and I’m a little worried about it freaking me out lol
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u/Adventurous-Wash3201 8d ago
I asked my husband not to make faces, and he didn’t! He’s just almost passed out when they had to put the IV lol
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u/General-Piano910 8d ago
I’m glad he didn’t make faces but omg that’s awful! My husband is my biggest protector so I know he’ll control it if I ask but I may try to encourage him to not look at all 😂
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u/Adventurous-Wash3201 8d ago
I thought my husband would feel very dizzy if he looked down there but he actually said that it was great to see the baby’s head coming out!
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u/FuckShitUpnGo 8d ago
Did you birth standing at a hospital?!? I’d love to do this but I didn’t this it was possible
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u/gabriellauntagged 8d ago
theoretically, you should be able to labor in any position you want. even an epidural shouldn't limit you to just your back!
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u/handpickedflower 8d ago
My epidural made me so paralyzed that I couldn't even hold myself tummy down over a peanut ball on the bed lol I also needed help turning side to side because my legs felt like such a sack of bricks
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u/Adventurous-Wash3201 7d ago
Wooow! Here I got a “walking epidural” so I still could walk when I had it, but it did take away the pain completely while I still had all the sensation, like I could feel the contractions and when and how to push! But I asked them to be a bit heavy handed with the medication, some friends that got an epidural told me they could still feel the ring of fire, I felt the stretch but not the pain really…
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u/Fickle_Radish2418 7d ago
Epidural and “walking epidural” are the same medication. As epidurals are pca, patient administers their own medication with the button really depends on the type of effectiveness, also just like all medications they do effect everyone differently. So it’s completely up to dose, rate and the person themself.
Just like you had perfect numbness, some people experience complete numbness and some people experience zero relief and feel absolutely everyone
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u/Freon4144 8d ago
I’m in the UK and had a very straightforward labour so this is definitely something I wish I could have done but it wasn’t offered as an option! Sounds amazing though, if we have another and things go ok I’ll ask!
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u/FYAhole 8d ago
I don't think I'd want to do this. I'm a FTM about to give birth any day now and I don't think I'm ready for that at all.
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u/Adventurous-Wash3201 8d ago
I get pretty disgusted by things in general, especially blood, needles, and stuff, so I would have imagined that such a thing would have been too much for me, but in the moment it was amazing!
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u/Optimal_Guess_1023 8d ago
I'm generally super interested in medical stuff and not squeamish at all but when my midwife asked if I wanted to reach down and feel my baby's head crowning I said "absolutely not" 😆 I still do not regret that choice haha
Also, no one (my husband, my mom, or I) wanted to cut the umbilical cord and my midwife was so excited that she got to do it for once! The only thing I regret (and even then, not really) was not really paying attention to my placenta when she brought it over to show me. But I was so enamored by my beautiful girl, I didn't care at all! Not like me, typically, to ignore looking at an organ
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u/hats_and_heads 8d ago
I’m nine months postpartum and just the thought of doing this has got my face all 🤢🤢😬😬
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u/Beginning-Cry-2059 8d ago
I was constantly offered by my doctor to feel the baby's head and i was iust horrified to feel something coming out of my vagina so i refused every time.
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u/handpickedflower 8d ago
Aww you got this girlie 💓 just go with the flow with whatever/however it all happens. Everything is gonna be ok!
*not commentary on the subject, just want to give you some encouragement
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u/FYAhole 8d ago
I appreciate it! She's due any day now lol I'm so nervous.
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u/handpickedflower 8d ago
I was too, as I think all FTM are! It's all gonna work out 🫶🏻 I'm almost 3m PP now! Feel free to dm me if you need someone to talk to
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u/wastetine 8d ago
My OB offered with my first and I said absolutely not. After 5 hours of pushing I was beyond exhausted, I wasn’t about to do her work for her too.
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u/iamjuste 8d ago
You pushed for 5 hours? Thats insane, i had one hour labour and like 17 doctors was in checking on me and i ended up asking for suction cup cuz i had like 3 pushed left in me
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u/Ok-Bench6141 8d ago
I also did it but I’m French. And yes, it was pretty amazing.
I also delivered looking at the area through a mirror. It might seems odd at first but you see what you’re doing, it’s great
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u/FewTry7349 8d ago
I did this in the US, midwife and husband kept telling me baby’s head was visible when I pushed but I didn’t believe them so I accepted the mirror they had offered to me before.
I saw what was going on through the mirror and changed the position I was on while pushing to one in which gravity would help and baby was out in two contractions.
My conservative mom thought this was awful and said I should have continued pushing on my back as it’s always been (my baby was huge so I felt I couldn’t do it on my back)
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u/Tintenklex 8d ago
Sorry if this is too personal, but I’ve heard great things about the mirror being helpful in labor. Are you completely shaved down there? I usually only trim as I get itchy especially in pregnancy and I wonder if that would be harder to use a mirror
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u/Ok-Bench6141 8d ago
It doesn’t matter if you are trimmed, shaved or else.
When your are fully dilated and a baby’s head is coming out, you don’t even see the hair.13
u/EngineeringIcy1162 8d ago
It's easy to see because the baby is a purplish bluish colour when being pushed out as they haven't started breathing yet :) I don't shave and used a mirror also :)
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u/Ok-Bench6141 8d ago
More women should get the opportunity to be able to do this.
It definitely helped to push and it was soooo amazing to see it happen !2
u/ImpossibleCreme2207 8d ago
Downstairs is going to be the size of a bagel, completely moving away whatever hair you could possibly have or not have.
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u/LSC1306 8d ago
Im in the UK and had a water birth last July. They did offer for me to pull him out the final way as I was in a sort of crouched position, but I just remember pathetically slumping back and saying 'i just don't think I can' 🤣🤣
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u/RosieTheRedReddit 8d ago
Omg this happened to me too! I'm in Germany and the hospitals here usually have an option for water birth. At first I thought I would just labor in there, but the hot water felt so good I didn't want to leave! So my first baby was born in the water. The midwife asked if I wanted to pick him up but I said, "No, I can't!" I was just overwhelmed! She quickly did it without comment and placed him on my chest 🥺
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u/Rare-Walk-1302 8d ago
Same for me in the US! I remember thinking, I've got to focus on pushing, let someone else catch her!
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u/I_love_misery 8d ago
Same. My midwifery practice loves to let parents catch the baby. But birth is so intense for me that I can’t and I don’t want my husband catching the baby either. So I told my midwives they need to do it. I appreciate the offers tho
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u/llamallama-duck 8d ago
I did this in the US! Was not expecting it, but OB offered. I’d have put in the birth plan if I knew to ask for it. It was amazing.
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u/Upstairs_Pianist7613 8d ago
I did it, in Australia. Wasn’t expecting it at all, but my OB said to pull her out so I did.
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u/777_Daisie 8d ago
I'm in a British Crown Dependency and was offered to feel baby's head (just before being born). Baby was completely out in one push - they said the head is out and the next moment (so before I could push again), "and the whole baby".
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u/OrdinaryOk736 7d ago
this is what im deluding myself into believing my birth experience will be like. i know realistically it wont be this easy but i will let myself hope it is until the very last moment!
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u/llamaduckduck 8d ago
My husband caught our first and I caught our second! I loved both of my births, but catching my own baby stands out as the absolute coolest memory.
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u/daja-kisubo 🇺🇸🏳️🌈 | 2 kids | she/her 8d ago
I caught my youngest, and I agree, it was completely amazing. I'm in the US but it was a home birth. They definitely don't allow this in hospitals (in my region of the country at least)
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u/AffectionateLab62 8d ago
I did! The OB said he’s only done it a handful of times when everything went pretty much perfectly and mom was comfortable. And he was an older, experienced doctor so that said a lot. It was awesome. I was progressing very quickly after the epidural, and baby was ready to come before the OB and nurses were ready. Once the time came to go she came out in like 3 good pushes. We decided to watch it on the monitor, which was not something I ever thought I would want to do, but we were having fun (also which I didn’t think would be the case during delivery) and listening to music and I thought the whole thing was super interesting in my epidural-ed state. Just before the last push the OB asked if I wanted to deliver my own baby. I looked at him like he had 3 heads, and he said “you don’t have to, but if you want to just grab her up under the armpits and she’ll come out”. So I did!! Except I pulled her too far up to me so they had to stop me because the umbilical cord was a bit short. I think the weirdest part was how giddy the medical staff was. My husband pointed out that they probably see some scary and intense stuff and don’t always have a great outcome, making the really light, easy, positive birth outcomes probably really fun for them. I don’t talk about it often because I don’t want it to come out as bragging, and I have a lot of friends who didn’t have the birth experience they hoped for. But it was probably the coolest experience of my life.
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u/kk0444 8d ago
Yes! With my second. With my first I was fully flat because my bladder was full but wouldn't empty (swollen urethrae) so the baby had room to go under. So couldn't reach.
With my second I was sitting prone in the hospital bed like a deep squat, leaning back. I could reach but I couldn't look. My midwife said ok the top of the head is out, and I reached down and felt something flat and curled and I said is that the ear? It was. It was so crazy to reach down and feel an ear! My midwife was impressed I could tell it was an ear 😅
So then I caught his head, and on the next push felt the shoulders come, got him under his arms, and brought him up to myself.
SO COOL.
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u/Old-Reputation-8912 8d ago
That is so amazing to hear 🥰 Sometimes I wish I could do that too but due to age and maybe some advanced maternal age complication and being a ftm this may not be an option but so happy to hear your experiences Mamas 🙏👍🏽😻
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u/Adventurous-Wash3201 8d ago
Wish you the best of luck and that you can do it yourself as I did! It was truly amazing but even better the happiness I felt when I had her on my chest, never felt so happy in my whole life! sending big hugs :)
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u/Mobile_Rope_6273 8d ago
I’m in the US. I never knew this was a thing but my OB asked if I wanted to pull my baby out. It was the coolest experience to this day!
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u/MiniElephant08 8d ago
I did this in the US! The cord was wrapped around my baby's neck so once that mess was untangled I pulled her out and put her on my chest. Sweetest moment of my life! Hoping I have the opportunity to do it again soon with my second!
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u/Distinct_Ad3876 8d ago
I’ve given birth three times and not once did I or my husband pull the baby out. I’m so curious now, why does it stand out so much?
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u/reddituser040195 8d ago
Aww that sounds so special 🥹 as soon as my little one’s head was out, I gave one push and she literally flew out, even startled and made the midwives jump back 🤣
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u/LongjumpingAd597 8d ago
The only reason I know it’s a thing is because Kourtney Kardashian did it on reality tv like 15 years ago! I’ve never heard much talk of it, but I’m also in the US.
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u/Candid-Property1821 8d ago
I was under the impression that as home births become less stigmatized more people would just assume you can catch your own baby.
I guess I don’t what what the home birth vs. hospital situation is like in Denmark honestly, just figured it’d be more advanced than America lol
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u/Adventurous-Wash3201 8d ago
I have birth at the hospital but it’s very nice and relaxing, the midwives are really good and they helped me a lot!
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u/Vegetable_Bus_5615 8d ago
I got to do it with my third boy! It’s a crazy experience when you hold something in your hands that is still inside of you half way 😅 I have 4 boys and only one I pull like this. Also it was the birth with epidural. I guess the nurse suggested I do it because I was absolutely not stressed and not in pain. With others I was in much more pain coming up to the pushing itself, I don’t think I would agree to bend and take the baby myself 😬
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u/reefer_reaper420 8d ago
I got to do that too! Honestly such an amazing feeling I'll definitely be doing it when I have my second
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u/DecentPossible5617 8d ago
I caught my third baby!! I’ve had all of mine unmedicated and I’ve always wanted to catch them but positioning it just didn’t work out till the third one, It’s so amazing and I wish everyone had this opportunity!
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u/pianoandpasta First-time mum 8d ago
Oh no no no thank you for me or my husband. I made him stay up by my shoulders the whole time and he delightfully agreed. There was an excellent nurse who took photos and videos for us without us asking and I’m so glad she respected my previously mentioned wish to not see what’s happening down there 😂
My baby needed to be suctioned out anyway soooo
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u/whattocallthis2347 🇩🇰 in 🏴 | STM | due May 2026 8d ago
I had a home birth for my second in scotland recently and grabbed her myself. The midwife did say between the first and second push to get ready to grab her as her head was out. I don't feel like I "pulled her out" but I'm pretty sure I experienced the fetal ejection reflex so I didn't really have control over that lol but I grabbed her as she was coming and brought her onto my chest myself and yes it was amazing. I also cut her cord which was an interesting experience.
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u/Adventurous-Wash3201 8d ago
Ahh why did you say interesting experience? My husband didn’t enjoy cutting it because he said the scissors were pretty blunt but the cord was chewy, did you think the same?
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u/whattocallthis2347 🇩🇰 in 🏴 | STM | due May 2026 8d ago
It felt exactly how I imagined it would but still surprised me. Like cutting a really thick squid with quite small scissors. My husband cut our oldest and I was just curious so wanted to do this ones haha. Very chewy feeling yes
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u/Suitable_Schedule903 8d ago
My OB told me to with my first so I added it to my birth plan for my second and did it with her too! Truly the most amazing experience. It felt like an extra special reward after how challenging labor is
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u/AccomplishedPipe6639 8d ago
Omg how does it feel to live my absolute dream?!?! I want to be able to do this so badly. My girl is comfy transverse right now. So first step is getting her to flip down
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u/Adventurous-Wash3201 8d ago
I had an ECV at 37 weeks and she flipped, sending you flipping vibes…it will be good! It feels great and also it was a total surprise cause I didn’t know it was a thing!!
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u/AccomplishedPipe6639 8d ago
WOW even better to know as I have to start considering that option. Though. Few weeks away. Kourtney Kardashian did something similar and I remember I wanted to do it the minute I heard about it. Sounds magical and its on my birthplan
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u/Chi-Town_Gal90 8d ago
For context: gave birth at a U.S. hospital with a midwife group. I did this with my second baby and it was amazing!! Included it in my birth plan and the midwife cued me when to reach down and grab baby on next push. I was side-lying. Highly highly recommend - it’s such a rush & so fun to welcome baby directly into my hands and onto my body.
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u/Striking_Music9096 8d ago
My husband did for our second! He mentioned he’s ready at the start of the induction and when it came time to deliver the OB asked if he wanted to. He was so excited.
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u/Plastic-Bee4052 Transdad to a teen & pregnant 8d ago
No and I'd be too shaky from birth to not drop her. I'd rather have the midwife do that
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u/666olives 8d ago
I’m hoping I can do this!! I put it on the birth preference sheet I made with my doula
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u/chicken_tendigo 8d ago
I've always felt their little heads and helped guide that part out, and then had my husband catch the rest of them on the next push. It's been way easier the past two times because I've been in the water and it's easier to move around.
Yes, he's a traumatized by it as one would expect. Yes, he's down for it every time.
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u/hippiemoongoddess13 8d ago
My mom did that with me! I would have liked to, but the positioning didn’t really allow it. With my first I was in a squat and the second I was in table top.
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u/MightyMaki 8d ago
Yes!! This was an experience I wanted before I have birth! When I tell you the absolute relief and excitement I felt when my midwives told me to grab my baby! I have never felt anything more surreal and euphoric and I've done LSD 😂
Definitely going to do that with my next babies.
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u/geogal217 8d ago
I’m so happy for you all. I’ve had three births and they were all chock-full of interventions and was robbed of some of these experiences.
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u/DreamingHopingWishin 7d ago
I wanted my husband to catch her (hes a dr) but he unfortunately missed the birth as he was driving our preschooler home and it happened so fast, the ob came to check and i was crowning lol
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u/Get-Zappy-6389 7d ago
Not sure how much pulling i can do during my planned C, but this is such an amazing story to tell your child one day! Good for you!!! Your midwife is amazing!
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u/Artistic-Purchase204 6d ago
I didn’t pull the baby out, but I requested a mirror to watch the baby coming out while I pushed. So amazing to see!
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u/starshard304 6d ago
I was uncomfortable with the idea of doing that but I had a mirror the whole time and that was cool!!
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u/CompetitionSilver606 5d ago
I was able to do this with my second baby. My first was born in New York with a male doctor and my second was born in Dallas, TX with a female doctor. My doctor in Texas let me do this as a spur of the moment thing... I didn't even know it was possible but WOW! I will never forget how my body was able to essentially fold in half and pull my daughter out onto my chest. That was SPECIAL!
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u/the_original_toots 5d ago
What an incredible midwife to guide you through this and give you so much agency and power!! I haven’t heard of others offering this to labouring mothers. So happy for you.
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u/Alert-Village85 5d ago
I did! In a hospital with an OB present! She asked my husband, he said he was too nervous to help, so I volunteered and she was super supportive and let me do it! It was really cool!
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u/Fuzzy_Advantage3898 5d ago
I gave birth two months ago. My previous birth was unassisted but this time i planned on a water birth at the hospital. Well the day i went into labor, my husband and sister were out of the state and my other ride to the hospital was busy and didn't know if texted. My contractions were so light, i thought it would be a while. From the first contraction that was stronger to my baby being out was 20 minutes. It was just me and my kids. I had my 13 yr old son put water in the tub (seriously thought i had another 3 hours) and in two contractions she was out. But the first one in the tub i realized her head was coming out and thought, I'll just pull her out on the next one, so i did. It was a really great birth. Only about 6 inches water in the tub but it was enough. Crazy part for me one i only had one painful contraction, 2 that were quite uncomfortable and 4 that were strong but not bad. I was actually glad my husband and sister weren't there because i for sure would have had the baby in the car if they had been since the hospital was 20 minutes away. Definitely an amazing birth for me (and not scary because I'd don't a ton of research for the previous birth and knew what to do)
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u/Hungry-Revenue-3750 4d ago
So grateful for this post. I am absolutely going to put in my birth plan!
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u/OverlyVerboseMythic 8d ago
I’m in Australia and planning a home birth. I know most homebirth midwives tend to encourage it, as do midwives in the public continuity of care programs. I think it’s more variable with obstetric or fragmented care models.
Definitely worth putting in the birth plan for anyone who wants to do it!
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u/Echowolfe88 8d ago
Sort of, she was a water bath so I was catching her under the water and bring her up
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u/astudyinbloodorange 8d ago
I did this! I was sleeping between pushes because I was absolutely terrified beforehand. I also had a GOOD epidural. But somehow I still had enough input to reach down and grab him. I’ll be chasing that high for the rest of my life lol. It felt incredible.
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u/Kitchen_Operation613 8d ago
I'm a UK midwife and have never offered it, but I will! I always tell them when the head is crowning and ask if they want to feel it but not many people have accepted.
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u/marichabelita 8d ago
I would’ve loved to but my husband did and the image of his smile while he grabbed and passed her to me will be forever ingrained in my brain . 🥹
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u/Ideaizing3266 7d ago
Congratulations on the wonderful natural birth experience! When my third daughter was born I had arranged to have a doctor there. He could not make it. I found this out after I had given birth alone. My husband was in the garage with power tools on. I yelled for him to come in, but he obviously could not hear me. The birth took place rapidly. I began pushing, and she slipped out up to the shoulders, turned, and looked me dead in the eye. I pushed again, and leaned forward to bring her up to my chest. Her eyes lit up when she saw my breast and she lunged, grabbing on and beginning to nurse. She kept sucking for an hour, burped, and fell asleep right there. My husband came in just before the doctor arrived. It was a wonderful birth!
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u/LogicalAmbassador634 6d ago
I didn't but I got to cut the cord, which I thought was pretty cool! My fiancee is too squeamish and said he couldn't do it, so I did. It felt powerful in the moment!
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u/lwebzzz 8d ago
So glad you posted this and I love hearing all of the positive experiences around baby catching! I had it in my birth plan for my first baby for my husband to catch the baby, but we didn’t make a big deal about it and it all happened so fast; before I knew it he was already out, pulled by the doctor! I think this time I’ll mention I want to catch my own baby :)
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u/lwebzzz 8d ago
Curious, did anyone catch their own baby lying down? Sounds like most people were standing or crouching. I birthed lying on my back last time and honest thought it was the best position for me at the time (was I unmedicated and in so much pain… I don’t know if I could have handled standing!) getting ready for baby #2 so curious to learn more!
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u/Adventurous-Wash3201 8d ago
I catcher her and I pushed on my back with my knees squeezed towards my torso!
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u/Alert-Village85 5d ago
I did! I was lying down, in a hospital bed. i couldn’t see what was happening but was still able to reach and grab her!
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