This is a great way to mitigate perineal tearing. gently guiding baby down and out can lessen your chance of tearing and support your body's natural Fetal Ejection Reflex.

If your baby is in a position that is not ideal for your pelvic shape, asynclitic, or has shoulder dystocia, you are more likely going to benefit from pushing baby out (see the next video!). In addition, if your baby is in one of these positions, avoid getting an epidural until they are LOA so that you can move through your labor to support baby’s descent, and utilize your body literacy to guide baby out. The epidural limits your movement, limits baby’s movement, and disconnects you from your body literacy.