"Purple Pushing" (or directed pushing), is commonly used for women who have had pain medication and are not able to fully feel their body’s natural urge to push through the contractions.  Purple pushing is directed by the nurses and the OB who will tell you to begin pushing as a contraction begins and count slowly to ten while telling you to keep pushing for the duration of the contraction.  While this type of directed pushing can serve a purpose for a mother who is unable to feel anything below her waist, it often leads to an increased need for an oxygen mask, quicker exhaustion, increased chances of assisted delivery, and increased risk of tearing because the mother isn’t able to “listen” to her body by way of backing out of a push when it feels appropriate and stop when her body needs time to stretch and rest.