Fetal Ejection Reflex…
What’s it got to do with pushing my baby out?
Many factors go into how long the second stage (pushing phase) of labor is for you. You may hear some women talk of how they pushed for 3 hours…or for 3 pushes! While much of the reasons why, vary from birth to birth, there are a few factors that could make a huge difference on how long this phase is. So, let’s take a look at a few things that CAN help to ease the process of birth for you.
FIRST OFF…A LITTLE EDUCATION!
Pelvic Stations:
Pushing your baby out takes active physical effort. This is why it is imperative that you wait until you feel the fetal ejection reflex kicking in. It’s a point where you start to feel the intense pressure within you that your body is already pushing on its own. This will not start until the uterus has contracted down on top of the baby’s bottom to help bring baby down. This together with the help of gravity will be so strong that you cannot help but push with your body! Waiting for this reflex to start actively pushing will ensure that baby is low enough in the pelvis (+1/+2 station) to be passed the smallest portion of the pelvis inlet. Which in turn will shorten pushing time, lower risk of swelling and trauma at crowning, which in turn will aid the positive birth experience you desire according to the ACOG/NCBI/APA/Evidence Based Birth.
What is the Fetal Ejection Reflex?
Extremely high levels of adrenaline during late labor can trigger the fetal ejection reflex. This surge triggers strong, rapid contractions which move the baby from the uterus and into the birth canal. The pressure of the baby in the vagina stimulates the Ferguson reflex, which is the uncontrollable expulsion of the baby, which happens when nerves in the pelvis are stimulated as the baby descends through the birth canal. This biofeedback sends messages to the brain to release more oxytocin, resulting in two or three strong contractions. The baby is born quickly and easily without voluntary pushing from the mother.
The fetal ejection reflex will occur spontaneously, when the mother has experienced a completely undisturbed labor. She feels completely safe and supported, has privacy and is not disturbed by noise and bright lights. The mothers body has a sudden tendency to be upright. For example, if the woman was previously on hands and knees, her chest tends to be vertical. Other women stand up to give birth, more often than not leaning on the edge of a piece of furniture. A fetal ejection reflex is usually associated with a bending forward posture. When a woman is bending, the mechanism of the opening of the vulva is different from what it is in other positions. Therefore, the risk of dangerous tears is eliminated.
This clearly supports the evidence, that if we hold supportive space for birthing women, inducing a peaceful uninterrupted environment, it will support the natural FER (fetal ejection reflex) and in turn will help to reduce the risk of physical trauma at crowning. Which aids the positive birth view of birthing mothers. For more information on the FER see:
http://www.wombecology.com/?pg=fetusejection https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1595201/
evidence on pushing positions https://evidencebasedbirth.com/what-is-the-evidence-for-pushing-positions/
