# Pushing Question/ fetal ejection reflex?



## Care Lee (Feb 12, 2009)

The other thread got me wondering...

I've had 3 births, and have always waited past when the mw said I could push because a friend told me once my body would do most of the work if I let it. She had 6 kids, so I took her word on it.

As it turned out, I felt my body pushing the babies out without me 'actively' assisting it until the very, very end. My first birth it took 20 minutes, my second took 2 'active' pushes from me, and my son took one 'active' push from me. When I say 'active' I mean I was actually pushing like I would if I was going to the bathroom (sorry







). Before that I was just sort of passively noticing my body pushing, for lack of a better term. I felt it, but I was not doing it.

Is this fetal ejection reflex, or is this just what happens when you don't push? It was just so easy this way, afterwards I was actually thinking "wow, that's it?" I wonder is this how it just is for me, or have other mothers experienced it to be this way also.


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## Robinna (Aug 11, 2003)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Care Lee* 
The other thread got me wondering...

I've had 3 births, and have always waited past when the mw said I could push because a friend told me once my body would do most of the work if I let it. She had 6 kids, so I took her word on it.

As it turned out, I felt my body pushing the babies out without me 'actively' assisting it until the very, very end. My first birth it took 20 minutes, my second took 2 'active' pushes from me, and my son took one 'active' push from me. When I say 'active' I mean I was actually pushing like I would if I was going to the bathroom (sorry







). Before that I was just sort of passively noticing my body pushing, for lack of a better term. I felt it, but I was not doing it.

Is this fetal ejection reflex, or is this just what happens when you don't push? It was just so easy this way, afterwards I was actually thinking "wow, that's it?" I wonder is this how it just is for me, or have other mothers experienced it to be this way also.

I never myself pushed deliberately - the pushing reflex was like a freight train coming through and I was just riding on the cattle catcher.


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## Full Heart (Apr 27, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Robinna* 
I never myself pushed deliberately - the pushing reflex was like a freight train coming through and I was just riding on the cattle catcher.

Yea thats how I describe it - like a freight train.

Its something your body does and you have no control over it. You can breath your baby down, I've done that. Nice and gentle. Then there is the freight train. Forceful, almost violent. My body did things on its own accord. I was not in control. There was no conscious effort to push. My body wrapped around itself and ejected the baby. Ds felt like a missile leaving my body. Everyone always laughs at that but thats what it felt like. I was in the water and there was this giant WHOOSH as he flew out. Poor kid lol. http://www.collegeofmidwives.org/pra...1/MFer_01a.htm Even this talks about the freight train lol. Seems to be a common description.


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## mama2004 (Nov 14, 2007)

I'm with the previous two posters, although for me it was more like being possessed by a pile driver. I didn't do anything, my body just took over and it was all I could do to try to hang on. I love the idea of breathing a baby out, but I honestly can't imagine anything that sounds so placid.


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## lisa_nc (Jul 25, 2008)

Yes! I have NO idea what this breathing the baby down is! I precip and that baby is just COMING. I agree with the PP who said it's like a rocket. For me it was like "I can't do this! Oh. Hello baby."


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## Juvysen (Apr 25, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Full Heart* 
Yea thats how I describe it - like a freight train.

Its something your body does and you have no control over it. You can breath your baby down, I've done that. Nice and gentle. Then there is the freight train. Forceful, almost violent. My body did things on its own accord. I was not in control. There was no conscious effort to push. My body wrapped around itself and ejected the baby. Ds felt like a missile leaving my body. Everyone always laughs at that but thats what it felt like. I was in the water and there was this giant WHOOSH as he flew out. Poor kid lol. http://www.collegeofmidwives.org/pra...1/MFer_01a.htm Even this talks about the freight train lol. Seems to be a common description.









: Although, Ds was coming down so fast that I was told not to push so I didn't tear. I breathed him down. Owies, though. I pushed for 2 hrs w/my first birth and it didn't hurt at all until after her head was out. Ds, though felt like just what it was - a bowling ball coming out of my cootch. Ouch.







But at least it was quick. I usually say "he shot out like a cannon" - it was weird feeling my uterus just kick him out. My body did ALL the work, though - I focused on breathing. It was actually a little shocking for me because everything indicated that I'd likely be pushing for an hour (my midwife said half the time for the first stage and half the time for the second stage compared with my first birth). I went from 7 cm dilated to holding baby in 20 minutes. It was quite a ride.









ETA... Um, I hope this doesn't threadjack too much, but I've had some - um - issues with how the ejection thing happened. Anyone else have that? I mean, I guess it was sorta traumatic feeling completely out of control of it, even though I had a home birth and everything was fine. It's been 19 months and I feel like I'm still processing it... anyone else have that problem? I guess it feels sort of traumatic to me, but I don't feel comfortable posting in the birth trauma section about it because, well, I guess I feel like it's what was SUPPOSED to happen...


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## saharasky (Dec 20, 2002)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Juvysen* 
ETA... Um, I hope this doesn't threadjack too much, but I've had some - um - issues with how the ejection thing happened. Anyone else have that? I mean, I guess it was sorta traumatic feeling completely out of control of it, even though I had a home birth and everything was fine. It's been 19 months and I feel like I'm still processing it... anyone else have that problem? I guess it feels sort of traumatic to me, but I don't feel comfortable posting in the birth trauma section about it because, well, I guess I feel like it's what was SUPPOSED to happen...

Hello fellow thread hijacker LOL ... Me too! Though there were several other issues that happened after the birth to contribute towards PTSD ... Physically I literally went into shock after he was out (4cm to baby out in 10 minutes ... no wonder) BUT it was totally out of control and I would've much rather had to push for a couple of hours than experience a fetal ejection reflex. It was FAST but beyond INTENSE.

Back to the topic at hand ... OP I think what you're describing is the ideal way things are 'supposed' to happen ...a 'gentle and controlled' pushing reflex. Which is how my first seemed to go. The out of control super fast fetal ejection reflex is really something else. I remember screaming 'get him out' and that never happened the first time and feeling like my bottom was exploding.


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## mama2004 (Nov 14, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Juvysen* 







: Although, Ds was coming down so fast that I was told not to push so I didn't tear. I breathed him down. Owies, though. I pushed for 2 hrs w/my first birth and it didn't hurt at all until after her head was out. Ds, though felt like just what it was - a bowling ball coming out of my cootch. Ouch.







But at least it was quick. I usually say "he shot out like a cannon" - it was weird feeling my uterus just kick him out. My body did ALL the work, though - I focused on breathing. It was actually a little shocking for me because everything indicated that I'd likely be pushing for an hour (my midwife said half the time for the first stage and half the time for the second stage compared with my first birth). I went from 7 cm dilated to holding baby in 20 minutes. It was quite a ride.









ETA... Um, I hope this doesn't threadjack too much, but I've had some - um - issues with how the ejection thing happened. Anyone else have that? I mean, I guess it was sorta traumatic feeling completely out of control of it, even though I had a home birth and everything was fine. It's been 19 months and I feel like I'm still processing it... anyone else have that problem? I guess it feels sort of traumatic to me, but I don't feel comfortable posting in the birth trauma section about it because, well, I guess I feel like it's what was SUPPOSED to happen...

I was shocked at how the birth of ds went, and by all accounts it was smooth, in a FBC with midwives, in the tub, hands off, everything I thought I needed, but the violence of second stage left me kind of stunned and confused for quite a while. I'm always extra confused when I see one of those videos of a HB when the woman doesn't even seem to be doing anything but feeling kind of blissed out and then, oops! there's the baby!
Huh?
*End of hijack*


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## snowmom5 (May 8, 2008)

Another passenger on the freight train rocket here. It seemed pretty violent to me.

To the others, still processing your experiences: For me, I didn't mind except that (a) um, it hurt and (b) I was shaking, kinda in shock afterward and I couldn't hold my baby. The OB wanted to put the baby on my chest and what I was really thinking was "get that thing away from me!" though no one really knows that. I had to say no to holding the baby. I couldn't even lift up my arms. I think I must have gotten hit by the freight train in the process LOL. That's what I missed about the epidural - with the epi, I had a calm birth and breathed the baby down (my second one with an epi, anyway) whereas there was nothing calm or peaceful about this one with the fetal ejection reflex, except that it was over quickly







The OB said it was one of her most memorable deliveries, because it was so quick and because of the look on my face. I have no idea what that look was - I was busy squeezing my eyes shut.


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## CallMeMommy (Jun 15, 2005)

Freight train is EXACTLY what it felt like! Add me to the list of women wondering how in the h#ll people just breathe their babies out. I had watched the twin UC video not long before I gave birth, and to this day I still can't wrap my head around how she just kind of moaned and grunted and look a baby! Twice, even! I was screaming and completely not in control, that baby was coming out no matter what I did, and afterwards I couldn't even move to pick up my baby. My midwife kept telling me to take him and put him to my chest but I was stuck on the floor on all fours and literally could not move without assistance. My husband had to help me into a sitting position.


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## bubbamummy (Feb 25, 2009)

I was never told 'when to push' my midwife just said to do as my body told me....and believe be it told me







the pushing was surreal, it was like someone else had control of me...Id be mid sentence and BOOOOM a huge force would sweep though me. My son took 30 minutes to be born (from my water breaking)


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