Ferguson / Fetal Ejection Reflex

Ferguson Reflex

First described in a 1941 article by James Kenneth Wallace Ferguson, the Ferguson reflex (also known as the utero-pituitary reflex) is a physiological response that occurs when the baby’s head descends and stretches the cervix and pelvic tissues. This stretch stimulates receptors in those tissues, creating a feedback loop that prompts the release of oxytocin. As oxytocin increases, contractions become stronger and more expulsive.

This reflex is behind the spontaneous, uncontrollable urge to push that many women experience at the end of labour. It is a powerful example of the body knowing exactly what to do.

Fetal Ejection Reflex

This term originally comes from animal research by Newton, Foshee and Newton, particularly in studies with mice. Later, the concept was applied to human birth by Michel Odent, who explored it in his writing on The Fetus Ejection Reflex. Odent proposed that this reflex is initiated by a surge of adrenaline and catecholamines, typically in response to a perceived threat or intense physiological peak near the end of labour.

It results in an extremely rapid and involuntary birth, where the baby is expelled without conscious effort or pushing. Odent noted that this response is not triggered by local physical pressure, but by a complex hormonal shift, possibly as a protective evolutionary mechanism.