Have you ever wondered how in the world women give birth? I have, and I've done it twice! When you take inventory of all the nuts and bolts and parts on a woman's body, it just doesn't seem possible that she could grow an entire human being let alone expel it from her body!
For today's
Mama Monday I want to talk about the hormones in our body that set in motion the physiological processes that make childbirth possible. Many people will describe childbirth and the rush of emotions by saying it was an "adrenaline rush," when this is actually a misnomer. It makes sense that one would think that way, since adrenaline is the only hormone usually associated with great feats of strength!
The hormones that function in birth are actually the opposite of
adrenaline and
catecholamines, which are involved in what we call the "fight or flight" response. Adrenaline and catecholamines, while enabling many to get through traumatic events while injured or flee from predators, actually make muscles tense up (which you don't want in labor) and are often associated with fear. In childbirth, adrenaline and dopamine (a catecholamine) will tell the woman's body that it is not safe to birth the baby, and the labor process can slow and sometimes halt altogether. This often results in unwanted or unnecessary interventions.
While one may feel a little uncomfortable coming to terms with it, it should be a rather obvious observation to note that we give birth and feed our young with our sexual organs. Stay with me here. Ever heard the term "oxytocin?" You've probably heard of pitocin, the trade name of the synthetic form of oxytocin given to laboring women to speed up their labor or to induce labor in a woman who has not begun spontaneously.
Oxytocin is the hormone naturally released in a woman's body that relaxes tissues and tendons and stimulates contractions necessary for moving a baby down into the birth canal and pushing it out.
You know what else produces oxytocin in our bodies? Love and love making! That "adrenaline rush" many women describe was a rush, but it wasn't adrenaline. It was oxytocin, the same hormone that made them giddy with excitement when they fell in love with their spouse and the same hormone emitted during the climax of the event that produced the baby in the first place! Nipple stimulation and breastfeeding also produce oxytocin.
Endorphins and beta endorphins also occur in labor. Endorphins contribute to what we call the "runner's high," and come into play during exercise, painful experiences, love and orgasm. Other pleasurable experiences can produce endorphins as well (I'd like to think I remember a news story saying that chocolate stimulated the production of endorphins, but that may be wishful thinking)! These are "feel good" chemicals that help us cope with pain. Athletes and trainers know that endorphins make it possible for people to run marathons, complete Iron Man competitions and climb mountains.
Do you see where I'm going yet? Love and labor hormones are the same! When a woman feels fearful or stressed, her brain will pump her body full of adrenaline which will slow down her labor and in turn make it substantially more painful. On the other hand, when she feels loved and safe, her brain will release oxytocin and endorphins which will both keep labor moving along and also help her cope with the pain. There are actually many instances where women feel ecstatic and even
orgasmic during childbirth. Don't get squeamish here - remember how we talked about sex organs being the same as birth organs? It's just physiology here, friends.
I often talk to my clients about the difference from the fear cycle and the safety cycle. Watch this:
Labor Fear Cycle
Trigger: perception, interruption, distraction or communication, presence of unwanted people
~leads to~
Emotional response: fear, uncertainty, anxiety, feeling unsafe/unsupported
~leads to~
Hormonal release: stress hormones (adrenaline and dopamine), "fight or flight" response
~leads to~
Physical response: increased heart rate and breathing, decreased blood flow to uterus
~leads to~
Result: tension, muscle soreness and fatigue, increased pain, less effective labor
Now, compare the above cycle with the following:
Labor Safety Cycle
Trigger: safe environment, warmth, darkness, quiet, solitude, respect, loving words and actions
~leads to~
Emotional response: feeling safe, confident, peaceful, loved
~leads to~
Hormonal release: oxytocin and endorphins
~leads to~
Physical response: muscles loosen and relax, increased blood flow to uterus, cervix opens, effective contractions
~leads to~
Result: relaxation, confidence builds, decreased pain, feelings of love and joy, more effective labor
So, if oxytocin and endorphins are released when falling in love and during love making, and also contribute to successful labor with less pain, wouldn't it make sense to try to incorporate those two experiences more?
For women giving birth with their spouse accompanying them, imagine this: in the weeks leading up to birth and as labor begins, I would encourage you to take a trip down memory lane and fall in love again! Go on dates to places you did in the very beginning. Talk about what you felt, relive your proposal and your wedding, and make love. Consequently, prostiglandins in semen soften the cervix and prepare it for childbirth. In
some cases animal sources of this are used to achieve this outcome; wouldn't you rather use the human source?
Women giving birth without a partner can still help these hormones along by focusing on activities they love and which make them happy. Exercise, laughter, romantic comedies, poetry, music, massage, nipple stimulation and others can all stimulate oxytocin and endorphin production.
This is all the more reason to have a
doula with you and other loving, supportive friends with you to encourage this safe environment during labor and birth!
Happy Birthing!
