Oxytocin: The hormone of love, birth, breastfeeding, bonding and being human

Oxytocin is often known as the "hormone of love" because it is involved with lovemaking, fertility, contractions during labor and birth and the release of milk in breastfeeding. It helps us feel good, and it triggers nurturing feelings and behaviors.  It encourages bonding and connecting among parents and children and others as well.  Receptor cells, lining the uterus and elsewhere in your body, that allow your body to respond to oxytocin, increase gradually in pregnancy and then increase dramatically during labor. Oxytocin stimulates powerful contractions or muscle movements that help thin and open (dilate) the cervix, move the baby down and out of the birth canal, push out the placenta, and limit bleeding at the site of the placenta. During labor and birth, the pressure of the baby against your cervix, and then against tissues in the pelvic floor, stimulates oxytocin release and contractions. So does a breastfeeding newborn. Oxytocin flows through the new mom’s system and helps her to “fall in love” and feel bonded to her newborn. Each release of oxytocin has an accompanying release of endorphins in the brain which allow us to feel super relaxed, calm and dreamy or “far away” in labor. Endorphins are chemicals released by the brain that allow us to cope with stress and pain naturally. They allow us to tolerate the many powerful muscle contractions needed to open the cervix and birth your baby. This is one reason why many women experiencing labor have a huge “high” right after birth. 

Low levels of oxytocin during labor and birth can cause problems by:

• Causing contractions to stop or slow, and making labor take longer.

• Resulting in excessive bleeding at the placenta site after birth.

• Leading health care providers to respond to these problems with interventions.

You can promote your body's production of oxytocin during labor and birth by:

• Staying calm, comfortable and confident.

• Staying home and relaxed as long as possible (barring any Warning Signs or practitioner instructions for you)

• Avoiding disturbances, such as unwelcome people or noise and uncomfortable procedures, bright lights, harsh words to birthing person, threats or other coercion.

• Staying upright and using gravity so your baby is pressed against your cervix and then, as the baby is born, against the tissues of your pelvic floor.

• Gentle touch, hugs, massage and positive interactions with a trusted support person

• Stimulating your nipples before birth, and giving your baby a chance to suckle (breastfeed) shortly after birth.

• Avoiding epidural analgesia or delaying it until labor is active (6 centimeters of dilation in the first time mother)

Top Ten Tips for a Better Birth

• Stay home in your early labor. Remember first time births tend to be longer, so it could be a while. Also a majority of babies are born after their ‘due date’ the first time. (Heed Warning Signs for exceptions)

• Rest or sleep as much as possible in the early hours. Don’t worry if it is not “perfect” or uninterrupted sleep. Move to a comfy chair or sofa with pillows propping you on side if that feels better. Rest between contractions when they start waking you up.Use distractions and mild activity when rest isn’t working as well.

• Keep the environment calm, quiet and peaceful. Close the birth room door in hospital. Bring LED candles. Use the bath or shower a lot. Try posting your Affirmations for Labor on Cards around your home weeks or months before your due date. Repeat them internally often.

• Eat whatever appeals to you in early labor and again snack in stage 2 or pushing. Eating in labor is evidence based. Try to minimize acidic foods. 

• Drink frequently. No need to “over-hydrate”. Drink throughout labor. Try fruit flavored water, Raspberry Leaf Tea, Coconut Water or whatever appeals. Support person offer drink and refill often. (Also support person stay hydrated!).

• Partner and support person/doula stay tuned in to what mom needs. Reassurance, massage, physical support and position ideas, run a bath, bring snacks and fluids, encouragement, advocacy, accept mom’s natural need for reassurance and confidence reminders.

• Discuss and write down your Birth Preferences for your team. Have partner/support person and doula remind you and advocate for you. Provide a copy to hospital staff. Be sure each new nurse, MD or Midwife reads and understands Mom’s preferences. Discuss any questions or differences in proposed care.

• Once contractions are harder continue to get upright and move hips around, lean forward, lean onto pillows/birth ball, kneel, squat or anything to help move the body and allow baby to navigate the pelvis. 

• Push in upright positions: kneeling, dangle, squatting with squat bar, lean over back of bed. Follow your body and baby’s lead and don’t hold breath (starves baby of oxygen). Allow baby’s head to “ease” out in order to reduce tearing. Be sure team allows a “2 step birth process” where after head is born there is a brief few moments until body turns and follows head out.(reduces harm to mother and baby).

• Ensure you are receiving Evidence Based care. Ask you Key Questions (partners or support person will have to do this when mom is in labor) about any tests or procedures suggested to minimize risks to mother and baby.