Why Oxytocin and Endorphins are your best friend in labour and how to encourage their release

When we go into labour we have a cocktail of hormones coursing through our bodies and the levels of certain hormones significantly impact the ease and comfort with which we experience labour. As a beautiful representation of how our bodies were designed to give birth, the hormones inextricably linked with labour and birth are those which also allow us to feel a sense of happiness, love & elation.

Which hormones do we want to encourage the release of and which ones do we want to reduce to ensure a more comfortable and positive experience of childbirth?

Labour Friendly Hormones

Oxytocin is the hormone that can be thought of as labour’s best friend, it stimulates surges in the uterine muscles kick starting labour in the first place and encourages the progression of labour as well. Oxytocin has a natural feel good factor and when oxytocin levels are high endorphins are released leading to a natural euphoria which peaks straight after birth. The increased presence of oxytocin at birth helps to initiate the bonding process between parent and baby as well as aiding lactation and stimulating the uterine surges needed to birth the placenta.

Endorphins, as well as improving mood, also act as a natural form of pain relief and can be known as nature’s anaesthetic. Endorphins work in a similar way to opiates and have be known to be up to 200 times more effective than morphine in relieving pain. Therefore, when you have high levels of oxytocin and endorphins in your body during labour, this will help to improve your mood, promote a sense of elation, reduce stress and pain allowing you to experience labour more comfortably, enjoyably and ultimately help create a positive experience of labour.

Stress and Adrenaline

Stress and in turn the release of adrenaline inhibits the release of oxytocin and endorphins and represents one of the ways in which being in the stress response can negatively impact our experience of labour.

Many of us will hold fears or negative beliefs about birth due to the negative representations of birth we will have been exposed to over the course of lives from TV & film, the media, other people’s experiences or even a previous negative experience ourselves. The instinctive response for so many women to the onset of labour is one of stress and fear and therefore adrenaline release meaning many birthing parents do not experience the benefits of oxytocin and endorphins in the way nature intended us to.

Adrenaline release is also associated with bright lights and disturbances which can be characteristic of some of the more medicalised environments we can typically birth in and helps to explain why our birth environment has such a significant impact on our stress levels during labour.

So what can we do to keep adrenaline at bay and encourage the release of oxytocin and endorphins?

Birth Environment

Firstly thinking about optimising our environment to make it somewhere conducive to calm as we are believed to birth best in a place where we can feel private, safe and undisturbed. If adrenaline release is linked to bright lights having a dimly lit space will allow us to feel calmer and secure in our birth environment. Oxytocin can often be referred to as the shy hormone which is why a private space with minimal disturbances is optimal for increasing oxytocin levels, so think about what you can do to protect your birthing space, whether it be a sign on the hospital door asking for quiet and to knock before entering or requesting minimal vaginal examinations. Where-ever you are giving birth whether it be at home, a birthing centre or hospital labour ward there are steps you can take to make that space your own and fill it with things that enhance you sense of comfort and relaxation, for example:

·       Tea lights/fairy lights

·       A music playlist

·       Certain scents (essential oils or a room spray)

·       Your own pillows

·       Your own towels

·       Pictures of loved ones

Whatever you need to make that space feel as calm and familiar as possible will help to keep adrenaline at bay and oxytocin surging.

The Birth Partner as the Oxytocin & Endorphin Generator

Oxytocin is also referred to as the hormone of love as it is released when we feel love for something or someone. It is also the hormone we have coursing through our bodies when we make love and so an easy way to think about the sort of environment you need for birth is somewhere you would also be happy to make love in!

This is where your birth partner is so important as the oxytocin and endorphin generator. If intimacy is linked to oxytocin release then skin to skin contact, hugging, kissing, hand holding and nipple stimulation are all great examples of ways your birth partner can help to encourage the release of those positive hormones and also keep you relaxed. Massage in particular light touch massage which leaves you with those goose bumps on your skin encourages endorphin release and is therefore great to practice through pregnancy and use in labour. The more you practice this during pregnancy the more your brain will hold positive associations and therefore, the quicker the impact when used in labour too.

The more oxytocin and endorphins you can bank in the lead up to and during the early stages of labour the more comfortably you will experience the sensations as your labour progresses.

Hypnobirthing Techniques

When we consider that adrenaline is the physiological response to stress, being able to stay relaxed during labour is paramount to increasing oxytocin and endorphin levels, whilst also reducing adrenaline. I have discussed some of the more practical ways you can encourage relaxation and therefore, oxytocin and endorphin release through your environment and embracing the power of the birth partner, but there are key psychological tools and techniques which allow us to achieve relaxation too and this is where hypnobirthing becomes invaluable. The breathing exercises, visualisations and audios taught through my courses give you a wealth of tools you can turn to in order to promote relaxation and help create a positive experience of labour that continue to be powerful and become even more important when our birth does not follow our ideal preferences.

Having techniques you can lean into which enable to reach a state of calm on demand will also keep oxytocin and endorphin levels high, which is why hypnobirthing is considered to be a natural form of pain relief. Hypnobirthing will also help to address any negative mind-set or beliefs about birth and therefore, in turn help to reduce the stress response to the onset of labour. This keeps adrenaline levels low, which allows oxytocin and endorphins to flow for a more comfortable and positive labour experience where we work with our bodies and our hormones.

If you would like to know more about the ways hypnobirthing can help you to psychologically prepare for birth and enable you stay relaxed through labour as well, then please contact me to enrol in one of my courses.