Oxytocin: The Love Hormone's Vital Role in Bringing New Life Into the World
- elsahartley
- Jan 13
- 2 min read
Ina May Gaskin - a world-famous Midwife actually noted that the physiological aspect of birth "becomes easier when a woman is being encouraged, if she is laughing or if she is being praised" - I'm sure many of you are thinking that this is easier said than done! In short, parents and birth partners need only one thing in order to promote a happier, healthier birth: Oxytocin. It's one of those terms pregnant people hear a lot, but don't always receive in-depth information on. In this post, I aim to change that...
Also known as 'the miracle hormone' or 'the hormone of closeness', Oxytocin is produced by the pituitary gland and is triggered when a baby is ready to be born. This amazing hormone is here to help you along your birthing journey - and is also the reason for contractions, so plays a vital role in bringing you closer to meeting your gorgeous little one.
As your birthing coach, my aim is to encourage as much Oxytocin as possible to flood your body. We can work together to engage your primitive brain and disengage your thinking or 'intelligence brain' (the neo cortex), taking it completely back to basics.
In Greek, Oxytocin simply means 'quick birth', hence why the more you produce the quicker your birth will be! So, together we can work to encourage whatever fills you with happiness. Labour and contractions are often associated with pain or stress, but by utilising Oxytocin boosting tools, like aromatherapy or your favourite music, we can remove unnecessary anxiety from the birth experience. Some of my favourite ways to raise Oxytocin levels are sticking on my comfort podcast or TV show or, when it comes to reducing labour stress, being in the comfort of my own home surrounded by my favourite fairy lights!
As well as this, some common Oxytocin promoters include:
Being immersed in water
Low/dim lighting or galaxy lamps
Ocean, rain, or nature sounds
Birthing ball
Having a Doula
An encouraging partner (physically and emotionally)
Massage and physical touch
If you don't know where to begin, and all this medical jargon sounds daunting, that's where I come in! I vow to help you inform yourself and believe in your ability as parent to birth your child without any suffering or confusion.
If you are considering a doula and would like to have a chat with me, feel free to get in touch via the Doula Directory or via the Contact Me section on my website.
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