Oxytocin and birth

[midlifehope]

My midwife was going on about how oxytocin is needed to start labour etc., but is this really true? Those who have had natural births before- were you feeling all loved up just before birth started? I'm really not. My dp is so blokey it doesn't help me get into that state at all.

[WiIdfire]

I didn't go into labour and was induced at 40+12 (otherwise no doubt he would still be in there). Clearly I'm lacking something in the hormone category. I never really do "loved up", so maybe that's it?

[HermioneWeasley]

I assume that the role of oxytocin in birth will be different than in love and bonding - in the same way that dopamine plays a role in reward/pleasure/addiction but also motor control.

I doubt you need to be producing oxytocin by feeling loved up, more that your body will start producing it as part of the natural process of labour, but there's lots of evidence that being stressed slows labour down.

[midlifehope]

I didn't go into labour last time either! 3 weeks overdue then an Emcs

[midlifehope]

I see - will try not to be stressed then!

[BoutrosBoutros]

I had brunch with friends, took the dog for a long walk in the sunshine then had a nice nap - so maybe it's true for me!!! Not sure the oxytocin helped with the pain much once it got going though!!

[Babypythagorus]

I was very doubtful about this too, as I did a hypnobirthing course and she was on about it all the time, but I did, and maybe it helped, managed a very long labour without needing any drugs (which wasn't the aim, I just never asked for any...)

[LumpySpaceCow]

Oxytocin is released during labour (syntocinon is the synthetic one they can induce you with). Lot of emphasis in hypnobirthing as being relaxed, feeling safe etc. all helps progress labour, whereas the release of adrenaline too early can inhibit and sometimes stall labour (think fight or flight when a labouring cavewoman needed to get away from a hungry animal!) It doesn't mean that if you are more loved up you will go into labour x

[ApplesTheHare]

No, I just felt really angry that someone had asked me to look after their dog (I usually love dogs) within a couple of weeks of my due date. And then angry at DH for saying dog was nice. I did crave hot food and ate tons of fresh chillies for 3 days beforehand. Not sure that means anything other than a chilli craving though