Oxytocin is a magical hormone. Known as the love hormone it's released during sex, hugs, orgasm, labour and breastfeeding.
I'm sure you've heard it spoken about before but what actually is its role in labour and what can you do to encourage more of it?
As you get closer to labour your oxytocin levels increase. Its main role is to stimulate contractions of your uterus and to progress your labour so we want to create an environment that really lets the oxytocin flow!
The thing is, oxytocin is a shy hormone, it's easily scared away which is often when labour slows or sometimes even stalls...
So what can you do to encourage oxytocin production?
You need to feel safe and secure in your birthing space, wherever that may be. We typically like to give birth in cosy den-like spaces and that's where oxytocin will flow. Think about the lighting, the mood and ambience of the space. This is one of the huge benefits of planning a home birth - you're in your ultimate safe, cosy space which usually allows labour to progress the most smoothly. But even in hospital and midwife-led units there are things you can do to make it feel cosier. Take some electric tealights (you can't have real candles in hospitals), blankets from home, stick up some affirmation cards, keep the lights low in the room, wear sun glasses when transferring into hospital to keep light levels low, keep noise levels down, listen to your favourite music or hypnobirthing tracks, all these are great ways to make the space feel warmer.
The next way to stimulate oxytocin is touch! As we said earlier it's a love hormone and is released when we're touching loved ones. Whether that be through massage, supported birth positions, cuddles, kisses and even orgasms, touch is a great way to increase your oxytocin.
Privacy is incredbily important. Feeling observed or disturbed can absolutely slow oxytocin production and as a result labour. Making sure that your care providers are aware of your wishes in being left to it as much as possible is important. This is also why building a relationship with your care providers is desirable so you have trust in those around you and you are comfortable in their presence (I realise this is increasingly difficult in the NHS due to the current crisis - thanks government!).
Labouring in warm water is another great way of increasing oxytocin and keeping your body relaxed. This is just one of the many benefits of having a water birth, some of the others include increased comfort, reduced pain, shorter labour and improved mobility.
The other, massively underrated way of increasing oxyctocin is laughter!
Laughter helps your body to relax and can do wonders in labour - particularly in the early stages - so get your favourite comedian's clips ready, don't be afraid of being silly, have a giggle with your birth partners and remember that labour and birth can also be a funny experience. There are times when we will be 'in the zone' and definitely don't want our partner making some stupid joke but there are also times when having a bit of a laugh is just what we need.
At this point I just want to say that labour and birth are very individual experiences and what works for one person may not work for another, always go with what feels right for you.
Oxytocin is such a powerful hormone for labour and the birth of your baby. The human body is a miraculous thing, we were designed to give birth from our mechanics to our hormones to our natural instincts. Sometimes we overthink things here in the Western world, often when we don't really need to. Of course there are times when interventions are necessary and when things don't go to plan no matter how much we try to prepare but generally speaking, when we're left to it and have the right support team around us, our bodies will take control and we will have a more positive experience.
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