Role of hormones during childbirth and labor
Birth hormones are hormones that both the mother and the baby make that work together and enhance birth and labor to go smoothly. The hormones help the body to get ready when giving birth, prepares the baby for labor and life outside the mother’s body, helps the breasts to produce milk, and getting the baby prepared to breastfeed and also helps to start labor and contractions. The four main important hormones are oxytocin, endorphins, adrenaline, and prolactin. The hormones play a great role in the regulation of labor and birth as discussed below.
Oxytocin
Oxytocin is involved in contractions during labor and birth and also in the release of milk during breastfeeding. It is involved in enhancing major contractions that help to open and thin the cervix, moving the baby down and out, pushing out the placenta, and also limits bleeding at the site of the placenta. Production of oxytocin during labor and birth can be enhanced by staying calm confident and comfortable and avoiding disturbances.
Endorphins
It is a pain-relieving hormone that helps in calming pain during labor and relieving stress. Higher endorphin levels during birth and labor help one to feel more alert, attentive, euphoric after giving birth. Endorphins are used to strengthen the mother and child relationship. Endorphin levels can be enhanced avoiding disturbances and avoiding opioids and epidural for pain relief.
Adrenaline
It’s known as the flight or fight hormone that helps humans to survive. During labor for example women who feel threatened by fear or severe pain might produce higher levels of adrenaline. Too much production of adrenaline can cause major problems such as causing distress to the baby before birth and also causing contractions to stop.
Prolactin
Prolactin plays a major role in moving labor along and also helps the newborn to adjust to life outside the womb. It is used for the production of breast milk. Higher levels of prolactin might foster women’s behavior in caretaking and adjust her to being a mother. Production of prolactin can be enhanced by waiting for labor to start on its own and also minimizing stress during labor and after birth.