Triangle Birth Network
Empowering families. Improving birth.

There has been a buzz in the news lately with birth being called “ecstatic” or “orgasmic,” even.  Scandalous or Scientific?

ec-sta-sy

[ek-stuh-see]

These are not words traditionally associated with birth in our culture, however the birth process can be considered as such from a scientific perspective.

Sarah J. Buckley, MD has written an excellent article on the physiological process of birth, and how, under the right circumstances, women can have an ecstatic experience: http://www.sarahjbuckley.com/articles/ecstatic-birth.htm

She starts the article off by saying, “Giving birth in ecstasy: This is our birthright and our body’s intent. Mother Nature, in her wisdom, prescribes birthing hormones that take us outside (ec) our usual state (stasis), so that we can be transformed on every level as we enter motherhood.”

www.orgasmicbirth.com

Buckley goes on to describe the intricate process of chemical and hormone release in the body during labor and birth:

“Four major hormonal systems are active during labor and birth. These involve oxytocin, the hormone of love; endorphins, hormones of pleasure and transcendence; adrenaline and noradrenaline (epinephrine and norepinephrine), hormones of excitement; and prolactin, the mothering hormone. These systems are common to all mammals and originate deep in our mammalian or middle brain.”

All of these hormones are described in detail in the article…a must read!

The movie, Orgasmic Birth (www.OrgasmicBirth.com) explores the possibilities for birth as a transformative, and even enjoyable experience in a documentary format.

Giving birth in an undisturbed, supported, non-interventive environment are characteristics of “normal” or “physiological” birth.
So, what is normal?

Normal birth is described by the World Health Organization (WHO) as follows:

We define normal birth as: spontaneous in onset, low-risk at the start of labour and remaining so throughout labor and delivery. The infant is born spontaneously in the vertex position between 37 and 42 completed weeks of pregnancy. After birth mother and infant are in good condition (WHO, 1997).

Lamaze International has developed six care practices that promote, support, and protect normal birth. These practices are evidence-based (meaning, they are based on peer-reviewed research studies), and are adapted from the WHO:

• Labor begins on its own
• Freedom of movement throughout labor
• Continuous labor support
• No routine interventions
• Spontaneous pushing in upright or gravity-neutral positions
• No separation of mother and baby after birth, with unlimited opportunities for breastfeeding

To read more about the Six Practices that promote normal birth, please visit the Lamaze Institute for Normal Birth at the following link:

http://www.lamaze.org/Default.aspx?tabid=90

With the rising levels of Postpartum Mood Disorders in this country, creating an environment where women feel empowered and uplifted during their births could be considered a public health issue.  Women’s birth experience has been clearly linked to their mental state postpartum. The two major aspects about birth that can generate a traumatic experience are: extreme pain and a sense of loss of control (Reynolds, 1997). Women who give birth by cesarean not only report more physical complications during the postpartum period, but also higher rates of depression and tiredness (Borders, 2006). PMD’s are a result of a multitude of cultural and social factors, and in the United States, the lack of support and time off from work in the postpartum period largely contribute to the high incidence of these conditions. Still, the effect of birth experience is deserving of further research and is yet another motivator to reform birth practices in this country.

Please see the posting: “UNC-CH Responds to Postpartum Mood Disorders in the Triangle” for further information on Postpartum Mood Disorders.

Perhaps birth has become dislodged from the female rythm of life.  We have forgotten it’s mystery and power as women tell their birth stories less and less.  In the movie, Orgasmic Birth, Robbie Davis-Floyd, PhD discusses the fact that women are not telling their birth stories anymore because they do not want to make other women feel bad.  She urges us to begin telling our stories again.  Through this sharing, we may be able to learn about our full spectrum of choices and all of the possibilities that childbirth has to offer.

Birth circles are a wonderful way for women to come together and share their birth experiences, whether traumatic, ecstatic and all the places in between.  The Peace Tree Village in Raleigh offers birth circles every month.  Please check out their website: www.Peacetreevillage.com for further information.

Whether we approach birth from a philosophical or scientific perspective, we must confront the fact that birth affects a woman’s sense of self and therefore, ability to mother as a mental health and public health issue.  We must strive to create a maternity care environment which values physiological birth.  It’s only scientific.

Sources:

Borders, N. (2006). After the afterbirth: a critical review of postpartum health relative to method of delivery. Journal of Nurse-Midwifery, 51, 4, 242-248.

Lamaze International (2009). Lamaze Institute for Normal Birth.  Retrieved on May 6, 2009 from the World Wide Web: http://www.lamaze.org/Default.aspx?tabid=90

www.orgasmicbirth.com
Reynolds, J.L. (1997). Post-traumatic stress disorder after childbirth: the phenomenon of traumatic birth. Canadian Medical Association, 156, 6, 831-835.

WHO (1997). Care in normal birth: a practical guide. Retrieved  from the World Wide Web: http://www.who.int/reproductive-health/publications/MSM_96_24/MSM_96_24_table_of_contents.en.html