15/02/2022
What is Oxytocin and why is it so important?
🌟Oxytocin, also known as the ‘hormone of love’, helps us feel good and triggers nurturing feelings and behaviours. It also plays a vital role during labour. During labour oxytocin causes powerful contractions that help to thin and open (dilate) the cervix, move baby down and out of the birth canal, push out the placenta, and limit bleeding at the placenta site. Now, do you see why we love oxytocin so much?
🌟So, how do we make sure we get enough oxytocin goodness to help us birth our baby?
🌟We can promote our bodies production of oxytocin during labour and birth by:
• Making sure there are no bright lights in the room, keeping light dim as Melatonin (the nighttime hormone) helps with oxytocin production.
• Having people in the room with you who you feel comfortable with and supported by.
• Keeping noise levels low, limiting unwanted disturbances and avoiding uncomfortable procedures.
• Staying upright and using gravity so your baby is pressed against your cervix and then, as the baby is born, against the tissues of your pelvic floor.
• Staying calm, comfortable, and confident – we can teach you how with the Hypnobirthing Australia Positive Birth Course!
🌟Low levels of oxytocin during birth can result in contractions stopping or slowing, making labour longer, causing excessive bleeding post-partum, and result in an increased chance of intervention.
🌟By making sure we stay calm, confident, and comfortable we can make sure our cortisol levels stay low and our stressor hormones don’t interfere with our labour progress.
🌟The Positive Birth Program gives you tools and techniques to keep the oxytocin flowing, such as:
• Visualisations
• Affirmations
• Light touch techniques
• Acupressure
• And many more!