In modern America, giving birth has evolved into a medical condition that calls for ongoing monitoring and interventions in a setting with institutionalized theater built for efficiency. It’s debatable whether women who are in labor need such interventions because giving birth is a natural process that our bodies are built to handle. The whole thing is actually started in a calm environment.
In the article “Fear versus Trust: The Impact of Fear on Birth Experiences and Maternal Outcomes,” researchers from the The findings of the Birth Wisdom Project explain why the United States is ranked 34th among developed countries for maternal care.
Researchers looked at whether or not women have faith in their innate ability to give birth or whether fear prevails over faith and discovered how this affects birth experiences. Fear is linked to more interventions and C-sections, whereas lack of fear or low levels of fear are linked to satisfying birthing experiences. Because it supports the neurohormonal physiology of birth, maintaining your composure during labor enhances birth.
For childbirth, safety and trust are crucial. These reflexes are regulated by the brainstem. Contractions during labor are aided by oxytocin. Pleasurable feelings during birth are caused by prolactin and endorphins. Certain environments inhibit the release of these hormones that improve mood.
When under stress, the amygdala releases adrenaline, which inhibits oxytocin flow and halts labor. Adrenaline triggers the fight, flight, or freeze response by diverting blood away from the core and toward the extremities. Fetal distress is exacerbated when there is less blood available to oxygenate the fetus. Two frequent justifications for interventions are labor that does not progress and fetal distress.
Birth was regarded as a natural occurrence in earlier societies. The idea that birth was a dangerous process where anything could go wrong emerged when the process started involving doctors. Then, giving birth in a hospital was the safest option.
Medical technology is required for 5% of births. Medical intervention, however, entails risk for the remaining 95%. One researcher noted “evidence that obstetric practices are more effective than traditional non-interventionist methods doesn’t exist.”
Researchers conclude that “surveillance and interruptions lead to an unconscious level of anxiety and tension that cause the body to release adrenaline which interferes with the hormonal cascade of birth and the automatic expulsion reflex.” Fear and tension can cause the cervix to tighten, which makes childbirth painful because it restricts blood flow to the uterus.
The environment has an impact on birth, according to all midwives. Compared to births at birthing centers or at home, which take place in a nurturing, private environment with the mother guiding the choices, hospital births offer a clinical setting and doctor-determined timelines and interruptions.
Mammals prefer giving birth in quiet, hidden locations where they can do so without being seen or disturbed. Ina May Gaskin, a midwife, points out that birth is one of the few bodily processes that needs such relaxation to proceed. Fear appears to be a significant factor because it slows down labor and prevents the release of the hormone oxytocin required for birth. Oxytocin, endorphins, and prolactin are released when you’re relaxed, which makes it easier for spontaneous births to occur.
It is beneficial to have a prenatal understanding of the hormonal birth cascade. A cascade of hormones related to ecstasy, love, and bliss are released during labor in women who feel secure, at ease, and confident in their ability to give birth. The transcendent experience of childbirth depends on calmness and relaxation.