Podcast

The Natural Chemical You Need In Pregnancy

October 11, 2013

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We're Maryn + Margo

We are mamas and birth workers who decided to do birth differently– and bring others along with us. We are kind, fun to work with, and great at (lovingly) calling people on their bullshit. With 12 children and 20 years of midwifery between us, we’ve learned a thing or two along the way, and Indie Birth is our space to share it all with you.

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In this episode of Taking Back Birth, I discuss a chemical you definitely want to have in your pregnancy. You’ll discover how to get more of it!

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  1. diana cronin says:

    wow! i like it a lot. Oxytocin, i learned something new today. Thanks.
    i love huging too. ! i wanted to experience to be pregnant by my fiance. i want to feel his love and support during pregnancy and birth. i guess to recieve oxytocin from him.!!! wow. i can even feel it, now. crazy feelings.
    where can i take thoese classes? sounds amazing.
    good luck to you and keep us posted.
    thank you for your time.

  2. You are welcome! Yes, oxytocin and the other hormones of birth are amazing and help us understand, I think, why birth works so well most of the time! For more info on our online classes, go here: http://www.indiebirth.com/how-to-have-an-indie-birth/

  3. Nadia says:

    Great episode! I have a question though, that I’ve actually been wondering about for a while: how does oxytocin get distributed around the room during a birth? If it’s a hormone, it should only be able to travel through the bloodstream- right? How is it released from the body and how are others receptive to it? Also, you mentioned a class specifically on oxytocin that you took- do you have any more information about that?
    Thanks for the podcast!

  4. Thanks for the comment! I hope I am understanding your question correctly. As mentioned, oxytocin is released by the pituitary gland into the blood stream. This occurs when we “feel good” (to put it simply)…so again, orgasm, breastfeeding, hugging, etc. Witnessing the moment of birth, even we are not the ones experiencing it, causes us to also release oxytocin into our own bodies. My guess is this happens so that the dad (partner) as well as family might also feel a connection to the new family member and also a renewed connection and trust in one another. However, even if we are just “witnesses” (at a birth, or even viewing a birth online) we still get the same benefit of this natural release of oxytocin. Does that help?
    The Oxytocin course is available thru Ancient Art of Midwifery Institute to anyone that is interested. If you’d like contact info for someone at the school, email us and we would love to help.
    Also, our 5 week online birth series addresses oxytocin in birth as well as the other vitally important hormones of the process.:)
    http://www.indiebirth.com/how-to-have-an-indie-birth/

  5. C's mom says:

    I am 26 weeks pregnant and I’m an oxytocin junkie. In my non-pregnant life I never listen to music on the radio but now since I can get an oxytocin high just from listening to a love song I listen to cheesey music on the radio whenever I can instead of my usual moody/angry/emo tunes.
    So ladies, add that to the list – bad love songs.

    My oxytocin levels were so high in my last pregnancy that I was able to escape PPD and bond easily/immediately with my baby despite a c-section, being separated after her birth and breastfeeding complications and eventual failure to breastfeed. We continue to have a special and intense connection. I wish I had known about the role prenatal oxytocin plays in bonding because I wouldnt have been so scared and anxious about what effect the c-section would have on our bond. When they told me I was getting taken to the OR I actually said to my mom “What if I’m not able to love my baby?” I didn’t need to be concerned.

    Thanks for making this episode. There is a disappointing amount of information available online and even in natural birth/pregnancy literature. I appreciate this so much.

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We are mamas and midwives who decided to do birth differently– and bring others along with us. We are radical, fun to work with, and great at (lovingly) calling people on their bullshit to help move us all towards a new more beautiful world. With 12 children and over two decades of midwifery between us, we’ve learned a thing or two along the way, and Indie Birth is our space to share it all with you.

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