Relaxation in Childbirth: Why It’s Absolutely Necessary
Did your cat ever have kittens? (This is going somewhere, I promise) The delivery probably took place in a warm, secluded area where she calmly birthed not just one, but several babies at once. Fluffy needed no assistance, and somehow just knew what to do. It’s funny how cats, dogs, rabbits, and every other mammal can give birth with tranquility and ease. Well, every mammal except…humans!
Intelligence won our species the coveted title of apex predator. In recent decades, however, the very intellect that kept us on top has become a hindrance to our own ability to repopulate. Why? Because we have incorrectly applied our intellect to what has always been a primal and instinctive process. Your cat didn’t need a cervical check or membrane sweep to birth her litter. In fact, either of these would have distressed the poor thing and shut her labor down! So too, the bright lights, invasive checks, and sharp tools that accompany a 21st century delivery are detrimental to our own animalistic birthing process. What’s the antidote? Relaxation.
In the wild, animals instinctively seek to give birth in safe and secluded areas so that their babies won’t get snatched by passing predators. If danger is near, the mammalian body releases a collection of hormones called catecholamines that shuts labor down until safety is found. Humans have the exact same mechanism! Did you know that the majority of women go into labor at night? That’s because, when asleep, our bodies think “Ahhh so relaxing. What a great place to welcome my baby.” If Mom becomes distressed, however, her delivery will stall or even stop, often leading to unwanted interventions in the birthing suite.
Let’s see how this plays out. At home, you and your birth partner excitedly breathe through strong, even contractions. Once they’re 4 minutes apart, you begin the 15-minute drive to the hospital. On the ride over, you’re cut off by an impatient driver. It’s annoying, but no matter, you’re focused on other things. You arrive shortly, but parking is a mess! The garage is packed and the ticketing machine is at least 1,000 years old. At long last you’re checked into a birthing suite and patiently wait for your OB to make an appearance.
“How far apart?” Your partner asks.
“What? Oh, contractions. That’s weird. I haven’t had one since we checked in.”
Time passes. You grow comfortable and contractions grow regular again, except now they are 6 minutes apart. Then bright fluorescent lights blind the room as a nurse flits into the suite explaining that your OB is tied up with another patient.
“She’ll see you when she has a minute. But right now, on your back.”
“My back? I just…”
“I need to check your cervix,” the nurse demands. This feels rather invasive, but you have to do it, right? (wrong) Before you know it, a stranger is digging her gloved hand deep inside the most intimate area of your body. You try to stay calm through the uncomfortable ordeal.
“4 centimeters”, she says, taking off her gloves. “You should really be at 5 by now, honey. Let’s hope this speeds up.” Your heart sinks. You have an idea of what a slow labor might bring, but decide to clarify her meaning: “What happens if I don’t dilate fast enough?”
“You’ll need Pitocin. If that doesn’t help, a c-section is the only option.” There it is. Barely an hour at the hospital and your birth nightmare already looms on the horizon.
“I’ll be back in an hour to check you. Let’s hope you’re past 5 by then…,” the nurse calls cheerfully, but every word feels like a threat.
Let’s unpack this scenario. From the car ride, to the bright lights, to the very invasive cervical check, this mom is already poised for a horde of interventions, and quite possibly a cesarean delivery. What happened? While she was laboring beautifully at home, the stressful sequence of events told her body that she was in no place to deliver a newborn. In a noble effort to protect the baby, her body released catecholamines to slow everything down.
How do these deliveries go? Well, as the nurse suggested, if Mom doesn’t dilate fast enough (i.e., if she is still unable to relax) then Pitocin is introduced to speed things along. This is typically followed by an epidural (hey, those Pitocin contractions are intense!), and in over 30% of cases, a c-section is performed.
Prenatal anxiety is consistently linked to higher rates of interventions and c-sections, telling us that the fears surrounding birth are self-fulfilling. On a more positive note, a 2019 Danish study found that women who labored in calm and relaxing environments were much more likely to avoid cesareans and achieve natural deliveries. Just like cats and horses, these Danish women stayed calm and confident and were able to respond to their unique instinctual needs.
But what if I’m birthing outside the hospital? Well first of all, congrats on lowering your likelihood of a c-section by 27%! And second, relaxation is still a priority. In addition to progressing your labor, staying calm will also greatly contribute to reducing your perception of pain. One study found that relaxation techniques are highly effective for managing chronic pain; it also made the unexpected discovery that relaxation can lower symptoms of anxiety and depression as well. So you feel better both physically AND mentally? I call that a win.
“Ok, ok,” you’re probably thinking. “I want to birth like a cat already, so what do I do?” Relaxation looks different for everyone, so be sure to try out a couple different techniques to find what works for you. Also, PRACTICE. From personal experience I can tell you that these exercises need to be rehearsed in order to reap the promised rewards. Good luck and let me know how it goes!
SOURCES
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8405991/
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-018-36416-x
