Inducing Labor Naturally: Oxytocin is the Hormone of Love

Let's firstly meet our friend; the hormone known as oxytocin.
Over a series of articles about pregnancy, labor and birth I will discuss and publish many forms of natural foods, techniques and home remedies that have been used to enhance pregnancy, induce labor help the birthing process. Some are evidence based, while others are not.
Many people are interested in such methods in their effort to avoid interventions such as a scheduled C-section, and there is much to be said for trying to avoid one.
Over the next 2 articles I will discuss some important chemicals; oxytocin, pitocin and opiates and other drugs used during medical interventions of labor and birth.
Let's get acquainted with the differences between oxytocin and its synthetic analog, pitocin.

I am a medically accredited and trained Herbalist and Naturopath. Let me say from the outset that all of these techniques and methods discussed are known to me and I have had some experience in recommending and using some of them.
Whilst some techniques are safe for home use others need the trained guidance of someone with both some medical training and knowledge of the herbs or techniques used.
Certain techniques etc have better chances of success when your personal physiology and lifestyle conditions have been considered.

It is unwise indeed to induce labor unless your baby is really 'ready' to come out into this world. As you will later see the baby actually initiates its own birth by producing a particular kind of birth specific oxytocin.
The first thing to know a bit about and acknowledge is the natural hormone Oxytocin - sometimes also known as the 'hormone of love' that produces the contractions of labor. In conventional medical interventions a synthetic form, called pitocin is commonly used. Chemical analogs (otherwise known as man trying to copy nature by making synthetic, patentable forms of the many useful, naturally occurring chemicals found in nature) often have side effects that the natural forms just simply do not have.

Oxytocin, along with its very good mate estrogen act together during pregnancy to prepare us and our bodies for an impending birth.
Besides being known as the hormone of love oxytocin is also known as the hormone of trust too. Indeed there is a company who even markets oxytocin nasal sprays to be used in boardrooms to induce the trust of colleagues and associates.
Various forms of oxytocin occur naturally in some foods and herbs and can also be produced in our own bodies through performing certain activities - such as eating and preparing a good meal with loved and trusted friends, or by being with our caring and safe lover, and also by making love.
Milder forms of exercise which produce endorphins (more natural chemicals) also helps us produce oxytocin. And stress (such as worrying about being too concerned that the baby is late) produces stress hormones (such as adrenaline) that antagonize oxytocin. Our babies just don't want to come out if the mother is scared, untrusting and fearful!

It is also my belief that the well known impatience that occurs just prior to birth can be accounted for by hormone levels too, though I've not seen any research to back this up (yet). This well known impatience, and feeling of being completely through with being pregnant accounts for such things as having massive urges to tidy up and prepare the baby-space.

Oxytocin levels throughout pregnancy protect against side effects too. So being safe, happy and loved is certainly important. Certain foods and herbs contain oxytocin as well as other factors that can help prevent many of the woes of pregnancy. When present along with certain other chemicals the oxytocin doesn't induce labor - it enhances pregnancy in general. A good example of this is ginger which helps maintain high oxytocin levels whilst also allaying morning sickness.
Being safe and doing loving things is good for your pregnancy hormones, as too is preparing and sharing good meals.

A very popular and common method used in hospitals to artificially stimulate the labor is to administer a drug known as Pitocin. When it works, Pitocin usually produces a very strong reaction and many women experience strong labor pains. The effects that these pharmaceuticals might have on the unborn baby are still not yet fully understood and are under investigation by a number of different researchers. There is also a good chance of some side effects that range from nausea and vomiting to more severe conditions which may facilitate a C-Section.
The number of inductions using artificial means such as pitocin and other medications has gone up dramatically in the last few years. Science shows us that inducing labor can increase the numbers of complications in labor and with the baby and many inductions are performed not for medical reasons, but for other reasons of medical convenience.

Artificially created hormones such as Pitocin do not act in an identical way to naturally produced hormones. For example during pregnancy both the mother and the baby produce their own supplies of oxytocin. The oxytocin produced by each reacts differently in the body because they each have separate jobs.
Oxytocin is released into your body in a pulsing like action by the hypothalamus. It is released intermittently to allow your body to have a break. Pitocin is given in an IV in a continuous manner and this can cause contractions to be longer and stronger than your baby or placenta may be able to handle, depriving your baby of oxygen. For example, waves can occur almost on top of each other when too high a dose of Pitocin is given, and it also causes the resting tone of the uterus to increase.

Pitocin also blocks the effects of the natural endorphins produced by your body.
When you are in labor naturally, your body responds to the contractions and oxytocin by releasing endorphins, a morphine like substance that helps prevent and counteract pain. Pitocin blocks the release of these natural painkillers making them more intense.
Such hyper stimulation may deprive the baby from sufficient supply of blood and oxygen, and so produce abnormal FHR patterns, fetal distress (leading to caesarean section), and possibly even uterine rupture
Oxytocin released by the baby specifically works really well on the uterine muscle causing the cervix to dilate. Pitocin works much more slowly and with less effect, meaning it takes more Pitocin to get the same effect.

During a natural labor, the body provides a spike in oxytocin at the birth, stimulating the fetal ejection reflex, allowing for a faster and easier birth. Pitocin, regulated by a pump is unable to offer this boost at the end.

Oxytocin helps bonding between mother and baby and as pitocin inhibits your natural oxytocin bonding also can be interfered with and the psychological effects of interference with the bodies own natural oxytocin that nature prescribes during labor and birth is also unknown.
Some experts even believe that through initiating their own birth, the fetus may be in training to secrete their own love hormones during their lives. Michel Odent speaks passionately about our society's deficits in our capacity to love self and others, and he traces these problems back to the time around birth, and particularly with interference to the oxytocin system.
The oxytocin produced by our own bodies is superior and performs important functions that cannot be replicated by pitocin.
Oxytocin cannot cross the blood brain barrier whereas pitocin can and women with Pitocin infusions are at a higher risk of major bleeding after the birth which occurs because the uterus actually loses its oxytocin receptors and so becomes unresponsive to the postpartum oxytocin peak that prevents bleeding.

So, if and when you are presented with the option of an induction you might want to ask your doctor whether this is being recommended for a particular medical reason or if it's something that a bit of time and patience will help alleviate.

_Sources:

_{AmericanCollege of Obstetricians and Gynecologists}

_{Glantz, J. C. (2005). Elective induction vs. spontaneous labor associations and outcomes. Journal of Reproductive Medicine, 50(4), 235-240.}

_{Kramer, M. S., Rouleau, J., Baskett, T. F., & Joseph, K. S. (2006). Amniotic-fluid embolism and medical induction of labor: A retrospective, population-based cohort study. The Lancet, 368(9545), 1444-1448.}

_{Leaphart, W. L., Meyer, M. C., & Capeless, E. L. (1997). Labor induction with a prenatal diagnosis of fetal macrosomia. The Journal of Maternal-Fetal Medicine, 6(2), 99-102.}

_{March of Dimes. (2006). If you're pregnant: Induction by request. Retrieved May 15, 2007, from www.marchofdimes.com/prematurity/21239_20203.asp}

_{Sanchez-Ramos, L., Bernstein, S., & Kaunitz, A. M. (2002). Expectant management versus labor induction for suspected fetal macrosomia: A systematic review. Obstetrics & Gynecology, 100(5), 997-1002.}

_{Vahratian, A., Zhang, J., Troendle, J. F., Sciscione, A. C., & Hoffman, M. K. (2005). Labor progression and risk of cesarean delivery in electively induced nulliparas. Obstetrics & Gynecology, 105(4), 698-704.}

_{Vrouenraets, F. P., Roumen, F. J., Dehing, C. J., van den Akker, E. S., Aarts, M. J., & Scheve, E. J. (2005). Bishop score and risk}