Our Bodies Know How to Birth
Doctor Sarah J. Buckley is a pioneer for physiological, undisturbed, truly natural birth. Her work is the reason I know anything about how birth functions when it is left alone. I did not learn this stuff in my doula training, and I wish I had. Most of us do not know how birth is designed to function. Even obstetricians are ignorant about the hormonal matrix of birth. I personally believe this stuff should be taught in middle school. Because even if you do not have a child, you will know people who do. Understanding birth is body literacy. And body literacy is power.
You should run to your local bookstore and purchase a copy of her book Gentle Birth, Gentle Mothering. I cannot believe that I worked for over four years as a birth worker (and birthed all my babies) before reading it. You can also find her article on the hormonal blueprint of birth online.
So here are a few nuggets I learned from Dr. Buckley. There is so much more and you should definitely check out her full article and book.
Birthing Positions
Let’s throw them out the window, mmmkay? As Dr. Buckley puts it in her writings, when a woman feels safe, private and unobserved, her birth will unfold with all the protective instincts and hormones that nature designed. In her article, Dr. Buckley says “...a woman will intuitively choose the movements, sounds, breathing, and positions that will birth her baby most easily.” There is no need to direct a laboring woman. She may ask to be touched or supported physically or she may want her space. She may birth her baby on all fours or while laying on her back. She might scream through every surge. Or she may naturally be more quiet. As witnesses, it is our job to let her do whatever she needs.
Adrenaline in Birth
When a birthing mother does not have any anesthesia or artificial hormones in her system, her body will release adrenaline during the second stage of labor. Adrenaline produces the powerful contractions that will expel the baby from the mother’s body. This adrenaline also protects the baby from hypoxia (not having enough oxygen) while he is being squeezed through the birth canal. And it also ensures that the baby and mother are both awake and alert for their first contact. The stretching of the lower vagina triggers the brain to produce a rush of oxytocin that decreases stress and pain and increases empathy, love and bonding. And you will likely miss out on this process if it is interrupted with anesthesia or analgesics.
Pushing
When we think of pushing a baby out, most of us conjure up some movie scene where the mother is on her back in a hospital gown and many capped and gloved individuals are yelling at her to “Puuuuuush!” and “Breeeeeaaaathe!” And the woman is all purple in the face and she’s crying and saying “I can’t do it!” all while everyone is staring directly into her vagina - and probably manually manipulating her vulvar tissue as well. (Anyone seen the musical Annette? There’s a hospital birth scene with the nurses and doctors singing to the mother! Check it out.)
But when women are able to follow their intuition it will look VERY different. At the end of the second stage of birth when the baby is getting very close to emerging she may not actually push at all. And she definitely does not need anyone to tell her what to do. Her body will take over and expel the baby. It actually will happen whether the woman actively focuses on pushing or not. It is unbelievably intense. I was able to let my body fully take over when I was birthing my third baby and I actually would not describe it as pushing at all. I felt like the force of the entire universe was moving through me. It was so powerful and in a sense, my self as I knew her was really not present. I was fully animal, or maybe fully machine. Of course, it’s a totally different story when you have epidural anesthesia because you won’t be able to work with your body’s urges in the way that we are designed to do. With an epidural, directed pushing may be necessary; which includes verbal instruction and tactile feedback from a provider.
MotherBaby Dyad
Once the baby has emerged from the mother she is still literally connected to the mother by the umbilical cord. And the baby’s cord blood continues to flow into the baby until the cord stops pulsing.This cord is meant to ensure that the baby stays in the mother’s arms. Mothers in all cultures will “instinctively cradle their babies” on the left breast so baby can remain in contact with her heart rhythm. And when baby’s head is left uncovered (no hats!), she can release her powerful baby smell which will trigger the mother’s olfactory system which will in turn release a rush of oxytocin that spreads to the baby and everyone else in the room. Natural oxytocin reduces pain and stress and bonds mother and baby. When baby and mother are connected in these crucial first moments and hours, her mothering and protective instincts will kick in, along with a natural high that makes you feel truly on top of the world. These are the moments when you will experience the highest levels of oxytocin in your life.
When you read Sarah Buckley’s work it becomes clear that medical interventions are interfering with the intelligent and natural processes of birth that most of us know nothing about. So, educate yourself and your children. It can be so empowering to learn that your body is actually your truest ally.