The Truth About Birth
First a word or two about birth physiology: Labor is almost universally painful for birthing parents and sometimes painful for babies. One of the ways people cope with pain is to produce beta-endorphin. Beta-endorphin is an opiate-like brain chemical – the same one responsible for the so-called runner’s high. It reduces pain and produces a sense of calm.
What Happens During an Unmedicated Labor?
In a typical unmedicated labor, the pain for the birthing parent significantly increases over time. As pain increases, the parent’s production of beta-endorphin also increases. Birthing parents and babies both produce beta-endorphin. The levels produced by the baby usually stay fairly constant throughout labor. Although, they rise in cases of fetal distress.
What Happens After an Unmedicated Labor?
At the moment of birth, the pain of labor suddenly and dramatically decreases for the birthing parent. Parents are flooded with beta-endorphin. The high levels of beta-endorphin present after the pain subsides causes euphoria for the parent. These high levels of beta-endorphin produced by the parent freely pass to the baby through colostrum and transitional milk — especially in the hours right after birth. Both the parent and the baby experience euphoria. The high parental beta-endorphin levels established during labor take about two weeks to return to pre-labor levels.
Recreating a Peak Experience
We know that beta-endorphin creates a state of dependence. After a medically undisturbed birth, the parent and baby will repeatedly seek to recreate that initial high of birth euphoria with close skin to skin contact. Beta-endorphin and oxytocin (the love hormone) are released during each feeding session to facilitate this process. We know that babies need this contact to survive and develop normally.
Endogenous Pain Relief for Babies
Sometimes babies are hurt in the birth process. It’s obvious when they come out with swelling, bruises or broken bones. Sometimes they appear frightened or shocked. In that moment they are supposed to rely on an extra boost of beta-endorphin from their parent’s colostrum.
No-Labor Cesareans and Beta-Endorphin
Research has shown that beta-endorphin levels in the plasma and colostrum of parents who have scheduled cesareans are significantly lower than those of the parents who have vaginal births.
Epidurals and Beta-Endorphin
Research has shown that beta-endorphin plasma levels are low in parents who have epidurals. Beta-endorphin colostrum levels in parents who have epidurals haven’t been adequately studied even though epidurals have been in wide use for over 50 years.