Oxytocin, prolactin and endorphins are three hormones required for delivery.
Oxytocin is the hormone responsible for uterine contractions. It is secreted by our pituitary gland. This is the hormone of love which is involved in reproductive stages. We also produce during sex, uterine contraction resulting enables sperm to move toward the egg. Oxytocin also during lactation milk ejection.
Prolactin is responsible for the production of milk by the mammary gland. More broadly, it encourages the behavior of mothering the new mother. Thus, the new mom wants to take care of her child, hug, meet their needs, etc..
Endorphins are natural protection against pain. They can cope with strong feelings of contractions during labor and childbirth. After birth, they are responsible for a profound well-being for mother and child, which promotes a good mother-child bond.
These hormones are all secreted during childbirth physiological, when the mother feels comfortable enough. An intimate, subdued lighting, the familiar faces and a known place of delivery are in favor of respect for physiology. Otherwise, when the mother does not feel safe or when the stimuli are too strong (bright lights, lyrics, back and forth, frequently changing places, etc ...) these hormones are not secreted properly and 'maternal body produce adrenaline. The stress hormone play a role in adverse birth process. The work will be slowed, uterine contractions will be felt most painful and yet they will be less effective at work.
This scheme is one explanation is that epidural analgesia is increasingly widespread. Indeed, motherhood, between rooms pre-work and work, the different health professionals, the unknown material and the light of operating lights, expectant mothers are not in best conditions for a physiological process of childbirth. The pain of contractions is often increased by fear. Analgesia will then allow them to relax and work will continue at the rate of infusion of artificial oxytocin.
We tend to conceal certain aspects of epidural analgesia. Of course, it is of interest in many situations (artificial triggers labor, maternal specific pathologies ...) but this is not the case for most low-risk deliveries. In his situation, epidural analgesia will have as much if not more negative effects it has no advantage. Epidural, the woman tends to remain motionless, lying on her back, the work loses its dynamism and commitment of the fetus in the basin is not easy. In most cases, we use an infusion of artificial oxytocin to direct the work and allow the contractions to be effective.
Statistically, medical interventions are more numerous, such as instrumental deliveries, episiotomies and cesarean sections. For the child, the consequences were highlighted at the suction. The sucking reflex is reduced during the first feedings to children born in childbirth with an epidural.
Birth naturally in hospital structure is not simple. As conditions of medical safety can prevent many complications, they have the disadvantage of not creating an ideal environment for low-risk deliveries especially as midwives are not sufficient in number to one coaching.