Expert Consulted: Milli Hill
With your due date fast approaching, your pre-birth to-do list is probably getting longer by the minute. One important thing to add to it, is knowing how to naturally increase oxytocin for labour. According to birthing expert and founder of the Positive Birth Movement Milli Hill, oxytocin is a wonder hormone that you literally can't give birth without.
Milli explains that oxytocin is the number one thing you need to minimise pain during labour. To gain further guidance, Milli has put together a guide on everything you need to know including nine natural ways to help increase your levels leading up to labour.
What is oxytocin?
Also known as the 'love hormone' and the 'cuddle chemical', oxytocin is the main hormone we make when we fall in love, give birth, breastfeed and bond with our babies. It gives us that warm, fuzzy feeling (yes, you know the one!) that we might also associate with post-coital bliss.
Oxytocin is so central to the process of giving birth that, if you don't make enough yourself, you will be given a synthetic version of it in a drip. In this manufactured form, it's called 'syntocinon'. Fill your birthing bag with oxytocin, and you're much more likely to have a smoother, easier and even less painful labour which could help minimise the need for pain relief in labour.
Understanding more about this wonder hormone is key to a positive birth, because knowing how to get your oxytocin flowing naturally can really help to keep your labour progressing, and even help if it stalls or slows.
What does oxytocin do to help with childbirth?
Oxytocin's chief job in labour itself is to strengthen and maintain contractions. The hormone is made in the pea-sized part of your brain called the hypothalamus, and it works on a positive feedback loop - the more you make, the more you keep producing. It's a very happy circle. It is also administered as an infusion (drip) and can help start or strengthen contractions if they are not progressing effectively:
The NHS says "Oxytocin is a natural hormone that manages key aspects of the female reproductive systems and it is used to start or strengthen contractions to continue (augment) labour and to control bleeding after the birth of your baby." The NHS use oxytocin to help prevent postpartum haemorrhage (PPH) by stimulating contractions to expel the placenta.
Oxytocin's role in childbirth:
• Promotes uterine contractions – these help cervical dilation during labour
• Facilitates the milk let-down reflex – so you're ready to feed little one
• Fosters the mother-baby bond – so baby feels safe and contented
• Encourages maternal behaviour in the first hour after birth – so your natural instinct kicks in
• It is released during breastfeeding and causes mild uterine contractions after birth to expel the placenta and close off blood vessels to prevent bleeding
• Assists the uterus in clotting the placental attachment point postpartum
9 ways to naturally increase oxytocin for labour
The most important thing for mums to do leading up to giving birth, is to prioritise their physical and mental wellbeing. This means getting all the rest you need, taking relaxing walks in nature, making sure you maintain a healthy diet, and doing calming activities that you enjoy like yoga or journaling.
Learn how to naturally boost your oxytocin before birth with Milli's top tips.
1) Get an early start and prepare ahead
Don’t wait until your contractions start before you begin to think about oxytocin. In the final few days of pregnancy, think low light, low noise and low interruptions. Ease the mental load and send your partner to the shops for those last-minute bits and bobs you need for your hospital bag!
2) Get comfy and build your nest
Nesting isn't just about preparing the nursery for little one – Take your nesting instinct literally and create your very own nest. Whether you’re in a ward, a birthing centre or at home, build a nest using blankets, pillows, yoga mats and cushions on the floor. When you give birth, you have the same needs as any other self-respecting mammal: you need to feel safe, warm and cosy.
3) Block everything out
If you’re not having a home birth where you can wholly control the noise and who’s visiting, then take proactive action. Use an eye mask and earplugs and escape into your own little world.
4) Get loved up
Most of us have a fairly similar idea of the kind of environment we’d like to make love in… candles, log fire, soft rugs, and zero interruptions – anyone? The reason we find this sexy is because of oxytocin, so build your birth space along similar lines. Oxytocin thrives on this kind of slightly cheesy romantic setting, and if you throw in a massage and a calming playlist, then oxytocin will be circling all around.
5) Chill out
It's time to really kick back and relax right now more than ever. Your partner may be understandably nervous, but right now, they simply need to be there for you and help create a calm and relaxed environment. Let them guard your nest and keep you safe, and treat you with the utmost loving care.
6) Kiss
Kissing your partner during the early stages of labour is a great way to get the oxytocin flowing. Even if you’ve never given birth before, labour is a great chance to really feel your feminine power. Kissing, locking eyes, loving talk, sexy talk, and whatever kind of touch you are in the mood for will all help the oxytocin to flow. And simply having skin-to-skin contact with your partner will get the oxytocin flowing. You may want to ask the midwife to leave first though!
7) Twiddle your nipples
Yep, this one is a bit of a taboo topic but, if you want to stimulate oxytocin, anything from nipple twiddling to masturbating and orgasming will help you to progress your labour. It can be especially helpful if your contractions are taking time to get established or are stop-start.
8) Stir up wonderful memories
As you wait for your baby, remember specific times in your life when you felt incredibly loved - perhaps even look at photos to help you. Focus on your love for your soon-to-be-born baby, too. Think about how you already feel about them and visualise how much that love will grow when you first see his face and as you hold him. This is a also a great technique to use if you’re having a C-section.
9) Enjoy skin-to-skin
No matter what kind of birth you have, get your baby, naked and on your own naked chest, as soon as possible. If you can’t have it right away, don’t worry – it will still feel wonderful hours or even days after the birth. This skin-to-skin bonding also feels amazing, because you and your baby will be flooding with oxytocin. Go on, enjoy this delicious feeling!
FAQ: Increasing oxytocin for childbirth
What foods are high in oxytocin?
Certain foods can promote oxytocin production like eggs, bananas, salmon, nuts, beans, and legumes.
What are signs of low oxytocin?
People with an oxytocin deficiency may struggle with poor communication, irritability, heightened anxiety, a bigger appetite for sugary food etc. This is why, leading up to labour, it is so important to look after your physical and mental health, to make sure you are promoting oxytocin.
How long does oxytocin take to work in labour?
When used to induce or augment labour, oxytocin typically takes around 30 minutes to start working and can take several hours for contractions to become regular and effective – although this can vary depending on individual factors, like as the woman's body's readiness for labour and the dosage of oxytocin.
What can reduce levels of oxytocin in labour?
Any experience of fear, anxiety, stress, tension, discomfort, or distrust can negatively affect oxytocin production during labour. A feeling of being watched can also hinder oxytocin release.
About the experts
Milli Hill is a freelance writer and the founder of the Positive Birth Movement. The mum of three is also author of The Positive Birth Book: A New Approach to Pregnancy, Birth and the Early Weeks.
About the author
Stephanie Spencer is the Hub Editor of Motherandbaby.com and has recently welcomed her first baby. With a digital publishing career spanning over 10 years, starting out as an editorial assistant on medical journals and moving onto become a news writer and features editor, Stephanie started at Bauer Publishing in 2019 and began working for Mother&Baby in 2020.