Dr. Michel Odent is a French obstetric surgeon who was one of the pioneers in recognizing the importance of birth physiology in maternity care. His research and experience over more than 50 years have led him to conclude that a woman, like any mammal giving birth, has essential needs that must be respected for an optimal labor process as well as for the most positive birth experience possible.
In her book The Essential Needs of a Woman Giving Birth, midwife Ruth Ehrhardt draws on Dr. Michel Odent’s work to summarize these needs that should be respected.
First, it is important to understand that oxytocin, also called the “love hormone,” is what contracts the uterus during labor. Oxytocin is a shy hormone that needs certain conditions to be met in order to be released:
- Feeling safe and not feeling observed. The need for privacy is key.
- Not activating the thinking brain (the neocortex). This is one of the main ingredients for oxytocin to take effect, allowing labor to progress effectively. The woman in labor must be able to stay in her own bubble, without constant interruptions.
- Ensuring that silence, dim lighting (or soft light), and warmth are prioritized.
- Avoiding the production of adrenaline, the hormone released in states of fear, stress, or anxiety, because adrenaline inhibits oxytocin production.
Some studies led by the World Health Organization have focused on the factors of satisfaction that allow a woman to experience her childbirth as ‘positive.’ Therefore, we can add the following needs to the list mentioned above:
- The need to be informed and to have a good understanding of the birth process,
- The need to be involved in the decision-making process,
- The need to actively participate in the physiological and physical process of childbirth (freedom to move, to make sounds, to breathe as needed, etc.).
Bibliographic References:
- The Essential Needs of a Woman Giving Birth, Ruth Ehrhardt, 2018
- The Birth of the Mammal Baby (new expanded edition of Your Baby is the Most Beautiful Mammal), Michel Odent, 2011
- Intrapartum Care Guidelines for a Positive Childbirth Experience, World Health Organization
Amelie Patrux Eddy and Emmanuelle David are the co-founders of the online childbirth support program Naissance Holistique, which provides expectant parents with all the key information to make their own choices and live their own birth experiences.
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