cool reader comment

Not sure if this was in relation to the 20/20 segment last night or the news article, but I thought it was worth sharing - so thanks anonymous Jay! (ps: I had to look up bdsm!)

Western woman are continually conditioned about all sorts of things from what to wear [classic couture], to how to look [thin not fat], how to have sex [no bdsm/fetishes] and how to give birth [nothing esoteric, just on a table on your back]

This piece was brilliant. For years woman have been brainwashed with all these different messages of what motherhood is and should be, and how it should flow. Yet no one tells you how important, not only the conception is, but how much more important, the very beginning of that child coming out of your body, will be in setting the tone, between your sacred temple [your body], your heart, the life you created, and your partner. Every step of the way, that entire union needs to be respected by you, and those in the room.

Yes, not for all woman but some women out there are blessed with the ability to transform their thoughts/attitudes into vibrations and release those endorphins that the body responds to and transform them into powerful relaxation techniques. These woman can definitely have a relaxed orgasmic water birth, have these amazing doulas, and these enlightened husbands/partners, that bring good energy and light into the birthing room, that their body soak up during labor that allow these woman to give birth in an orgasmic state. There is tantric sex, runners high after a marathon, lightness in the head after a great yoga class, why can't these women have orgasms have during birth?

Its all about thought, attitude, and perception. We need to see more of these stories, and give our new moms more choice in their care and the health of their children.

--Jay

midwife Ina May Gaskin speaks on natural birth

Study finds vaginal birth makes for more responsive mothers initially

The study, as seen here and here, reminds us why we must seek to avoid unnecessary cesareans and promote a less technocratic model of birth. Of course this is not all new information, we have seen related ideas in the works of Sarah J. Buckley, Michel Odent & others. It means we need to find ways to get moms and babies reunited as soon as possible after necessary cesareans (all 10-15% of them) and give additional attention with lactation support and other care to try to guard against the potential fallout from a cesarean (or for that matter, plain ol' intervention-filled birth of any kind).

"We found a significant difference in activity in certain cortical and subcortical areas of the brain in this group of mothers who delivered vaginally compared with those who delivered by cesarean section. Broadly speaking, the cortical brain regions are believed to be important for regulating emotions and empathy," principal investigator James Swain, MD, PhD, FRCPS, told Medscape Psychiatry.

....While the mechanism is not entirely clear, researchers believe vaginal stimulation caused by vaginal delivery results in the release of oxytocin, a neuropeptide that is a key mediator of maternal behavior in animals.

Cesarean section, said Dr. Swain, may alter the neurohormonal experience of childbirth and therefore may decrease the responsiveness of the human maternal brain in the early postpartum.

The investigators are currently looking at 3- to 4-month postpartum data to determine whether these effects of vaginal delivery on the maternal brain endure. Although the final analyses are not complete, Dr. Swain said preliminary analysis in this healthy group indicates the contrast between the 2 groups may not persist, suggesting that mothers who deliver via cesarean section may eventually "catch up" to those who deliver vaginally.

-- Medscape Medical News