Oxytocin - the ultimate bonding chemical

This is an interesting article describing how Oxytocin (a brain chemical that aids in labor/deliver and mother-infant bonding) levels in new parents correlate and how even though it is the birth process that ultimately creates the rise in oxytocin for the mother, the father's oxytocin levels were also elevated.  Please read the article, which was found on the Science Daily website, for further details.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/08/100820101207.htm

Oxytocin: It’s a Mom and Pop Thing

ScienceDaily (Aug. 22, 2010) — The hormone oxytocin has come under intensive study in light of emerging evidence that its release contributes to the social bonding that occurs between lovers, friends, and colleagues. Oxytocin also plays an important role in birth and maternal behavior, but until now, research had never addressed the involvement of oxytocin in the transition to fatherhood.

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See Also:

Health & Medicine

• Children's Health
• Vitamin D
• Infant's Health

Mind & Brain

• Child Psychology
• Child Development
• Psychology

Reference

• Maternal bond
• Pituitary gland
• Oxytocin
• Hypothalamus

A fascinating new paper by Gordon and colleagues reports the first longitudinal data on oxytocin levels during the initiation of parenting in humans. They evaluated 160 first-time parents (80 couples) twice after the birth of their first child, at 6 weeks and 6 months, by measuring each parents' oxytocin levels and monitoring and coding their parenting behavior.

Three important findings emerged. At both time-points, fathers' oxytocin levels were not different from levels observed in mothers. Thus, although oxytocin release is stimulated by birth and lactation in mothers, it appears that other aspects of parenthood serve to stimulate oxytocin release in fathers.

Corresponding author Dr. Ruth Feldman noted that this finding "emphasizes the importance of providing opportunities for father-infant interactions immediately after childbirth in order to trigger the neuro-hormonal system that underlies bond formation in humans."

The neuroscientists also found a relationship between oxytocin levels in husbands and wives. Since oxytocin levels are highly stable within individuals, this finding suggests that some mechanisms, perhaps social or hormonal factors, regulate oxytocin levels in an interactive way within couples.

Finally, the findings revealed that oxytocin levels were associated with parent-specific styles of interaction. Oxytocin was higher in mothers who provided more affectionate parenting, such as more gazing at the infant, expression of positive affect, and affectionate touch. In fathers, oxytocin was increased with more stimulatory contact, encouragement of exploration, and direction of infant attention to objects.

"It is very interesting that elevations in the same hormone were associated with different types of parenting behaviors in mothers and fathers even though the levels of oxytocin within couples were somewhat correlated. These differences may reflect the impact of culture-specific role expectations, but they also may be indicative of distinct circuit effects of oxytocin in the male and female brain," commented Dr. John Krystal, Editor of Biological Psychiatry.

These important findings may now provide a foundation for studies of disturbances in oxytocin function in high risk parenting.

Editor's Note: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.

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The above story is reprinted (with editorial adaptations by ScienceDaily staff) from materials provided by Elsevier, viaAlphaGalileo.

Breastfeeding is the BEST!

Breastfeeding? Bottle-feeding? Formula? Pumping? A cup!?

It can be overwhelming not knowing how exactly to feed your new baby.  So let's simplify it:

If it is possible (meaning no medical implications) a baby should be exclusively breastfed. 


To date, I have yet to read an article or publication stating infants should be given formula.  Most professionals agree that formula is, however, a suitable substitute when breastfeeding is not a possibility.

Nothing can lay a better foundation for your baby than giving him or her what your body is designed to give them.  Human Milk.  It really does do miraculous things.

With that said, breastfeeding do NOT come naturally and is NOT instinctual for a mother (babies are different).  This is why it is so important for women to come together to support and help each other in a positive way to learn how to breastfeed.  I urge you, if you do not know of it already, look up your local La Leche League meeting place and GO!

Here's the link:  http://www.llli.org/Web/Wisconsin.html
This is for Wisconsin, if you live in a different state, just click http://www.llli.org/WebUS.html and find your state.

For any questions you might have, here is a great link http://www.llli.org/FAQ/FAQSubject.html?m=0,0,3 with questions you might have and probably a lot you never even knew to ask!

Good luck and remember, comments are welcomed if you have any tid-bits of advice or information to spread around :)

"I'm Pregnant. Now what?"

When I first found out I was pregnant, for the very first time, I remember being in shock.  Then everything sunk in and I believed it.  I was pregnant.  I had a little thingy inside my abdomen that eventually would become a person and have to somehow, get out of me.  I also knew, through general television and friends/family experiences that I would need pre-natal care.  I knew about pre-natal vitamins and that what I eat, the baby eats.  I had also, somehow, heard that no, you do not in fact, eat for two, you just eat a little more than usual.  The 'thingy' is only a few cells big.  I remembered that.  I had also taken a parenting course in college over one of our 'J-terms'.  So my mentality was, find an OB/Gyn, find a hospital, epidurals are flawless, that's what you do. 

Anyone with me there? I immediately googled for Ob's in my area and called the first one.  The receptionist was a bit snotty and short so I called the next one.  She was nicer and said I didn't need to be seen until I was about 12 weeks.  I was so confused because, how did I know if I was REALLY pregnant? Didn't they have to do blood work, urine samples, ultrasounds or something to confirm it? Apparently, the home-tests were good enough for them and I scheduled for almost a month down the road.  

Anyone still with me? I only wish I had had someone there to grab my arms and shake me awake.  YOU HAVE OPTIONS!!! YOU HAVE CHOICES!! ITS ALL YOUR DECISION!! I wish someone would have yelled that in my face.

It's seems to me that most women who discover they are pregnant (planned or not) for the very first time, really have no clue what to do.  Honestly, you can't blame them.  Television, media, and our society has created such a tunnel vision of what pregnancy, labor and birth really are.  How many women tune into the TLC's "A birth story"? Only to witness mostly medicated or surgical births?  How many women are given inadequate advice and information, and later realized that they were never really given ALL of their options?

So here it is ladies: What to do when you find out you're pregnant:

RELAX.

TAKE A BREATHE.

CLICK THE LINK: http://www.epigee.org/pregnancy/prenatal_care.html 

The choice is truly yours.   And remember, you have (on average) 40 weeks to really choose how/where/with who you want to birth your baby.

WELCOME!

Hello! and welcome to the Chippewa Valley Doula Services Blog.  The main reason this blog has been formed is to create a forum for information for pregnant women and their partners to look for information and this particular doula's personal opinion on current thoughts and processes regarding pregnancy, labor, and birth.  

Hopefully, the overall look will become one of linking you, the reader, to factual, good science based articles supporting what the current standards should be.  As many people can attest, the quality of the education and subsequent care women receive during labor and birth varies substantially depending on the size and location of the hospital and/or birth center.  

As a caution: I will do my best to keep extreme personal beliefs and opinions out of this blog and try to put all of the perspectives onto the posts, however, I cannot promise I will have ALL of the viewpoints so please feel free to make the comments necessary to make the case for each side of controversial topics fair.  Just remember to try not to take anything personal, since really, I'm not trying to attack, put down, or make anyone feel guilty for choices they've made.  Choices are the right of the individual and I do not walk in any of your shoes specifically.  What works for me does not work for everyone.   

With that said, I hope you enjoy this blog and are able to take something away from it.  If you have any suggestions for topics you'd like to learn more about, again, the comments are welcomed!

Thanks for reading!!!

Abby