The Faculty of Health Sciences hosted the world-renowned obstetrician, Dr. Michel Odent. Dr. Odent gave a lecture for professionals on Friday, March 11, 3. 2016, while the Saturday and Sunday sessions (March 12 and 13, 2016) were also open to the general public.
Dr. Michel Odent has been setting standards in the field of birth and childbirth for over 50 years. The world-renowned obstetrician was head of the surgical and maternity department at the state hospital in Pithiviers, France, from 1962 to 1985. He gained experience through years of work in maternity hospitals and home births in France, Great Britain, and Africa. He is the founder of the Primal Health Research Centre in London. Dr. Odent is a pioneer in introducing breastfeeding within the first hour after birth, known for introducing birthing pools in maternity hospitals and for his efforts to make the birth environment as similar as possible to the conditions in the womb where the fetus developed. He established the database www.primalhealthresearch.com, which contains research data on the interdependence between early childhood and health and personality traits in later development. Source
So the title of this post is “The Wisdom of Birth” and at the links below you can read and hear this wisdom, which is important for understanding birth and returning birth back to women.
For an easy birth – let the woman think as little as possible (iskreni.net) from this article I would highlight the following:
Birth is most disrupted by factors that activate the neocortex and prevent the woman in labor from being in her “birth world”:
1. USE OF LANGUAGE
Conversation and the use of words require the newer part of the brain, so during birth we avoid questions and unnecessary conversation. The woman in labor should withdraw into herself as much as possible, surrender to what is happening in her body, and thus forget about polite phrases and factual information.
2. LIGHT
The hormone melatonin, which is released in darkness, has a very beneficial effect on the release of oxytocin, the key birth hormone that triggers contractions. In darkness we relax more easily, so darkness helps the woman in labor “disconnect” from the outside world.
3. FEELING OF BEING WATCHED
During birth, the woman in labor should withdraw into herself as much as possible; we avoid questions and unnecessary conversation.
If a female mammal senses that someone is lurking around her when she is giving birth to her young, her labor stops so she can flee or protect herself in another way. Similarly, birth in women is negatively affected by the feeling that someone is watching them, timing them, evaluating their progress, or somehow letting them know that the birth is not proceeding appropriately. Odent also warns against excessive or insensitive use of technology, such as a video camera or photo camera, as the woman in labor is aware that her behavior is somehow being recorded, so she cannot completely relax.
4. UNFAMILIAR ENVIRONMENT
Odent listed the factors they introduced in the birth centers where he worked to minimize this disruption as much as possible. For example, they undertook external renovation of the spaces so that medical equipment could be hidden in cabinets, the furniture was pleasant to look at and in the most natural color tones possible, and greater comfort was ensured. They enabled pregnant women to visit the spaces in advance where they would later give birth, to socialize there at informal meetings with midwives and other healthcare staff, and thus reduce the fear of the unknown, which negatively affects birth.
5. FEELING OF APPROACHING DANGER
This can be anything that disturbs the woman in labor. It is not good for birth if adrenaline rises too much in the room where it is happening, no matter who is releasing it. Odent has said several times that men have a greater tendency to release stress hormones and thus hinder birth, but birth can be disrupted by a man or woman who is afraid, who dominantly intrudes into the woman in labor’s personal space.
Do you want to change birth practices? Become bilingual! In this article Ana summarizes well:
When asked what we should do to influence healthcare professionals to change birth practices, he replied that we must become bilingual. We must learn to read and speak the scientific language, otherwise they will not hear us. On the other hand, we must be able to translate complex scientific explanations into simple language and convey them to women in an unobtrusive, gentle way. He said that pregnant women like to sing, they like to meet with other pregnant women, let’s use this and present some things they need to know in that context.
Iskreni.net – Why wouldn’t everyone give birth by cesarean section?
