Written By: Noor Rahim
Did you know that every mother’s body releases “natural pain killers” prior, during and even after labor?
Allah created the woman’s body to be able to naturally handle the pains of labor but many times, women are told that the pain is “unbearable” and they go as far as ridiculing women who opt for the “natural route”! Rather, mothers should be advised on how to work with their body’s natural mechanisms and be informed of the great multilayer benefits these mechanisms provide.
What Are Endorphins?
Endorphins are neurotransmitters/hormones produced within the brain and nervous system in situations of stress, pain, or pleasure. They are “feel-good” chemicals. They have properties equivalent to pharmaceutical painkillers, such as morphine.
When Are Endorphins Produced In Expecting Mothers?
A mother’s endorphin levels increase during the end of her pregnancy and will spike during labor, specifically as labor progresses and intensifies. It takes up to two weeks for a mother’s endorphins to stabilize postpartum. When a mother makes the active choice to attempt a natural birth and avoid outside interventions, such as an epidural, this facilitates higher endorphin levels. Whilst more interventions (epidural, c-section, c-section without natural labor efforts, etc.) decrease the production of endorphins.
Why Do We Need Natural Endorphin Production When We Can Mimic Them Through Pain Medications?
Pain medications that work to mimic endorphins work against the woman’s natural ability to produce endorphins. A mother’s natural endorphins are released in a consistent steady flow and provide consistent pain relief suitable for her body’s needs and cues. Whilst unnatural pain medications cause adverse effects, such as an impending crash due to their higher intensity and their activation of receptors for a longer period of time. In addition, natural endorphins don’t have adverse side effects on the mother’s newborn but rather benefit the newborn, contrary to pain medications.
What Are Some Benefits of Natural Endorphins?
- Endorphins regulate the pace of labor by slowing it down through lowering oxytocin levels and thereby, regulating the intensity of labor.
- Endorphin levels are elevated in newborns that experience distress during the birth process, providing a type of natural protection.
- The more relaxed and calm a woman is through childbirth, the more endorphins she produces and the less stress hormones (that work against endorphins) her body makes. Thus, the relaxed laboring mother (who produces more endorphins) feels less pain than a distressed mother (who produces more stress hormones) does.
Note: unresolved stress or anxiety should be processed prior to labor to facilitate endorphin release and prevent the production of stress hormones. - Endorphins stimulate the production of prolactin, i.e. the relaxing “mothering” hormone that aids in breastfeeding and mother-baby bonding.
- Endorphins are the cause of the “high” many women experience during labor and the initial postpartum period. They aid in a new mother’s alertness and attentiveness to her newborn despite lack of sleep.
- Breastmilk, specifically initial milk (colostrum), contains high levels of endorphins that helps the newborn adapt to life outside of the womb by providing natural pain relief.