I practice and believe in Biodynamic Birth, a model of care that supports the hormones of birth and trusts the birth process rather than attempting to control it.
Biodynamic birth is an emerging concept first developed by the French obstetrician Michel Odent. In his book The Farmer and the Obstetrician, Odent describes biodynamic birth. Just as biodynamic farmers work with the natural, interconnecting rhythms and cycles of plants and animals, biodynamic birth works with the natural rhythms and hormones of birth to make full use of mom and baby’s physiologic potential. My mentor Holly Scholles teaches a refined version of biodynamic birth at Birthingway College of Midwifery in Portland, Oregon. Holly Scholles describes the biodynamic model as intervening with the natural birth process as little as possible while maintaining the well-being of mother and baby.
Under ideal birthing conditions, the birthing mother is flooded with oxytocin, the hormone of love, trust, and attraction. During labor, there is a positive feedback response in which high levels of oxytocin promote a further increase in oxytocin levels. This oxytocin creates effective uterine surges. As these surges intensify, the body releases Beta-endorphins, which are feel good hormonal opiates we are familiar with from intense exercise. Beta endorphins can help mom experience the primal intensity of birthing as euphoric, and wonderfully alter her birthing experience. As birth gets nearer, mom’s Beta-endorphins and oxytocin levels soar. The highest levels of oxytocin a woman ever has are present at the end of labor through birth and immediately after. This means that during birth, mom and baby have the opportunity to feel deep love and trust greater than any other time in life.
The midwife plays the part of continuous, vigilant, and wise observer, allowing mom to fully manifest her power. Biodynamic birth supports the natural physiology and hormones of birth to facilitate an optimal experience for mother and child. To facilitate biodynamic birth, midwives build trust with clients prenatally and help create a birthing environment conducive to optimal maternal and neonatal hormones. The biodynamic birth model recognizes the inherent wisdom of our bodies to produce a network of hormones that orchestrates childbirth, and so seeks to optimize these hormones. These birthing hormones ease the mother’s pain, keep labor progressing, and bring her out of a rational mindset into her ancient brain that knows exactly how to birth.
Biodynamic Birth is part of a larger picture of Biodynamic living; living in harmony with our natural rhythms and the cycles and rhythms of the earth. As part of this, we strive to reduce harmful environmental impact and offer increasingly sustainable midwifery care.
