Episode 192: Oxytocin, Contractions & Trust

Most doulas were taught that oxytocin is the love hormone.

It’s also the hormone that initiates and sustains the labor and birth process.

That’s true. And it’s only part of the story.

Oxytocin bonds us to our people. It also makes us wary of others. The same hormone flooding a laboring person’s body is running a continuous background check on every person in that space. In-group. Out-group. Safe. Not safe.

This process has real time influence on how labor unfolds. And most doulas have never been taught that.

This episode takes an up close look into what oxytocin is actually doing during pregnancy, labor, and postpartum. It challenges the bias most doulas carry into Pitocin inductions. And it reframes what connection, prenatal visits, backup doulas, and our presence actually mean biologically.

Join me as we explore the biology of trust and how oxytocin influences every client relationship you build.