About this episode

The episode explores the hormonal interactions between parent and baby during labor, highlighting the roles of oxytocin, cortisol, and adrenaline.

Send us Fan Mail Birth can look like a simple sequence of contractions and dilation, but underneath it all is a powerful hormone conversation between parent and baby. We pull back the curtain on the hormone dance of birth, focusing on oxytocin and cortisol, plus the adrenaline surge that shows up when labor gets real. With two bodies working as one system, the chemistry matters, and it explains so much about why labor can feel smooth one moment and overwhelming the next. We talk throug...

More episodes of The Ordinary Doula Podcast

• E123: Your Everyday Stress Response Shows Up In Labor · May 29, 2026 · 14 min
• E121: Mother’s Day: Childbirth Changes You Even When No One Sees It · May 10, 2026 · 23 min

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