Editing Childbirth (section)

=== Psychological ===

During the later stages of [[gestation]], there is an increase in abundance of [[oxytocin]], a hormone that is known to evoke feelings of contentment, reductions in anxiety, and feelings of calmness.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Uvnäs-Moberg |first1=Kerstin |last2=Ekström-Bergström |first2=Anette |last3=Berg |first3=Marie |last4=Buckley |first4=Sarah |last5=Pajalic |first5=Zada |last6=Hadjigeorgiou |first6=Eleni |last7=Kotłowska |first7=Alicja |last8=Lengler |first8=Luise |last9=Kielbratowska |first9=Bogumila |last10=Leon-Larios |first10=Fatima |last11=Magistretti |first11=Claudia Meier |last12=Downe |first12=Soo |last13=Lindström |first13=Bengt |last14=Dencker |first14=Anna |date=9 August 2019 |title=Maternal plasma levels of oxytocin during physiological childbirth – a systematic review with implications for uterine contractions and central actions of oxytocin |journal=BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth |language=en |volume=19 |issue=1 |page=285 |doi=10.1186/s12884-019-2365-9 |doi-access=free |issn=1471-2393 |pmc=6688382 |pmid=31399062}}</ref> Oxytocin is further released during labour when the fetus stimulates the cervix and vagina, and it is believed that it plays a major role in the [[Maternal bond|bonding of a mother to her infant]] and in the establishment of maternal behaviour. The father of the child also has an increase in oxytocin levels following contact with the infant and parents with higher oxytocin levels show being more responsivene and "[[Behavioural synchrony|in synch]]" in their interactions with their infant.  The act of [[breastfeeding|nursing]] a child also causes a release of oxytocin to help the baby get [[Breast milk|milk]] more easily from the nipple.<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.vivo.colostate.edu/hbooks/pathphys/endocrine/hypopit/oxytocin.html |title= Oxytocin | vauthors = Bowen R |date= 12 July 2010 |work= Hypertexts for Biomedical Sciences |access-date= 18 August 2013 |url-status= live |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20140829220747/http://www.vivo.colostate.edu/hbooks/pathphys/endocrine/hypopit/oxytocin.html |archive-date= 29 August 2014 }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |title=Oxytocin and early parent-infant interactions: A systematic review |journal=International Journal of Nursing Sciences |year=2019 |pmid=31728399 |last1=Scatliffe |first1=N. |last2=Casavant |first2=S. |last3=Vittner |first3=D. |last4=Cong |first4=X. |volume=6 |issue=4 |pages=445–453 |doi=10.1016/j.ijnss.2019.09.009 |pmc=6838998 }}</ref>