Evaluation of the effect of natural and emotional stress of labor on lactation and breast-feeding.

BACKGROUND

The amount of stress experienced by both the mother and fetus during labor and delivery varies considerably and is likely to be different in primiparous and multiparous women as well as in those who receive analgesia during labor and those who do not receive.

OBJECTIVE

In this study, we explored relations between stress during birth experience and lactogenesis of 100 women, who experienced vaginal delivery in Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology of University Hospital of Alexandroupolis.

METHOD: Stress hormones (cortisol and glucose) were measured in serum (cord and maternal blood) immediately after delivery. Moreover, breast-feeding frequency on day 4, the time when the subjects first felt fullness in the breasts, milk volume on day 4 postpartum and duration of labor were recorded. Also, we recorded maternal exhaustion score during labor and positive and negative affects, posttraumatic stress score and mother-infant bonding rate, with the use of questionnaires.

RESULTS

There were significant intercorrelations among the outcome variables. Mothers who experienced pain, exhaustion and negative feelings in a stressful and long labor had delayed onset of lactation.

CONCLUSIONS

These results indicate that primiparity, long labor, stress to the mother and fetus during labor and delivery, negative affects and high score of posttraumatic stress are risk factors for delayed lactogenesis.