Why Relaxation Matters in Pregnancy, Birth and Beyond
The Science of Touch and Calm:
Why Relaxation Matters in Pregnancy, Birth and Beyond By Lisa Hanna
One of the most powerful things we can give ourselves and our children is calm. When we are calm, our bodies release hormones that support health, connection, and wellbeing. The same is true for babies — both in pregnancy and following birth, calm environments nurture thriving children.
Oxytocin, known as the “love hormone”, shapes parenthood from conception to contractions, to the first cuddle with your newborn. It impacts all human interactions and relationships.
The good news? There are simple, natural ways to encourage oxytocin to flow – both in pregnancy and beyond. That’s where hypnobirthing and baby massage come in.
Oxytocin: Why is it so important?
The first 1001 days study (2021)—from pregnancy to your baby’s second birthday—recognise this time as vital window for brain development, bonding, and emotional wellbeing.
Oxytocin, the love hormone, plays a central role throughout this time. It supports labour, helps with breastfeeding, reduces stress, and strengthens attachment.
By encouraging oxytocin through practices like hypnobirthing during pregnancy and baby massage after birth, you’re not just creating calm moments—you’re laying foundations for secure, loving relationships that last a lifetime.
These practices are not just classes – they’re opportunities to build resilience, deepen your bond, aid baby development and create a calmer start to family life.
In Pregnancy:
In pregnancy when a woman is stressed the raised cortisol levels impact the baby which makes your baby feel stressed. In a busy word with many stresses it is important women find time to relax in their pregnancy.
KG Hypnobirthing can help, it is a comprehensive course teaching parents all about birth, it is different to any normal antenatal class. During hypnobirthing, parents rewire their mindset, learn how to use their senses along with relaxation techniques — such as deep breathing, positive affirmations, and guided visualisations — which aid relaxation and eliminate fears in relation to birth and help parents achieve positive birth experiences.
Oxytocin is sensitive, it flows best in a calm, safe, and private environment. In pregnancy, stress, and fear can cause adrenaline to rise, which blocks oxytocin and inhibits and slows labour.
Hypnobirthing helps to reduce adrenaline and enables the release of oxytocin which helps labour start and continue to progress smoothly while also helping parents feel safe and in control.
The benefits of Hypnobirthing and the release of Oxytocin have been scientifically proven to shorten the length of labour, reduce pain, reduce medical interventions and increase positive births and postnatal recovery.
Many people who have hypnobirthed are reported to have calm babies too and often use the relaxations to help settle their newborn.
Oxytocin After Birth:
Once your baby is born, oxytocin continues to play a vital role. Women will experience the biggest surge of oxytocin release at delivery, this helps establish breastfeeding, supporting milk flow, aids placenta separation and deepens the emotional bond between parent and baby. It lowers stress, helping parents feel calmer and more connected.
Equally for the baby every cuddle, every moment of skin-to-skin, every gentle interaction and touch encourages oxytocin release. This regulates their heart rate, breathing and helps to calm your baby, inevitably, laying the foundations for secure attachment and lifelong relationships.
Oxytocin Through Touch:
The magic of Baby Massage: Touch is one of the most powerful ways to release oxytocin after birth.
Gentle strokes on a baby’s skin release oxytocin in both baby and parent. This not only deepens the bond between them but also helps babies feel calm, reduces stress hormones. Specific acupressure techniques combined with baby massage can relieve many baby ailments such as colic, constipation, teething and colds. Research shows baby massage also improves sleep for both parent and child, aids weight gain in premature babies and improves maternal mood.
Oxytocin strengthens bonds while reducing anxiety for both parent and baby. Just like hypnobirthing helps oxytocin to flow during labour, baby massage continues this journey afterwards – creating moments of love, connection, and confidence.
Summary
The science is clear: relaxation isn’t a luxury, it’s essential. By learning to create calm in pregnancy through hypnobirthing, and continuing this after birth with baby massage, families build a strong foundation of safety, trust, and connection.
Join Me
If you’d like to prepare for a positive birth experience, or continue the bonding journey with your baby afterwards, meet other parents and gain support over tea and coffee, I’d love to welcome you to my courses in Castlewellan, Co. Down.
Find out more, click on the link to my website and follow me on social media pages for more information.
