As a physician, I know that childbearing is a complex and highly evolved process for mother and baby. As a mother of four, I also know that it can also be a source of enormous pleasure and empowerment. My research and writing over two decades have explored the hormones of labour and birth, providing understandings of the processes of labour and birth that encompass the complexity, evolution, pleasure, and empowerment of birth, as well as the processes and systems that maximize safety and efficiency for mothers and babies.

This material also includes in-depth exploration of the impacts of common maternity-care interventions on the hormonal physiology, providing critical understandings that can assist mothers and babies to optimize hormonal physiology, even when interventions are needed.

You can read some of this material in my books and articles, which also explore non-hormonal aspects of pregnancy, labour, birth and parenting.

It is my great pleasure and privilege to share the culmination of my work, Hormonal Physiology of Childbearing, a major report sponsored by Childbirth Connection, now a core program of the National Partnership for Women and Families. This in-depth report–over 200 pages with more than 1100 scientific citations–is the result of many years of reading, studying, writing and rewriting, with stellar support from Carol Sakala from Childbirth Connection as well as from researchers, colleagues, and supporters worldwide, also with generous funding from DONA International, Lamaze International and the Transforming Birth fund.Hormonal Physiology of Childbearing (HPOC) is graced with a Foreword from leaders in obstetrics, peadiatrics, family medicine, midwifery and nursing. Read more here.

The report was released in full online January 13th 2015. You can sign up to receive all the news about the report.