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.
['Dimitraki|Marina|M|', 'Tsikouras|Panagiotis|P|', 'Manav|Bachar|B|', 'Gioka|Theodora|T|', 'Koutlaki|Nikoletta|N|', 'Zervoudis|Stefanos|S|', 'Galazios|Georgios|G|']
D000328:Adult D001786:Blood Glucose D001942:Breast Feeding D036861:Delivery, Obstetric D005260:Female D005865:Gestational Age D006115:Greece D006801:Humans D006854:Hydrocortisone D007223:Infant D007231:Infant, Newborn D007743:Labor, Obstetric D007774:Lactation D007775:Lactation Disorders D008297:Male D009035:Mothers D010298:Parity D049590:Postpartum Period D011247:Pregnancy D012307:Risk Factors D013315:Stress, Psychological D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires D013997:Time Factors
Stress Labor Stress hormones Cortisol Glucose Breastfeeding