An international Congress on childbirth chaired by Michel Odent is being held in Spain these days, which we have spoken to on several occasions. With his presence in the media Odent has reminded us that “When the mother interferes with the birth of another mammal, the mother does not take care of her baby”.
Reading the theories of Odent leaves you with a very clear sense of clairvoyance, at least in some of his reflections and proposals, and especially when he shows moderation and does not appeal to alarmism or apocalyptic sense.
The positive thinking of "of course, is that it is obvious, it cannot be otherwise" is what leaves us this statement that we bring today.
Odent wants to express that the interposition between a mother and her young, also, as mammals, between a woman and her baby, can bring negative consequences, and leave us the example of sheep, based on experiments with these animals:
If, for example, sheep are epidural, the mother will not take care of the baby and there is no breastfeeding either, but in the human it is more complex because we talk and create culture, so our behavior in some situations is less directly the effect of balance hormonal and it is more the cultural environment that influences.
It is not a new analogy, since in "The baby is a mammal" it delves into the meaning that animals, from mares to mice, are isolated to give birth, and that we also saw here when we wondered if we would give birth better if we were alone.
But I am more interested in the second part of the appointment. In our evolved and culturalized world as humans, an epidural or a C-section will not cause the mother to dislike or care for her baby (fortunately). Odent asks whether these practices will produce long-term negative effects in the future of births, in future generations born without the help of oxytocin.
Michel Odent arouses the media interest that he knows how to take advantage of, leaving in his statements to the media such striking phrases as the one we are commenting on, and that they become popular and give more people more thought (or so I hope).
Remind us, without alarms, that childbirth is a natural process that occurs naturally throughout the animal kingdom It always comes in handy.
In the balance between that instinctive and natural, primary condition, our knowledge and medical advances that can bring many advantages, and the wishes of an informed mother, I believe the key lies. Maybe it's still asking too much.
