On this incredible episode, we get the pleasure of picking the brain of Dr Sarah Buckley, where we go on a journey into the hormones from conception to pregnancy, birthing to feeding, bonding & attachment. Sarah Buckley is a New-Zealand-trained GP/family physician with qualifications in GP-obstetrics and family planning. She is also a PhD candidate at the University of Queensland, where her research is focused on oxytocin and the autonomic nervous system in labour and birth, and the impacts of interventions. Dr Buckley’s work critiques current practices in pregnancy, birth, and parenting from the widest possible perspectives, including scientific, anthropological, cross-cultural, psychological, and personal. She encourages us to be fully informed in our decision-making; to listen to our hearts and our intuition; and to claim our rightful role as the real experts in our bodies and our children. She is well known from her incredible and bestselling book Gentle Birth, Gentle Mothering: A Doctor’s Guide to Natural Childbirth and Gentle Early Parenting Choices. And her ongoing interest in the hormones of labour and birth, culminated in her groundbreaking report Hormonal Physiology of Childbearing This report, available for free online, has been described as “…one of the most revolutionary and influential publications on maternity and newborn care ever issued.” Sarah tells us much more about oxytocin - that marvellous feel good hormone, that really does control so much of our bodily functions. Sarah answers questions about whether oxytocin and synthetic oxytocin (syntocinon/pitocin) act the same in labour and birth.  We talk contractions and how they work, pain relief in labour and the important role oxytocin plays, the effects of Epidurals on oxytocin and how they affect the mother's brain in labour. And even get time to discuss postnatal personality changes due to the hormones… And so, so much more!  LINKS: Sarah's website Books Dr Rachel Reed website Online Course Patreon donations Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/themidwivescauldron)