Michel Odent, MD, has been in charge of the surgical unit and the maternity unit at the Pithiviers (France) state hospital (1962–1985) and is the founder of the Primal Health Research Centre (London). He is the author of the first articles in the medical literature about the initiation of lactation during the hour following birth and of the first article about use of birthing pools (The Lancet 1983). He created the Primal Health Research database. He is the author of 15 books published in 22 languages. His 2015 book, titled Do We Need Midwives?, is followed by an addendum titled Will Humanity Survive Medicine? Co-author of five academic books, he is also a contributing editor to Midwifery Today magazine.
His approach has been featured in eminent medical journals such as The Lancet and in TV documentaries such as the BBC film Birth Reborn. After his hospital career he practiced homebirths. As a researcher Michel Odent founded the Primal Health Research Center in London, England, which focuses on the long-term consequences of early experiences. An overview of the Primal Health Research data bank www.primalhealthresearch.com demonstrates how health is shaped during the primal period (from conception until the first birthday). The research also suggests that the way we are born has long-term consequences for sociability, aggressiveness—in other words, for our capacity to love. Michel Odent has developed a pre-conception program (the “accordion method”) that minimizes the polluting effects of synthetic fat-soluble chemicals, such as dioxins and PCBs, during pregnancy and breastfeeding. His other research interests are the nonspecific long-term effects of early multiple vaccinations. Visit Michel Odent’s website at www.wombecology.com/. For further information on Michel Odent, his books and the Primal Health Research Center, visit www.primalhealthresearch.com. Learn about the Paramana Doula Course by Michel Odent and Liliana Lammers, an experienced doula, at www.paramanadoula.com. To view Michel Odent’s responses to questions on the Mothering magazine site, see www.mothering.com/sections/experts/odent-archive.html In addition to approximately 50 scientific papers, Odent has published 15 books in 23 languages. His books demonstrate his artistry in turning traditional questions around: “How do we develop good health?” instead of “How do we prevent disease?” or “How do we develop the capacity to love?” instead of “How do we prevent violence?” Michel Odent is the author of the first article in the medical literature about the use of birthing pools (The Lancet 1983), of the first article about the initiation of lactation during the hour following birth, and of the first article applying the “Gate Control Theory of Pain” to obstetrics. He is the author of 12 books published in 22 languages. After his hospital career he practiced homebirths. Odent’s 21st-century books (The Scientification of Love, The Farmer and the Obstetrician and The Caesarean) may be regarded as a trilogy. They raise urgent questions about the future of our civilizations. Other books by Michel Odent:
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Women undergoing cesareans without labor miss a chance to get love hormones, which are crucial to civilization.
Frequent contributor Michel Odent discusses how joy in pregnancy protects the baby against harmful stress hormones.
“Being breech-born by the vaginal route is associated with the highest possible mean intelligence scores.” This is one conclusion of the Primal Health Research of the author. Read his simple rules for vaginal birth.
Read more…. Breech Birth from a Primal Health Research Perspective
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Contributing Editor Michel Odent describes the genesis of the concept of primal health, defining the terminology and discussing resources to learn more.
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Reprinted from Volume 13, Number 4, of Primal Health Research, this article discusses a variety of studies that link events during the primal period to a variety of behaviors/conditions under the heading of “antisocial,” including schizophrenia, autism, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and other categories.
Read more…. Antisocial Behaviours from a Primal Health Research Perspective
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How use of amnioscopy, an inexpensive and simple technique, can be used to evaluate condition of the amniotic fluid prior to and during labor
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“Persistent posterior position at birth will become exceptionally rare on the day when the meaning of privacy is understood and authentic midwifery has been rediscovered.” Read this article to learn why.
Read more…. Occiput Posterior Position Should be Exceptionally Rare at Birth
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Postpartum hemorrhages are almost always due to inappropriate interference. Learn why.
Read more…. Putting an End to Women’s Global Slaughter Bleeding to Death
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We must keep in mind that “protocol” derives from the Greek word “kolla,” which means “glue.” To follow a protocol is to give up freedom. Freedom is the prerequisite for any artistic way of behaving. This implies that if it is an art, midwifery is incompatible with the concept of protocol.
If you have on your shelf the English version of the book, titled History of Childbirth: Fertility, Pregnancy and Birth in Early Modern Europe, you will miss the analogy transmitted by the original title and the importance of the pages on the history of beliefs about the duration of pregnancy. Read more…. The Tree and the Fruit: Routine versus Selective Strategies in Postmaturity
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Stress hormones inhibit the release and action of the hormone necessary to induce and maintain effective uterine contractions during labor and delivery. A good understanding of physiological processes leads the midwife to ensure that nobody is under the effect of adrenaline in the environment of a laboring woman.
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Women have been programmed to give birth thanks to the release of a flow of hormones. The same hormones are involved in lactation. The strong connections between the birth process and the initiation of lactation make inevitable a series of questions about nursing the caesarean born.
