Birth without Trauma, Dr Frederik Leboyer’s book, outlines his principles for a gentle birth.  He believed that babies born into calm surroundings were more content.

Some of the principles involve birthing the baby into a room of hushed voices, dimmed lights, and a warm bath. Placing the baby on the mother’s chest, allowing the cord to stop pulsating before clamping and infant massage.

Leboyer’s book makes childbirth sound like a harrowing and traumatic event for the baby – which may well be so, and at the least,  creating a calm environment for all involved, will limit cortisone production, and reduce both mother’s and babie’s stress levels.