LOOP?

[Charlene]

What does it mean when people say childbirth is a bodily process involving a positive feedback loop?

[Chris4]

Never heard that term before. quite amusing. Have a look at this website.
http://pespmc1.vub.ac.be/FEEDBACK.html
Theres a picture about half way down which shows a positive feedback loop for birth rate.
As the number of births increases the population rises. More people create more babies. This creates a positive feedback loop as the product feeds back into the system. The end result is an explosion in population.

[Charlene]

ohh.... thxthx ~

[Jelanen]

Thats not quite the answer to the question you posed. You asked about child birth the action, not births, correct? Child birth the event is an example of a positive feedback cycle since the maternal excretion of oxitocin triggers a series of events that stimulate the secretion of more oxitocin. Since it causes an additive effect (as opposed to a subtractive effect like in negative feedback) its considered positive feedback. The problem with positive feedback cycles is they are hard to regulate. Usually the only way to arrest the cycle is to crash the system (or finally deliver the child).
-Jelanen