![Men in pain during "labor"](http://cdn2-b.examiner.com/sites/default/files/styles/image_content_width/hash/1a/eb/1aeba3638d41d64acf5135efe637fa8e.jpg?itok=sfehIovo "Men in pain during "labor"")
Two presenters on the Dutch TV show Guinea Pigs recently hooked themselves up to electrodes to simulate the contractions pregnant women go through during labor. In the clip located at the bottom left of this article, you can watch Dennis Storm and Valerio Zena nervously meet with nurses in a comfortable labor room. One of the nurses explains what to expect, has them lie down on a queen-size bed, pulls their shirts up, and attaches the conductors onto key areas of their stomach.
During this process, Zena wonders out loud whether the contractions will make him scream. One of the nurses replies, "Yes, it definitely will." The pair endure two hours of simulated contractions and both seem to have a new appreciation for women.
In reality, however, there exists evidence that suggest that a pregnant woman's body starts to produce more endorphins just before labor. Endorphins are natural opiate-like substances. They are similar to morphine and heroin, but not as potent. In the presence of pain, they are manufactured by our bodies and act as a natural analgesic.
Endorphins have positively altered the memory of many women's birth experiences and in some cases have induced an amnesic effect (forgetting the pain). Endorphins can therefore provide an internal 'protection' against the intensity of labor and giving birth and have the potential to strengthen a woman's psyche.
Sources:
http://lifestyle.iafrica.com/hislife/fatherhood/837402.html
http://www.birth.com.au/The-pain-of-labour/Endorphin-release
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