Childbirth

Oxytocin: how important this hormone is in breastfeeding, childbirth and sex.

Oxytocin is a powerful hormone and is also known as the love hormone, this is because it is produced when you feel safe, loved. Oxytocin plays a very important role in childbirth , breastfeeding and falling in love between parents and child immediately after birth.

The role of oxyotocin in birth

Oxytocin has the power to make the cells of our body contract. It acts on the muscle bands of the uterus which, with their movement similar to the peristaltic movement of the intestine, leads to the birth of your child.

The hormone oxytocin is modulated and produced by the neurohypophysis.

Its rhythmicity is influenced by the emotional state of the woman in labour, by the sensations she experiences, the more she is stressed, lives in a state of anxiety and fear, the more the release of oxytocin is altered and can modify the duration and effectiveness of the contractions.

For this reason, it’s important to create an environment during labor that helps the woman feel calm, relaxed, and secure.

It is important to give little stimuli, not to speak loudly and to have the light dimmed (melatonin helps the production of this hormone and therefore the progress of labour).

Carefully choose the environment where you will give birth, if you are calm, stay at home as much as possible, in your environment, surrounded by your things and the people you love.

Choose a doula or home midwife to support you during labor at home. Don’t let anyone into the house who isn’t really wanted.

A person who makes us uncomfortable upsets oxytocin.

Try not to talk, limit your dialogue with other people. Take advantage of the breaks to rest, to have a moment of relaxation and focus on the baby.

Let yourself be pampered, massaged, shake hands, but if you don’t like all of this, just look the person you trust in the eye. Once you arrive at the hospital, try to make that environment personalized: try playing a CD with music, or bring your own pillow and blanket.

The role of oxytocin in breastfeeding

The baby suckles → nerve impulses travel from the breast to the brain → oxytocin is produced and released into the blood → oxytocin reaches the muscle cells that are located near the milk-producing cells → the cells contract and express the milk outside out.

The more the baby suckles, the more oxytocin is produced and the more milk is produced.

Oxytocin, in addition to being produced by the baby’s sucking, is produced by manual breast pressing, with electric one, with the baby’s skin to skin, with the expulsion of the placenta, with oxytocin massage behind the back.

The body also produces oxytocin when it sees its baby or hears it cry. Even the thought of breastfeeding produces oxytocin. Breastfeeding releases oxytocin in both you and your baby.

Thoughts, emotions and feelings greatly influence this extraordinary circle, so in this case too, surround yourself with people who support your choice to breastfeed, who take care of you, leaving you time to spend with your baby, who bring you food and affection , who massage you and say affectionate words to you.

The role of oxytocin in sex and pregnancy

When we orgasm, a surge of oxytocin is released into the blood. Compare childbirth to orgasm: it’s unlikely you’ll be able to orgasm in front of a room full of people, in unfamiliar surroundings, with lights on and directed at you.

Birth follows the same rules as intimacy.

When you reach orgasm this causes a contraction, a spasm that can stimulate slight uterine contractions. Contractions that are not dangerous for pregnancy, that do not stimulate premature birth, that do absolutely no harm to the baby.

What can favor the onset of spontaneous labor is male ejaculate that contains prostaglandins. Prostaglandins are hormones that are also released by the cervix and help them soften and open. Obviously this help takes place when the woman’s body is ready to go into labor, it is after the 37th week and her baby has decided to be born.

What does oxytocin do?

  • Reduces anxiety
  • Reduces levels of stress hormones
  • Lowers the pain perception of contractions
  • Promotes the feeling of calm
  • Improves the nutrition of the pregnant woman during labor and the puerperium

How to help release oxytocin in labor?

There are two main ways to help oxytocin do its job:

Inform yourself, protect yourself, choose the place of birth carefully and calmly, feel respected and listened to.
Create a familiar and comfortable environment. Surround yourself with people who love you.
A satisfied mother and a serene environment are the ingredients for a successful birth and breastfeeding.

Dr Kathryn Barlow

Kathryn Barlow is an OB/GYN doctor, which is the medical specialty that deals with the care of women's reproductive health, including pregnancy and childbirth.

Obstetricians provide care to women during pregnancy, labor, and delivery, while gynecologists focus on the health of the female reproductive system, including the ovaries, uterus, vagina, and breasts. OB/GYN doctors are trained to provide medical and surgical care for a wide range of conditions related to women's reproductive health.

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