Deep Dive Into the Love Hormone
Oxytocin- The Love Hormone!
If you have a baby you are probably familiar with a hormone called Oxytocin. It plays an important role in all things love and connection. It wears many different hats, and has different purposes throughout your life, but has specific and unique importance in the birth and postpartum stage. Research shows that the hormone plays a vital role in establishing and maintaining relationships, breastfeeding, and early bonding and connection.
Let’s dive into 3 main ways Oxytocin can impact breastfeeding:
The Letdown reflex:
You’ve probably heard mom’s talking about having a let down, or you may have seen a baby cry and a wet spot appear, but what exactly is a let down? A let down is when specific cells around the milk sacs contract and squeeze milk down the ducts towards the nipple. A letdown is not a one-time event, but can happen several times throughout a pumping or nursing session. Some women may feel sensations like tingling, warmth, and some women may not feel anything.
Oxytocin plays a key role in the letdown. The beginning stimulation of the nipples sends messages for your brain to trigger the release of oxytocin, which inturn tells the cells to contract to create a letdown.
This is why you may hear people recommending lots of skin-to skin while breastfeeding early on because skin to skin has been shown to boost oxytocin levels.
Benefits to milk supply
Although Oxytocin is a part of the breastfeeding process, it is not a milk making hormone. Oxytocin’s role in breastfeeding is to get the milk in the breasts flowing and to your baby.
Oxytocin supports the action of the milk making hormone prolactin.
In the early stages of milk production and feeding your body relies heavily on the hormonal process (endocrine) during breastfeeding and pumping, but it slowly switches to more of a local (autocrine) control, in response to your baby's feeding patterns. As your hormones continue to balance postpartum the earlier and more frequently you can feed increases your hormone receptors and therefore help your body to work faster and more efficiently.
Bonding and connection
Oxytocin plays an important role in the bonding and connection process.
Skin-to skin is a great way to bond with your baby in the early days as they are adapting to life outside of the womb.
Oxytocin has the ability to regulate emotional responses and can be a part of positive relational experiences, such as trust, positive memories, empathy.
Oxytocin is also a big contributor to the parent-child bond. There is a positive feedback loop with Oxytocin, where the more we engage in feel-good behaviors, the more oxytocin we keep getting, reinforcing these behaviors. Not only are you releasing Oxytocin when engaging with your baby, but your baby is also releasing these hormones as well which helps them bond to you and build trust.
How to harness the power of Oxytocin
Use skin-to-skin to your advantage in the early weeks. As much as possible, have mom and dad skin-to-skin with your baby so all the bonding hormones can flow and support your adjustment to this new little one and their cues and needs.
In the first few weeks of your baby's life expect to feed frequently. This not only helps your body to lay down the foundation/ process for the rest of your breastfeeding relationship, but also helps you to practice and learn your baby's unique cues.
Find ways to relax. The beginning of life with a newborn is tiring and can at times be stressful as you are learning about this new person and their needs, then add in any additional issues or challenges, and it can make for a stressful feeding experience. Your body is deeply in tune with the emotions you are experiencing, so finding ways to be calm and relaxed prior to feeding your baby can set your brain up for success in getting the right hormones flowing to begin the feeding process.
If you are having an extra hard time latching and experiencing pain or discomfort please seek support from an IBCLC.
Consider using music as a tool to create a calm and joyful environment.
Have snacks and water available nearby for when you get hungry- this is hard work, your body needs fuel too!
Ask your partner for a shoulder rub or long hug prior to beginning a feeding.
Start with affirmations, visualizations, or meditations to get your mind in a calm space.
Resources and where to find more information:
Making More Milk 2nd edition -By: Lisa Marasco and Diana West
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