Oxytocin, mainly associated with childbirth, also plays an important role afterwards. It affects the emotional relationship between the child and mom, as well as the strength of the bond between his parents. Oxytocin triggers the need for closeness and strong attachment - that's probably why it's called the love hormone.
Oxytocin , produced by a part of the brain called the hypothalamus, is released into the bloodstream by the pituitary gland in response to signals from the vagina, uterus, or breast. It happens during orgasm, also male. However,hormonethis affects men differently than women.
What are the effects of oxytocin?
Combined with the female hormones, oxytocin triggers the need for closeness and strong attachment. Although a man also experiences a rush of warm emotions towards his partner under her influence, the mixture of testosterone + oxytocin also causes some side effects. In addition to fulfillment, there is even a hard-to-control need for… sleep. That is why so many men are less inclined to caress their partner after an act of love. Those who do, however, fight against nature. And it's worth appreciating.
You can complicate your life with oxytocin. Because when people say, "It's nothing serious, it's just sex," they don't necessarily know what they're saying. This hormone can make it very difficult to say goodbye after such an adventure. It is not fully known why the amount of it released as a result of similar stimulation varies. And the more oxytocin, the greater the risk of strong attachment. And that's basically a good thing, but only if both partners are involved in this process… So it is no coincidence that a fleeting relationship can lead to attachment for years. And the fact that physical closeness helps in making a conscious decision about motherhood. And also the unconscious: if you suddenly forget about contraception, oxytocin may have worked, or more precisely, the brain it controls. He has already chosen a father for your child. Of course, that's just a theory. Although confirmed by many scientific studies and social observations, even scientists want to believe that there is some magic in love, not just chemical processes.
The action of oxytocin in pregnancy
If you are expecting a baby, oxytocin has certainly helped with fertilization. During sexual intercourse, the uterine muscle contracts under the influence of this hormoneand it speeds up the transport of sperm all the way to the part of the fallopian tube called the bulb, where fertilization occurs. While you are waiting for your baby, you are heavily in the hands of hormones. They are responsible for pregnancy ailments and changing appetite for sex. In the first few months, when your body is primarily concerned with maintaining your pregnancy, you may not feel like playing pranks. Especially when you feel sick and are concerned about the future. It is also possible that you will no longer enjoy caressing your breasts as they are sore as you prepare for milk production. This is mainly due to the increased production of progesterone.
Oxytocin production is also increasing, but this is stored in the pituitary gland. There is no spontaneous discharge into the blood, because you do not need it for the time being. Oxytocin levels will increase as pregnancy progresses until it climates during labor. Some women feel an orgasm during pregnancy for the first time. Usually this happens around 4-5. month. Confident of your femininity, but not yet burdened with a monstrous belly, you have the opportunity to fully enjoy sex. Don't be afraid that the oxytocin-induced contractions during orgasm will harm your baby. If your pregnancy is going well, sex is even recommended. Nature has created a perfect system that protects the baby against premature birth. The muscle of the uterus does not respond to this hormone during pregnancy. Apart from the uterine muscle, the child is also protected by the membranes and amniotic fluid. So it is completely safe and can only feel a pleasant rocking during intercourse. When a good life improves the mother's mood (mainly thanks to serotonin, also known as the happiness hormone), the baby has a good mood, because you are one thing.
During pregnancy, the closeness of your partner is extremely important for you, the feeling that you will cope with new responsibilities together. This feeling is favored by the secretion of oxytocin. So make love for the sake of the family. Although there is still some time until delivery, you suddenly find a lot of energy and think that you need to prepare a place for your baby immediately? The nesting instinct is quite common and is probably also heavily induced by oxytocin. In animal experiments, it has been proven that it even allows the maternal instinct to be artificially stimulated. Females, under the influence of the hormone, built nests and lairs. The males behaved in a similar way, so please be tender to your husband when you want him to help you with your preparations.
Oxytocin helps to give birth
Towards the end of pregnancy, the urge to have sex often diminishes again, but is recommended as the "cure" whenyour due date has passed and you are still pregnant. Because when the baby is ready to be born, oxytocin helps to give birth to him. When the cervix is stretched during labor, large amounts of this hormone are released. This in turn, by acting on the uterine muscle, causes the uterus to contract and progress. At the same time, however, the content of oxytocinase, the enzyme that breaks down oxytocin, increases. The amounts of oxytocin released into the blood cause uterine contraction but are rapidly broken down by oxytocinase. The secretion of subsequent portions of the hormone occurs regularly, which is why the characteristic regular contractions are an announcement of the commencement of labor.
What if labor is not progressing properly or is unwilling to start at all despite sex encouragement? Oxytocin, this time synthetic, may come to the rescue again, as the deficiency of this hormone is probably the cause of the problems. Oxytocin-induced labor (the hormone is administered intravenously) is usually faster, as it causes stronger uterine contractions and thus the progress of labor. Some women say induced labor is more painful. Others see no difference between induced and physiological labor, aside from the benefits of reducing the time it takes. You have to remember that pain sensation is an individual matter and it is difficult to measure. There is no doubt, however, that oxytocin allows you to welcome your baby to the world faster. It is also helpful when the cause of excessive bleeding during labor is due to a lack of narrowing of the uterus. Given in the form of a drip, it reduces the risk of serious bleeding and complications. According to some European neonatologists and pediatric neurologists, oxytocin is needed not only by the mother, but also by the baby. Not only because by shortening the labor, it limits the toddler's effort. Probably, this hormone partially "puts" the baby's neurons to sleep, and thus protects them from the possible effects of temporary hypoxia. Therefore, a properly conducted childbirth is not dangerous to the he alth of the baby.
The maternal instinct develops thanks to oxytocin
Maternal instinct, this unique bond with your baby. All you have to do is look at your baby and the oxytocin is shooting like a catapult. When you put your baby to your breast, you feel almost physical. If the hormone is not enough, you may have more problems accepting the new situation and have common physical ailments, e.g. unpleasant breast pain. Oxytocin in the right concentration causes the milk to move through the milk ducts to the gland orifice. It helps in the so-called expulsion of milk (due to its influence on the epithelial-muscular system causesshrinking tubules and moving food at the same time), necessary for the baby to eat calmly, regularly and until he is satisfied. When there is not enough of it, the milk is "inhibited" in the breasts. If the milk ducts are blocked, it may even become inflamed, requiring long-term treatment with antibiotics. To prevent this, make the pituitary gland to work and increase the production of the beneficial hormone. Do not give up on feeding, put your baby on as often as possible, ask the midwife for help. Sometimes no encouragement is enough for the breasts to provide the baby with food, because the production of oxytocin in the pituitary gland is disturbed. Such situations are best clarified with a gynecologist and endocrinologist. It sometimes happens that oxytocin is administered intravenously. When you are breastfeeding, especially in the first few days after having a baby, you will likely experience unpleasant uterine contractions. And here oxytocin is to blame, which is extremely active during feeding, but it is a very welcome, positive symptom. The contraction of the uterus is a prerequisite for getting back into shape, and most of all getting rid of postpartum faeces.
Worth knowingOxytocin triggers the need for love and tenderness
When a young mother is absorbed in caring for a child, his father often feels jealous and spurned. However, if she receives the right amount of love from her partner, she will show it to the child as well. Remember that if you are affectionate and loving towards each other, your child will be brought up in an atmosphere of love.
"M jak mama" monthly