Why is oxytocin known as the love hormone?

Currently, there is a greater focus on the humanization of childbirth, in order to deconstruct the idea that childbirth is something painful or? Almost unbearable? for women, and thus transform it into a unique, healthy, instinctive experience, that is, to emphasize that this is a physiological and natural act.

In this context, oxytocin is always on the agenda, due to its important relationship with the moment of delivery. But the subject inevitably causes many doubts among people. For example, many people believe that oxytocin is present only in a woman's body, but this is not true. Or that synthetic oxytocin can be used "no problem".

Alberto Guimarães, gynecologist and obstetrician at the Faculty of Medicine in Teresópolis and master at the Paulista School of Medicine (UNIFESP), defender of the concepts of Humanized Childbirth, explains that oxytocin is a hormone produced by the pituitary gland, or pituitary glands. "It is a hormone that is involved in various situations, and, it is worth mentioning, it is not only involved in women, ie, it is not only the woman who produces oxytocin, the man also produces, of course in different amounts," he says.

Oxytocin is even popularly known as the "love hormone" because it is closely linked to the sensation of pleasure, physical and emotional well-being and the bond between mother and baby.

An essential key to strengthening the affective bond between mother and baby, oxytocin has its apex during labor. "It is produced by the brain and may have its release increased during the most intimate situations such as hugging, kissing and caressing the baby", comments Guimarães.

Read also: Normal Birth or Caesarean: Know Differences and Ask Questions

Oxytocin and normal delivery

This hormone plays a very important role in labor. Are you responsible for uterine contractions in a measured manner? This causes the cervix to dilate, evolving into childbirth, causing the baby to descend into the female pelvis canal and prevent the mother's bleeding.

"Oxytocin is one of the reasons for a uterine contraction, and it is this contraction that will lead to cervical dilation and promote the exit of the baby through the vaginal canal," says Guimarães.

The obstetrician points out that a normal delivery, without using synthetic oxytocin, ie without putting a medicine or a substance produced in the vein, is very important. "Because so oxytocin is released slowly, as if they were pulses, so the uterine contraction itself is like a wave: it has a peak and she stops," he explains.

Guimarães comments that the body's way of releasing oxytocin is through a very fine mechanism that can control this amount in the release, so that the body itself adapts to this effort to even tolerate pain.

And yet, after delivery, oxytocin will promote contraction of the uterus to prevent bleeding. Imagine that with the baby's exit, the uterus could become soft, such as a "shower running out of water all the time". To prevent this, the uterus contracts and the main factor for this contraction is oxytocin. So is her role in labor extremely important ?, adds the obstetrician.

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The moment of delivery, when the baby is expelled, is described as a "flood of hormones". and within these hormones is oxytocin, adrenaline, at the final moment of the baby's exit from the womb. “This moment is what also goes a lot of hormone through the placenta to the baby. And many researchers understand that this moment is extremely important, where the baby will also be full of oxytocin, this hormone that will allow after social relations, a relationship between mother and baby ?, says Guimarães.

It is noteworthy that some factors help in the release of oxytocin in labor, which causes the body to start sending signals to the brain, releasing the hormone throughout the body. Among them, according to Guimarães, are:

• Promote a warm and dimly lit environment;
• Privacy;
• Environment of trust, availability and respect;
• Nipple stimulation through movements similar to breastfeeding.

Oxytocin and breastfeeding

The relationship of oxytocin to breastfeeding once again justifies the fact that this hormone is often called the 'love hormone'.

“With regard to breastfeeding, it is interesting to imagine that oxytocin promotes a sense of well-being in women. The hormone helps the baby to be born, helps to contract the uterus and will give the woman more confidence in treating the baby, in the woman's relationship with those around her, in the woman's confidence that she will be able to cope to take care of this new child who has just arrived; and all this can reflect on this issue of milk ?, highlights Guimarães.

If the mother is safe, she tends to produce more milk and, in addition, oxytocin causes milk to come out of the breast and into the baby. Is it as if, when the baby was sucking, oxytocin would help the milk to come out of the breast and go to his mouth, ejecting the milk ?, adds the obstetrician.

Read also: Different types of childbirth: know the characteristics of each

Are there even some situations in which synthetic oxytocin is used? a spray placed in the mother's nostril, which will cause this milk ejection ?, as Guimarães recalls.

Synthetic oxytocin: in which cases it is used

The obstetrician explains that synthetic oxytocin is an oxytocin that will act on specific receptors, the same receptors as natural oxytocin acts, namely: in the womb, breasts, uterine contraction and the prevention of bleeding.

“So we may think synthetic oxytocin replaces natural oxytocin, but not quite. But, yes, is it extremely important in some situations? For example, the woman is in labor, but the contractions are ineffective and distant, and this woman does not produce natural oxytocin properly, so we can use synthetic oxytocin to help with these contractions ?, says Guimarães.

With regard to breastfeeding, in some situations it may be necessary to use synthetic oxytocin in the form of a spray, to be placed in the mother's nostril to cause milk ejection.

However, the major problem lies in the indiscriminate use of synthetic oxytocin. The hormone can, for example, be injected into the vein in exaggerated doses, thus causing serious risks to the woman and the baby.

Read also: Humanized Childbirth: The Resumption of the Protagonism of the Pregnant Woman

The risks of using oxytocin indiscriminately is that someone will take a vein, take some oxytocin, and inject it straight into the vein, because the effect of natural oxytocin is the impulse. So the difficulty is that you can simulate this oxytocin in a natural way. So if the person is hospitalized with the serum and feels a terrible pain when receiving this synthetic hormone, it must be due to a larger drip in the veins, and the uterus will feel like a very strong contraction and this contraction exaggeration gets in the way. the arrival of blood in the womb to oxygenate the baby ?, explains Guimarães.

"So one of the risks of indiscriminate use of synthetic oxytocin is overdose and this will hinder the fetal oxygenation, or, this will lead to almost unbearable pain and lead the woman to despair because the contraction may have very strong characteristics", adds the obstetrician.

"Another important point is that if the use of oxytocin comes at a very high dose in labor for a very long time, the recipients of this oxytocin are already working, and in a possible postpartum hemorrhage we lose that weapon that could be useful for stopping bleeding. And with that, oxytocin no longer works because it has been used a lot in its function. So, at a time when I would need a medication that would help in this contraction, I can no longer count, because of the use at the wrong time ?, says Guimarães.

But, explains the obstetrician, it is clear that synthetic oxytocin, as well as a well-cesarean section, can and should be used. ? But this is, very carefully and in time, so it can undoubtedly be useful ?, highlights Guimarães.

For the obstetrician, it is very important to know the physiology of childbirth. "Even to reassess which interventions are justifiable, understanding the fine mechanism involved in this hormonal balance, in order to respect the physiology of childbirth, avoiding consequences for the mother-child binomial", concludes.

You now know a little more about the functions of oxytocin and know its importance in childbirth. But most important of all, when it comes to childbirth, is being safe and informed about your choices. For this, it is essential to talk to your trusted doctor a lot, clear up all your doubts and make it clear what your wishes are. Pregnancy is a phase that naturally requires learning, and it is, above all, a magical moment in the life of women (and the whole family!) And should be lived that way.

Oxytocin - The Love Hormone (Fun Discussion) (April 2024)