What is oxytocin? It’s a naturally produced hormone that’s released by your pituitary gland and neurons in your hypothalamus. Oxytocin is synthetically produced as well.
The hormone function of oxytocin is involved in facilitating childbirth and breast feeding. It is dispensed in large quantities during labor, which causes increased muscle contractions of your uterus. Also, this hormone is discharged upon stimulation of your nipples during breastfeeding to facilitate ejection of milk into the ducts of your breasts.
Although not fully understood, research into the function of oxytocin is revealing that it has health benefits beyond reproduction. Seems both men and women have oxytocin. When triggered, it causes a series of reactions that enhance your body’s relaxation and calmness by lowering blood pressure and other stress responses. In addition, it increases bonding behaviors, like friendliness, openness and interaction with others.
So what can you do to boost your functional benefits from oxytocin? Here are several suggestions:
- get a massage
- increase physical activity
- make eye-contact with others
- intimately interact with another
- touch ~ other human beings, animals
- engage in sexual relations with intimate partner
Synthetic oxytocin is sometimes used by obstetricians to induce labor, accelerate labor by strengthening contractions, control postpartum bleeding or evacuate contents of uterus in the event of spontaneous abortion. An obstetrician is a health care provider specializing in pregnancy and childbirth.
