Love hormones for better sleep: Hidden benefits of breastfeeding | Health

Breastfeeding is a natural and beautiful process that helps build intimacy and bonding between mother and baby. The connection and bond felt during this nurturing embrace can have positive psychological effects, such as stress reduction and an increased sense of calm.

In an interview with HT Lifestyle, Khusbu Jha, lactation expert and physiotherapist at Cloudnine Group of Hospitals in New Delhi’s Kailash Colony, said, “Breast milk contains all the nutrients an infant needs in the first six months of life, including fat, carbohydrates, proteins, vitamins, minerals and water. It is easily digested and used efficiently. Breast milk also contains bioactive factors that strengthen the infant’s immature immune system, protect it from infections and other factors that aid in digestion and absorption of nutrients.”

What are the benefits of breastfeeding for the mother?

Khusbu Jha responded, “Breastfeeding creates an emotional bond between mother and baby, but beyond that, breastfeeding has many other benefits for the mother: Breastfeeding helps reduce inflammation, helping to prevent diabetes and sleep disorders. One of the biggest and perhaps most surprising psychological benefits of breastfeeding is better sleep. In fact, mothers who only breastfeed may find that they fall asleep more easily, sleep longer, and sleep more deeply.”

She explained: “When you breastfeed, your body produces the hormones prolactin and oxytocin. Oxytocin creates a peaceful, protective feeling that allows you to relax and focus on your child. It also promotes a strong feeling of love and connection between you and your baby. Breastfeeding can also promote your baby’s physical and emotional well-being. Breastfed babies cry less overall and have fewer cases of teething. Breastfeeding creates a bond between mother and baby because it encourages skin-to-skin contact, more holding and caressing.”

Khusbu Jha explained: “Many experts say that loving attachments in the early years of life help reduce social and behavioral problems in children and adults. Breastfeeding can also help mothers understand their infant’s cues, and babies can learn to trust their caregivers. This helps shape a baby’s early behavior. According to a 10-year longitudinal study by the American Psychological Association, women who breastfeed their children longer also show greater maternal sensitivity well beyond the infancy and toddler years.”

Benefits of breastfeeding for the baby

Breastfeeding provides numerous health benefits for the offspring and the mother and can improve the bond between mother and child. A large body of evidence suggests that breastfeeding can improve infant neurodevelopment, but more research is needed to determine whether breastfeeding is associated with the development of childhood psychopathologies.

Khusbu Jha said, “Breastfeeding can give mothers the assurance that their breast milk is helping to keep their baby happy and healthy. It strengthens babies’ immune systems, they have fewer diarrhea, constipation and other digestive problems. It reduces stomach inflammation and reduces acid reflux. There are fewer colds and respiratory diseases such as pneumonia, whooping cough and other viral respiratory infections; fewer ear infections that can damage hearing; fewer cases of bacterial meningitis, better vision and lower risk of blindness, fewer infant deaths, fewer sudden infant deaths, fewer overall illnesses and fewer hospitalizations.”

She added: “In addition to the physical benefits of essential nutrients, research shows that breastfeeding also has a profound and lasting impact on children’s thinking and understanding, behavior and mental health.” For example, babies who are breastfed are likely to have:

• Stronger critical thinking and argumentation skills
• Better memory
• Early language ability
• Improved motor skills

How can a bond be built between mother and baby before feeding?

You’ve imagined meeting your baby for months – now the wait is over. Khusbu Jha said, “Those first few weeks of breastfeeding are a special bonding time between you and your baby and the perfect opportunity to get to know each other. When your baby is born, you may feel an almost overwhelming sense of love and a strong desire to protect them. But bonding is an individual experience, so don’t worry if it doesn’t happen immediately. Getting to know your newborn will take time, and the bond develops and strengthens through caring for the baby.”

She stressed: “It is important for both parents to get used to caring for their newborn – being close to her, talking to her, holding her and cuddling her. This will build your confidence as a parent and give your baby the best start emotionally, physically and mentally – and will help with breastfeeding too.”

Hold your baby skin to skin

You’ve probably heard about the importance of skin-to-skin contact, where you hold your swaddled baby to your bare chest (and have a light blanket or cardigan over you for warmth if needed). Khusbu Jha points out, “Early skin-to-skin contact, ideally within an hour of birth, helps release hormonal triggers that encourage your newborn to find your breast and suckle on your nipple. One study found that newborns who spent over 50 minutes in skin-to-skin contact were eight times more likely to breastfeed spontaneously. Skin-to-skin contact isn’t just for the first hour, either. It’s wonderful when your baby needs soothing or comfort, and to boost your milk supply.”

She added: “Skin-to-skin also has many other benefits for your baby, such as regulating their heartbeat and breathing, as well as maintaining the perfect temperature and healthy blood sugar levels. If for some reason you are unable to be with your baby immediately after birth, your partner is encouraged to hold them skin-to-skin to provide these benefits and make them feel safe, loved and warm until you are ready.”

Oxytocin: Essential for breastfeeding and bonding

Adjusting to motherhood can be daunting, but did you know that these precious skin-to-skin moments are beneficial for both you and your baby? Khusbu Jha shares, “When you have skin-to-skin contact, you release a powerful cocktail of calming hormones, including oxytocin – often referred to as the ‘love hormone’ or ‘cuddle hormone’. Released whenever you are near your newborn, and even just smelling or thinking about them, this clever hormone helps you adjust to motherhood in a number of ways. It improves your ‘mothering behaviors’ – things like stroking, making eye contact and using loving language.”

Furthermore, she revealed, “It also has anti-anxiety and antidepressant properties and may protect against postnatal depression. The early release of oxytocin is also thought to prepare your brain for breastfeeding your baby and stimulate your breasts to produce milk. You will also release beta-endorphin, a hormone that encourages you to respond to your baby’s needs. Don’t be surprised if the urge to soothe her when she cries is sometimes overwhelming – this is a normal maternal instinct. Beta-endorphin also produces feelings of joy and calm.”

Make eye contact with your baby

Khusbu Jha informed: “Your baby can see in black, white and grey from birth (at around three months, he can see colours more clearly) and can focus on things that are less than 25cm away. That is close enough for him to see your face when you feed – he might even make eye contact with you for a few moments. In the early days, your baby will feed very frequently, so you will experience this intimate connection several times a day.”

Build a bond with your voice:

Khusbu Jha pointed out, “A full-term baby’s hearing is well developed. Fetuses respond to sounds as early as 19 weeks of pregnancy, and newborns have been shown to prefer their mother’s voice over others and even recognize melodies they heard in the womb. Talking softly to your newborn helps build a reciprocal relationship that is important for their future social skills. You can talk about anything from visitors to what’s looking out your window – it really doesn’t matter, newborns are a captive audience! Singing is also a fun way to bond, even if you don’t have the best voice.”

She concluded: “Breast milk is the best food for babies during the first two years and no substitute is recommended during this time. Breastfeeding has many health benefits for mother and baby both during and after breastfeeding.”