Why Can Oxytocin Massage Accelerate Breast Milk Production? This is the Explanation of a UM Surabaya Lecturer

• 05 Aug
• 2022

Ilustrasi gambar (Momchare.co.id)

Why Can Oxytocin Massage Accelerate Breast Milk Production? This is the Explanation of a UM Surabaya Lecturer

• Article
• By Uswah Sahal
• Health
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Breastfeeding is a phase that every mother looks forward to after the birth of a baby. From the time the baby is born until the age of 6 months, the baby has the right to get only breast milk without additional food and drink except medicine and vitamins.

Exclusive breastfeeding (ASI) for the first 6 months of a child's life is part of the implementation of the Gold Standard for Infant and Child Feeding (IYCF) recommended by WHO and UNICEF.

Breast milk contains complete nutrients needed by a baby and is also easily digested by a small and sensitive baby's stomach. Only breastfeeding is sufficient to meet the nutritional needs of infants under the age of six months.

A breastfeeding problem that is commonly faced by mothers and hinders the success of exclusive breastfeeding is that the mother feels that her milk production is low. This condition of course can hamper the breastfeeding process and reduce the mother's self-confidence.

On the day of World Breastfeeding Week, Umi Ma'rifah, a Lecturer in the Bachelor of Midwifery Study Program, Faculty of Health Sciences (FIK) UM Surabaya, explained the reasons why oxytocin massage can expedite breast milk production. According to him, there are several factors that can affect the oxytocin reflex, namely thoughts, feelings and emotions of the mother. Oxytocin release can be inhibited or increased by the mother's feelings.

"The hormone oxytocin will cause the muscle cells that surround the milk-producing ducts to contract or contract so that the milk is pushed out of the milk-producing ducts and flows ready to be sucked by the baby," explained Umi Friday (5/8/22)

According to him, if the mother has strong thoughts, feelings and emotions, it will most likely suppress the oxytocin reflex in inhibiting and reducing milk production. Of course, one of the efforts that can be made to increase milk production is oxytocin massage.

“Oxytocin massage is a non-pharmacological intervention to stimulate prod

breastfeeding support, which can be carried out by postpartum mother assistants in helping the mother to breastfeed," he said again.

In a written statement, Umi explained that oxytocin massage is a spinal massage on the 5-6th rib to the scapula which will speed up the work of the parasympathetic nerves to stimulate the posterior pituitary. Oxytocin massage is done to stimulate the oxytocin reflex or let down reflex.

This oxytocin massage is done by massaging the back area along both sides of the spine, so it is hoped that by doing spinal massage, the mother will feel relaxed and the fatigue after giving birth will soon disappear.

"If the mother is relaxed and not tired, it can help release the hormone oxytocin. Massage or on the spine, neurotransmitters will stimulate the medulla oblongata to immediately send a message to the hypothalamus in the posterior pituitary to release oxytocin, causing the breasts to release milk," he stressed.

At the end of her statement, Umi added that oxytocin massage was effective on the first and second post-partum days, because on those two days not enough milk was produced.

“Oxytocin massage can be done whenever the mother wants with a duration of ± 15 minutes, it is more advisable to do it before breastfeeding or expressing milk. So to get an optimal and good amount of breast milk, oxytocin massage should be done every day with a duration of ± 15 minutes," he concluded.