In: Anatomy and Physiology
When nursing a baby, the mother may also experience:
A. increased heart rate
B. slowing of heart rate
C. uterine contractions
D. sweating
E. nausea
Answer:
Option B (slowing of heart rate) and Option C (uterine contractions)
Explanation: A mother is said to be nursing when she feeds her infant. The sucking of the milk by the infant is made possible by the release of the hormone names; oxytocin from the posterior lobe of the pituitary gland.
The hormone oxytocin is also called as the love hormone, and besides helping an infant in sucking the milk, it also remains functional in inducing mild uterine contractions within the body of the nursing mothers. However, the mothers usually do not notice it and this remains unnoticed.
Further, it has also been revealed that the nursing mothers usually be more calm and relaxed as compared to that of the non nursing ones. Their blood pressure and heart rate reportedly is found lower and also their cardiac modulation rate is superior to that of the non nursing mothers. This is mainly attributed on account of the lower and a reduced amount of the hormone cortisol produced within their body such that stress levels are lowered.