03/04/2026
During breastfeeding, your body releases repeated pulses of oxytocin - especially with direct feeding. Oxytocin plays a role in bonding and lowers stress, increases patience and ‘softens’ your nervous system.
Then you wean.
Oxytocin drops, prolactin shifts, and estrogen starts recalibrating. And your nervous system is like … “wait! We’re raw again?”.
Here comes a tricky part:
Oxytocin is content-dependent.
That’s why some people experience breastfeeding as regulating and soothing, while others experience it as draining or frustrating . Hormones don’t exist in isolation - they interact with sleep, stress, support, and nervous system.
I actually struggled a lot with my first two. Breastfeeding felt heavy and just not enjoyable. I couldn’t wait to be done.
With my third one, things shifted. Same body, but different season of life.
Did you love it … tolerated it… or count down the days?