The Psychological Benefits Behind the Practice: Insights to Celebrate World Breastfeeding Week
- Aug 5
- 3 min read
Written by Kit Jones-Painter
Designed by Kit Jones-Painter
Edited by Dia L. Michels & Eileen M. Halpin
Introduction
Join in as the world celebrates World Breastfeeding Week (August 1–7)! WBW promotes, protects and supports breastfeeding as the cultural norm. The benefits of breastfeeding are numerous: breastmilk is sustainable and chock-full of nutrients that support your baby’s development, making it nature’s premium solution to nurturing our young.
On top of nutritional and immunological support, breastfeeding also comes with a bevy of psychological benefits for mother and child! That begs the question: What exactly is going on in the brain for both mother and infant that makes breastfeeding so special?
Hormones
Let’s start with the building blocks of human emotions. There are two main hormones produced from breastfeeding: oxytocin and prolactin. They work together to power the physiological aspects of breastfeeding and come with a mixture of motherly emotions.
Oxytocin is known as the “love hormone” and plays a critical role in cultivating bonds between individuals. Oxytocin is initiated by skin-to-skin contact. Physiologically, the release of oxytocin helps milk flow through the ducts. Emotionally, oxytocin prompts a rush of love, empathy, and affection. It also has a profound relaxing effect! Oxytocin can combat the effects of cortisol on the nervous system, decreasing stress, anxiety, and even alleviating postpartum depression. Consequently, mothers can get a nice boost to their mental health just from the skin-to-skin contact with their infant, de-stressing and cultivating a close emotional connection to their baby all in one.
Prolactin is responsible for producing and releasing breastmilk and has similar emotional effects. Prolactin encourages a feeling of relaxation and contentment, as well as heightened focus on caregiving tasks. A breastfeeding mother experiencing prolactin will be more attentive to her baby’s cues and can respond quickly. The combination of heightened empathy and focus from oxytocin and prolactin help a mother to care for her baby incredibly effectively and efficiently.
Baby Emotional & Cognitive Development
Mommy isn’t the only one who gets a skill boost! Reading and responding to baby’s cues is a prototype of social communication, and sets the groundwork for communication skills. This early communication starts cultivating a secure attachment between mother and child. Secure attachment is the bond between a child and a caregiver created by consistent patterns of caretaking and love. Children who form secure attachments are more adventurous, confident, and likely to form healthy relationships with others.
Breastfeeding establishes the groundwork for secure attachments. The baby learns to associate the mother with food, nurturance, and comfort. The release of oxytocin in the infant elicits a sense of security and comfort, priming strong bonds with their caregiver. This information is cemented in a hormonally-boosted bonding experience for both mother and child. When done consistently, your baby feels reliably loved and supported, and consequently, securely attached.
Infants also begin to learn how to regulate their emotions during breastfeeding. Skin-to-skin contact releases oxytocin which lowers stress, and repetitive motions like sucking are soothing. Because of this, breastfeeding is considered a coregulatory activity. Coregulation is a shared process where two people use their connection to calm down, balance their nervous systems, and manage big emotions. It is an important first step in a child’s emotional regulation journey.
Breastfeeding also has intellectual benefits! Breastmilk, the incredible fluid that it is, has fatty acids that are crucial building blocks for a baby’s brain. Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and arachidonic acid (ARA) contribute directly to cognitive growth and visual acuity. A study by Mortenson et al. (2002) found a correlation between the number of months spent breastfeeding and later adult intelligence. Infants who breastfed for 7-9 months scored higher on IQ tests as adults than those who had breastfed for fewer.
Conclusion
Mother and baby benefit from breastfeeding in so many ways! They both get lifelong health benefits physically, mentally, and immunologically. But we want to take the World Breastfeeding Week and celebrate the psychological benefits of lactation.
Nature granted mothers with an incredible gift—a living, biological fluid where everyone wins! Mothers experience a decrease in stress, anxiety, and postpartum depression, all while cultivating a profound bond with the child. Infants are set up for success socially, emotionally, and intellectually. They can form secure attachments, start their emotional regulation journey, all while getting the nutrients they need to build their brains.
Unfortunately, there is still a social stigma attached to breastfeeding. That’s why organizations like World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action (WABA), La Leche League, and International Board of Lactation Consultant Examiners (to name just a few) are working to promote it through events like World Breastfeeding Week. Together, we can help reestablish breastfeeding as a cultural norm. Education and access to resources like lactation specialists are crucial to this mission. We at Platypus Media strive to do our part to make sure that you have the resources you need.
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