ANATOMY

Detailed explanation-1: -During labor, when the fetus’s body (usually head) pushes against your cervix, the nerve impulses from this stimulation travel to your brain and stimulate your pituitary gland to release oxytocin into your bloodstream. The oxytocin travels to your uterus and stimulates contractions.

Detailed explanation-2: -Oxytocin is produced in neurons that originate in the paraventricular (PVN) and supraoptic (SON) nuclei of the hypothalamus, and is transported to the posterior pituitary. During labour, oxytocin is released in pulses from the pituitary into the circulation to induce uterine contractions [3].

Detailed explanation-3: -Oxytocin stimulates the uterine muscles to contract and also increases production of prostaglandins, which increase the contractions further. Manufactured oxytocin is sometimes given to induce labour if it has not started naturally or it can be used to strengthen contractions to aid childbirth.

Detailed explanation-4: -Some studies have found that oxytocin levels increase at the onset of labor and during labor compared to 1 or 2 weeks before labor (9), reaching a peak just when the head of the baby is delivered (10).

Detailed explanation-5: -In the hospital, a health care provider might inject a version of oxytocin (Pitocin)-a hormone that causes the uterus to contract-into a vein. Oxytocin is more effective at speeding up labor that has already begun than it is as at cervical ripening. The provider monitors contractions and the baby’s heart rate.