How can a woman's body make breast milk? & bull; hello healthy

Breast milk production has started in the mother's body since pregnancy

The mother's body has begun to prepare itself to produce breast milk from the time of pregnancy. While pregnant, you may notice that your breasts are getting bigger and so you should buy a bra that is bigger in size. This happens because the glands in the breast to make milk have started to develop since the first trimester of pregnancy. The hormones that occur during pregnancy cause the milk ducts to expand in size and number.

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The nipples become more prominent and they increase in size. In addition, the color of the nipple and areola (the area around the nipple) also becomes darker. Experts suspect that the discoloration of the nipple and areola aims to help the baby see which one to suck on, but there is no evidence to support this.

When all these changes have started to occur, it means that your body is getting ready to produce breast milk. This duct system is generally well developed during the second trimester. So, if you give birth to a premature baby, you can already give him breast milk.

Production of breast milk when the baby is born

Your body begins to produce fully breastmilk within 48-96 hours of delivery. When the baby's placenta or placenta leaves your body, the hormones estrogen and progesterone decrease. This then stimulates prolactin hormone levels to increase. The hormone prolactin is a hormone that stimulates your body to make breast milk.

The hormone prolactin encourages small bags as a place to produce breast milk called alveoli to take protein, sugar, and fat from the mother's blood. All of these ingredients are then used to make breast milk. The tissues that surround the alveoli then squeeze the glands and push the milk out of the mother's breast.

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On the other hand, sucking the baby's mouth also stimulates milk production in the mother's body. How to? Your nipple contains a lot of nerves, so when the baby's mouth sucks on the nipple it is a signal to the mother's body. Suction of the baby will stimulate the pituitary gland in the mother's brain to release the hormones oxytocin and prolactin into the bloodstream.

The hormone prolactin serves to make breast milk from the mother's bloodstream
The hormone oxytocin causes the cells around the place where milk is made to push the milk out

All of these processes are called let-down reflex. When it happened let-down reflex, You may experience the following:

The baby is actively sucking the breast and swallowing breast milk (the baby is satisfied after feeding)
Breast milk may drip from the other breast while you are breastfeeding your baby
You may feel tingling in your breasts or your breasts feel very full after the first week of breastfeeding
You may feel thirsty

It takes cooperation between mother and baby in producing breast milk

So, not only is the mother's body trying to make milk, the baby's suction is also needed to make milk. It is a reciprocal process between mother and baby. The hormone in the mother's body to make milk is also stimulated by its release by the baby's mouth sucking on the mother's breast. Therefore, the more and often the baby breastfeeds, the more milk the mother's body can produce. That's why babies who rarely breastfeed can cause milk production to decrease.

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When the flow of milk increases in the early stages of breastfeeding, you may feel some discomfort in your breasts. It's okay because this is normal. The increased contraction of the alveoli to get milk from the mother's bloodstream can cause the mother to feel a tingling, burning, or prickling sensation in the breast.