Breast milk is produced under the command of several hormones that begin to act in the woman’s body even before the baby is born. It is during pregnancy, for example, that the breasts are being prepared to become a powerful plant for a special food. Due to the estrogen and progesterone hormones – secreted by the placenta -, the breasts become larger, more sensitive and have their blood vessels dilated. The production of milk itself only begins after childbirth, when other hormones, such as prolactin and oxytocin, come into play. They stimulate certain cells in the breasts to manufacture the precious liquid, in a process that we explain bit by bit in the infographic on the side. “This process resembles that of a factory, which works on demand: the more the baby breastfeeds, the more milk the mother produces”, says pediatrician Marcus Renato de Carvalho, from the Interdisciplinary Breastfeeding Support Clinic in Rio de Janeiro. The most amazing thing is that this factory can work even on a woman who has only adopted a child, without becoming pregnant. With the support of a competent professional, the entry into action of the hormones that stimulate the “let-down of milk” can be conditioned. “Milk is also produced in the woman’s head”, says Marcus Renato. One of the techniques that help with this conditioning is for the adoptive mother to put the child to breastfeed several times. It takes time, but it pays off, especially for the baby. Maternal food is a grade 10 meal, rich in fat, mineral salts, vitamins and essential substances that protect against diseases. This milk is so complete that, in the first months of life, the baby does not need to eat anything else – not even water!
At the bookshop:
Postpartum and Breastfeeding — Tips and Notes – Marcus Renato de Carvalho and Vitória Pamplona, Agora, 2001
On the Internet:
https://www.aleitamento.com
Gland in the brain controls production of the “factory” located in the breasts
1. A woman’s breasts begin to be prepared for breastfeeding during pregnancy, but milk production, in general, only starts after childbirth. When a child is born, a gland called the anterior pituitary gland — located at the bottom base of the brain — releases large amounts of the hormone prolactin.
2. Prolactin then falls into the bloodstream. It travels throughout the body, but it only acts on the mammary alveoli, which are cells inside the breasts that look like small bunches of grapes. These cells are born programmed to produce milk as soon as they receive a command from the body — in this case, the command is the arrival of prolactin
3. The milk produced in the alveoli travels inside the breast through a network of channels called lactiferous ducts. They end in small reservoirs, the lobes, which are well below the areolas of the breasts. Each breast has between 15 and 20 lobes
4. From the lobules, the milk flows into the baby’s mouth through small “holes”, the nipple pores, scattered around the mother’s nipple. Each breast has ten to fifteen of these pores through which milk drains.
5. Only the child’s suction is not enough to extract all the milk. But after a few minutes, the baby’s effort to suck the nipple stimulates nerve endings in the breast that branch out to the brain. These nerve endings activate another region of that same pituitary gland from step 1, the posterior pituitary gland.
6. This time, the said gland produces another hormone, oxytocin, which also enters the bloodstream and reaches the breasts. Oxytocin causes contractions in the breast muscles that «squeeze» the alveoli and lobules. This helps to push the milk to the nipple, causing enough milk to flow to feed the baby.
Three truths about breastfeeding that many people think are myths
Stress and other emotional factors impair breast milk production
True. The pituitary gland is in an area of the brain that also regulates emotions. That is, if the mother is not feeling well, she can inhibit the release of hormones that trigger milk production.
breastfeeding gets tired
True. It is a tremendous effort for the organism to produce up to 800 milliliters of milk per day! To give you an idea, a breastfeeding woman spends around 500 more calories a day than a normal woman. It even gives you a sweat!
Milk production at night is higher
True. The pituitary gland produces more prolactin at night. Therefore, breastfeeding during this period helps to maintain a good production of milk to be consumed the next day.