Here’s exactly how your body makes milk (spoiler: it’s freakin’ amazing!)
Whether you’re thoroughly experienced or just starting out, breastfeeding a baby can be a beloved (though not always easy!) part of motherhood. While getting the hang of nursing can take some time, for both mom and baby, once you find your rhythm it often becomes an established routine. But have you ever wondered how your milk is actually made" From the start of milk production at just six weeks pregnant to your baby’s ability to draw it out, here’s a breakdown of the wondrous process.
Your milk during pregnancy
When you’re six weeks pregnant, hormones tell your body to turn glandular tissue into milk-making cells called lactocytes. These cells line the alveoli, balloon-like sacs attached to ducts in clusters. By the 32-week mark, lactocytes start producing colostrum to fill the alveoli. Your milk at birth
Once your baby is born and the placenta is delivered, hormones tell your body it’s time to turn that colostrum into mature milk; this transformation typically finishes around day two to four. To keep the milk supply going, your baby needs to nurse or you need to pump?otherwise it will go away within a day or two.
Your milk in the following months
Hormones are always part of the milk-making process, but starting at day 10, production will begin to gradually rely more heavily on supply and demand?the more the baby nurses, and the more they do so effectively and fully drain the alveoli, the more milk will be produced.
How your baby gets mi...
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