Breastfeeding

Breastfeeding is when a woman feeds an infant, toddler or a young child with milk produced from her breasts, usually directly from the nipples. Babies have a sucking instinct that enables them to take in the milk.

Beginning lactation

Main article: Breast milk

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Throughout pregnancy a woman's body produces hormones which stimulate the growth of the milk duct system in the breasts:

Related Topics:
Pregnancy - Hormone - Breast

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• Progesterone
• Oestrogen
• Follicle stimulating hormone (FSH)
• Luteinising hormone (LH)
• Prolactin
• Oxytocin
• Human placental lactogen (HPL).

By the fifth or sixth month of pregnancy, the breasts are sufficiently developed to produce milk (although it is also possible to induce lactation as described in a later section). Near the time of birth, the breasts may begin to secrete a thick, yellowish fluid called colostrum (or "beestings"), which is the first milk the infant receives. It contains important antibodies from the mother's body providing "immunological protection." Colostrum has more protein but less fat and sugar than mature milk – the fat and sugar increase three to four days after birth when the suckling action of the infant further stimulates the breast to produce mature breast milk.

Related Topics:
Birth - Colostrum - Infant - Antibodies

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After the colostrum the breast produces milk on a basis of supply and demand, depending on how often the baby feeds and how much milk it consumes. The production, secretion and ejection of milk is called lactation. Some breastfeeding advisers recommend at least one feeding every four hours to maintain the milk supply.

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The exact properties of breast milk are not entirely understood, but the nutrient content of mature milk is relatively consistent and draws its ingredients from the mother's food supply. If that supply is inadequate, content is obtained from the mother's bodily stores. The exact composition of breast milk varies from day to day, depending on food consumption and environment, so the ratio of water to fat fluctuates. Foremilk, the milk released at the beginning of a feed, is watery, low in fat and high in carbohydrates compared with the creamier hindmilk which is released as the feed progresses. The breast can never be truly "emptied" since milk production is continuous.

Related Topics:
Nutrient - Fat - Carbohydrate

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