Book on The Lactation Process

Breast feeding is one of the topics that expectant mothers talk about from my experience at the hospital that I work at. They even give classes to expectant and current mothers on the topic. Whether you want to do it or not it plays a major role in all pregnancies because it could affect the newborn. In this project I will be discussing how milk production is induced in mothers. If you cannot induce milk production what are the mechanical and non-mechanical ways to induce milk productionor still provide milk for your newborn. What drugs are used to help mothers who cannot produce enough breast milk to do so. Finally, I will also be discussing the benefits that breast milk has to offer a newborn.  

Your body changes and gets itself ready for breast feeding by the time that you get ready to give birth. It all starts at the breast they are the gateway. Milk is produced within the Alveoli of the breast. The alveoli look like grape clusters, when milk is made the alveoli squeeze it out into the milk ducts, which are little highways that carry milk throughout the breast.  According to the USDA “When your baby suckles, it sends a message to your brain. The brain then signals the hormones, prolactin and oxytocin to be released. Prolactin causes the alveoli to begin making milk. Oxytocin causes muscles around the alveoli to squeeze milk out through the milk ducts”. When born within the first 2 hours the infant helps the production of milk to start by suckling on the breast, USDA states the more the baby feeds the more milk the body will make.

Now not all mothers can breast feed or do not have the time to breast feed so they have different avenues that are made available to them so that they can still provide their newborn with the milk that they need. If you are a working mom, you can use breast pumps almost anywhere and pump out bottles of milk that can be frozen and used later for consumption by your newborn. Breast pumps are a great way for you to continue your routine with your newborn. If you cannot breast feed the other option made available is baby formula which offers you almost the same nutrients as regular milk. Baby formula can be a substitute used separately or in conjunction with breast feeding to feed your newborn infant. Bottle feeding baby gives you the possibility of having around the clock help to take care of your baby. It means that you can have anyone feed your baby, not just you, so you can get more rest. Plus, when you bottle feed, you may not have to feed your baby as often since formula is not digested as fast as breast milk.

Now if you are not pregnant and want to breast feed, like for example you adopted an infant you have the choice of using prescribed medications to or herbal medication to induce lactation. According to news medical the basis for lactation induction is taking one active oral contraceptive pill. The pill usually contains 1 to 2 mg of progesterone and no more than 0.035 mg of estrogen. These pills need to be taken without interruption each day to help grow breast tissue. Taking this regiment with Domperidone helps you increase your milk supply. This oral contraceptive drops the mother’s progesterone levels which in turn stimulates her prolactin levels to increase which will allow breast to make milk. This is a regiment that is allowed by the American Academy of pediatrics. If you want to go natural, you have herbs like Fenugreek seed and Blessed Thistle which taken with Domperidone which taken 3 times a day with meals should help you induce lactation and produce milk.

​The last part of this project also deals with the benefits of breast feeding a newborn. Breast feeding offers many benefits for the baby as well as the mother. For the baby breast feeding helps with growth and development, protest’s the baby not only from Crohn’s Disease but from sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) and breast milk is more digestible quicker and easier than other alternatives, plus breast feeding helps with baby’s emotional needs and nutritional needs better. For the mother it allows her to bond with her newborn and allows for the mother to pass on her immunity to the baby for a short period of time. Mothers also get the added advantage that breast feeding increases their metabolism allowing them to burn off fat reserves stored during pregnancy.

​During the 5^th to 6^th month of pregnancy breasts are fully ready and able to produce milk. Now as long as there are no complications. But if there are complications then there are options available to expectant and adoptive mothers to be able to induce lactation and produce milk for their newborns. Breast milk has benefits that it can offer both the newborn and mother to be so finding out if you can produce milk and maintain milk production is something that you need to know so that you can prepare properly for the arrival of your newborn.