how does the mammary gland produce milk, how does it know how much to produce and how often?

Answer 1

Milk is produced from the blood that flows to the breast. And it is produced *constantly* for as long as a woman is nursing and for some time thereafter until she completely dries up (often months to a full year after weaning).

When a woman gives birth, her breasts automatically produce enough milk for twins (and usually for triplets); as time goes on, the baby's nursing sends a message to the mother's brain to tell her to produce more milk now.

In addition, there is a substance in the milk that inhibits milk production. So the more milk in the breast, the less is produced. And vice versa. This way, if the baby is nursing less than current production allows for, production slows down, and if baby is nursing more, production picks up.

If baby is taking somewhere around 70% of the milk, this is "just right" and production continues at that rate. The change isn't sudden but takes place over 2-4 days, so that an occasional "blip" in the nursing pattern doesn't cause a problem.

Answer 2

Someone mentioned estrogen. The increase in estrogen DURING PREGNANCY stimulates the ductile system to grow and become specific. Estrogen levels DROP at delivery and remain low for the first several months of breastfeeding

The baby DOES NOT create the INITIAL flow as the first milk is based on hormones and will come even if the mother is not breastfeeding.

When the baby is first born, milk supply is based on endocrine (or hormonal) controls. In pregnancy and the first few days after the birth, the milk supply is hormonally driven. At birth, the delivery of the placenta results in a sudden drop in progesterone/estrogen/HPL levels. This abrupt withdrawal of progesterone in the presence of high prolactin levels cues Lactogenesis II (copious milk production). Other hormones (insulin, thyroxine, cortisol) are also involved, but their roles are not yet well understood. Although biochemical markers indicate that Lactogenesis II commences approximately 30-40 hours after birth, mothers do not typically begin feeling increased breast fullness (the sensation of milk "coming in") until 50-73 hours (2-3 days) after birth.

Milk production then switches over to autocrine (or local) control. This is when breastfeeding becomes a "supply and demand" process. The more often the baby removes milk from the breast, the more milk the body is told to make.

Essentially, mom is like a short order cook. Her body makes the milk when the baby asks for it and make the amount that the baby requests. The more stimulation the breasts get, the more milk mom will make.

Answer 3

Pregnancy hormones develop the glands in the breast, and then create the milk after the placenta has dropped.

A nursing baby creates the initial flow, and the amount produced is dependent on how much the baby nurses and when. Your body will set a schedule, and if your baby does not nurse within a certain time, your breasts will fill, get hard and start to leak.

As you wean, this will happen often and your body will understand eventually and reduce production until once the baby is completely weaned, the milk supply will dry up.

If you are considering breast feeding, I highly recommend it. Great bonding experience, healthier for the baby too. And it lowers your risk of breast cancer by as much as 30% later in life.

Plus who wants to sterilize bottles and have to heat bottles at 2 am? Pop open a shirt and have at it, snooze the whole time!!!

Answer 4

Oestrogen and other female hormones, these vary throughout the period of lactation.
Milk production is linked to food intake regarding both quality and quantity.

Answer 5

It's one of those miracles of Mother Nature. Supply and demand.