Biologically when the placenta is delivered, it’s supposed to trigger hormones that stimulate milk production. Yet so many moms who want to breastfeed end up on formula within a week of birth because “their milk never came in”. While I don’t doubt that this can happen on occasion, why is it happening to so many people?
I have a theory myself but wondering if anyone knows more of the science behind why this is so common.
In: Biology
Medical conditions often impact how women are able to kick off that hormone production to lactate.
C-sections can delay milk production up to 10 days before it starts to work.
The process of lactation is triggered by a physical process as well. A baby needs to be able to efficiently nurse to trigger lactation and empty the breast. If at any point one of those things isn’t happening the production of milk slows. A baby with a tongue tie, for example, won’t be able to nurse as well as one who doesn’t.
Women with PCOS often have higher testosterone and often don’t release enough of the hormone to produce milk.
Stress can impact it.
There’s a lot of physiological processes that happen that mean lactation can fail. We also live in a faster paced world where women aren’t able to be home with a baby as long as we would ideally be (speaking mostly of the US).
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