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
It’s always happened. That’s why you hear about wet nurses in ancient literature. They’d be hired to nurse babies if the mom couldn’t produce enough milk. I’ve never heard an explanation of why some women don’t make very much, but the amount of milk you produce has no relationship with the size of your breasts or whether you’ve had a baby before.
Breast feeding is also not as simple as people might think. The baby doesn’t always just latch on. A woman might need guidance on how to facilitate breastfeeding, such as how to position the baby, get the nipple in its mouth. etc. Then there are other problems like mastitis, or babies who have poor ability to suck because of developmental or neurological problems.
Latest Answers