Breastfeeding

So, how does milk get removed from your breasts?

Posted on by admin
09
May

The Milk Ejection Reflex (Let-down Reflex) Makes Milk Available To Your Baby

Your baby suckling at your breast stimulates nerve endings. This causes the hormone oxytocin to be released into your bloodstream. Oxytocin then makes the muscles around the milk-making (glandular) tissue in your breasts contract, pushing the milk into the milk ducts, and out through the nipple openings in your nipple. This process is known as the milk ejection reflex and it’s what makes your milk available to your baby.

Not all mothers feel their milk ejection reflex. For some mothers, the only way they can tell this reflex occurs is due to the change in their baby’s sucking. At the start of the feed, a baby does a quick shallow sucking. Then when this reflex occurs and the baby starts getting a flow of milk, his sucking changes to deep rhythmical sucking with swallows.

Other mothers feel their milk ejection reflex. For example, they may feel:

  • A tingling sensation in their breast
  • A slight prickling or pain in their breast
  • Milk leaking from the other breast (as the reflex occurs simultaneously in both breasts)
  • A feeling of thirst
  • A tightening of their uterus

The more often your baby feeds, the more milk ejection reflexes occur, and the more milk gets removed from your breasts. The more milk that gets removed from your breasts, the more milk your breasts will make. That is, your breasts make milk on a supply equals need basis.

Breastmilk Production Works On A Supply Equals Need Basis

Feeding your baby when your baby needs to be fed (i.e. when he shows feeding cues) helps ensure he gets the milk he needs.

The more milk that gets removed from your breasts, the more milk your breasts will make.

Whereas, the less milk that gets removed form your breasts, the less milk your breasts will make.

Supply and demand can sound simple, but it can also lead to more questions. Are your breasts ever empty? Do you need to wait a certain period of time for your breasts to fill up before feeding your baby again?

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