Some concepts may help scientists better understand the functioning and the role of breastfeeding as essential nourishment of the baby, from birth until the age of six months. Update on the situation ...
For nine months, you have sheltered and fed your baby in you. This close relationship between mother and child should not be interrupted at birth when the umbilical cord is cut. Nature has many things planned to keep this vital contact and to allow the mother to continue feeding her child with her body. The child is thus not only the best food, but also welfare, protection and assurance through body contact with his mother. Here lay the foundations of a strong relationship between mother and child. Thus the baby acquires a basic trust, essential for the development of his personality.
Breast milk
It is well known that breast milk is the best food for the baby.
Representations of breastfeeding mothers, dating back thousands of years ago, show the importance of this natural diet since time immemorial.
Today, we obviously have very precise information about the nutrients and substances in breast milk, particularly those that protect the child from infections and allergies in part.
Breast milk production
Lactiferous glands located in the posterior part of the breast that produce white juice transported through the channels to nipples. The hormone (oxytocin) is responsible for triggering the transport of milk. This hormone is secreted when the child is put in, sometimes when you already feel its presence or smell, or when you hear it. Near the nipples, milk ducts leading milk in the bulbs, so small reservoirs. They dump their contents into the baby's mouth under the pressure of his jaw movements.
Milk production starts already in late pregnancy but in moderation. A significant increase in production occurs by cons when changing hormone occurring at birth, that is to say, with the production of the hormone prolactin. If the child is placed within the mummy from its very dawn of life, breast milk production will go smoothly and progressively without a sharp rise in milk often observed when the latching of the baby is late.
The amount of milk produced depends on the child's needs. Children who suck vigorously and regularly cause increased production of milk.
This production is also favored when feedings are frequent and the child empty the breasts well. Thus the demand which regulates the offer!