Antenatal Preparation and Physiology of lactation

Early breast-feeding helps the mother in rapid involution of the uterus and lesser chance of breast cancer.

Antenatal Preparation:

1.     Mothers' preparation and motivation for breast-feeding should begin from the second semester of the antenatal period. The nipple should be examined to see whether they are normal and protractile.

2.     The care of nipples is necessary to prevent mechanical problems of feeding. If nipples are retracted, they should be pulled out at least once a day. Daily practicing, during the last trimester, can help to prepare protractile nipples.

3.     The tone of the contour of the breast will be maintained by using proper brassieres.

4.     A diet should be well balanced with extra proteins, calcium, and iron.

5.     The mother must be convinced that the ability to produce milk does not depend on the size of the breast.

6.     The mother should be told that the adequate milk is secreted from the third day of the postpartum.

Physiology of lactation

Lactogen and other hormones secreted by the placenta and prolactin secreted by the pituitary influence the preparation of mammary glands for lactation during pregnancy.

The breast tissues develop the glandular system, which will secrete milk and advance it to the surface of the tissue through a combination of alveoli and ducts.

Groups of alveoli connect through milk ducts to lactiferous ducts, each leading into lactiferous sinus, and then opening at the nipple. Each nipple receives the milk from about 20 lactiferous ducts. The alveoli begins to secrete colostrums in mid pregnancy.

At the time of the delivery, the balance between hormones changes abruptly when levels of estrogen and progesterone decrease rapidly in absence of a placenta. Prolactin levels remain high. This change in the balance initiates lactation. Most potent stimuli continue prolactin secretions are mechanical stimuli of sucking.