What is lactation?
The process of lactation in women includes 3 stages:
- mammogenesis;
- lactogenesis;
- lactopoiesis.
At the first stage, there is a direct growth and development of the gland. During lactogenesis , milk secretion occurs, which is observed immediately after birth.
Lactopoiesis is the process of development and maintenance of breast milk secretion. All these 3 stages are united under one concept - lactation. However, in practice, lactation is understood as the direct production of breast milk by a woman.
When does lactation develop?
Many women, with current pregnancy, do not know what is lactation and when this period begins in women.
The milk department begins on average 2-3 days after delivery. However, long before them, many women note the presence of secretions from the nipples. In most cases, they are colorless, sometimes with a white or yellowish tinge. This colostrum, i.e. the first milk that is secreted by glands. Its distinctive feature is the fact that it has a high fat content, but practically does not contain useful substances.
What should I do to maintain lactation?
The physiology of lactation in women is such that to maintain it, stimulation of the nipples of the mammary glands is necessary. It is at this point in the hypothalamus that a releasing factor is formed that stimulates the synthesis of prolactin, directly responsible for the production of milk by the body.
That is why, first of all, to start and continue maintaining lactation, a woman should apply the baby to the breast as often as possible. Today, for the first time the baby is put in the rod, almost immediately after birth.
How long does lactation last?
On average, the milk production process lasts about 12 months. However, there are many factors that have a direct impact on it. So milk can disappear from a woman suddenly, after stressful shocks, illness.
Often mothers, after hearing the term "mature lactation", do not understand what it is. This physiological state is characterized by the absence of tides of breast milk, i.e. it comes at the moment of sucking the baby's breasts. The formation of mature lactation takes up to 3 months.
At a time when children have grown up, mothers sometimes hear about the pediatrician the term "involution of lactation", but do not know what it is. This term refers to the completion of the period of breastfeeding, which is accompanied by a decrease in the volume of glandular tissue in the breast, the cessation of milk allocation. He is observed to 3-4 years of life of the baby.