Making Milk—and Why You Shouldn't Pump and Dump
At the beginning of pregnancy, mammary glands start out like a tree in winter with no foliage. As pregnancy progresses and the body prepares for milk production, mammary glands undergo a massive tissue restructuring — like a tree in the spring. By the time a baby arrives, the “tree” is in full bloom, ready to produce and deliver milk.
In the early days after delivery, hormones drive breast milk production. Some hormones, including estrogen, progesterone, and human placental lactogen, drop once the placenta has exited the body. High levels of estrogen help a birthing parent’s body keep milk production to a minimum during pregnancy. But when the baby arrives and the placenta is delivered, progesterone levels fall, allowing prolactin (the milk-production hormone) to kick in.
The first type of milk produced is called colostrum. “It’s like a superfood,” Bethany says. Sometimes yellow in color, colostrum has protein, fats, carbohydrates, and all the antibodies to support your baby’s immune system in the first few days of life. “Breast milk also really help[s] with making sure that baby’s gut bacteria is growing appropriately,” co-host Alok Patel says. Breastfeeding also assists the birthing parent’s uterine contraction and may reduce the likelihood of mom getting certain types of cancers, including ovarian or breast cancer.
Medications, alcohol, and cannabis can get into breast milk—but you don’t necessarily have to abstain from taking medication or drinking alcohol. Alcohol can be detected for about two to three hours after you’ve consumed a drink, so experts recommend waiting this long after having a drink before breastfeeding your child. THC, the psychoactive chemical in cannabis, isn't as quickly metabolized in the body as alcohol is. Healthcare experts recommend avoiding it altogether, as the long-term effects on a baby’s health and development haven’t been studied in depth. And although parents may worry about their medications transferring over to their breastfeeding infant, most medications are safe during lactation. If you are concerned, Alok suggests chatting with your doctor. “If you have a certain condition that requires medication, do not forgo the medication,” he says. “We need to make sure moms are healthy and present so they can be there for their little babies.”
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