Let-Down Reflex
Let-down is the process by which milk is released from the milk
glands to the milk ducts in preparation for breast-feeding. When a
breast-feeding woman's breasts are stimulated by suckling or pumping, the
pituitary gland produces the hormone oxytocin, which triggers the let-down
reflex.
Signs of let-down include:
- A tingling sensation in the nipples, sometimes
with mild pain.
- Milk leaking from the breast before nursing or
pumping, or leaking from one breast while the baby is nursing at the other
breast. Some women may experience let-down when they hear a baby
cry.
- Uterine cramps during nursing.
- Increased vaginal
bleeding during or just after nursing or pumping the breasts.
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