🤱 Mother

In the world of milk, a mother is the one who feeds her baby breast milk. All mammals work this way, and in women the process is also called lactation. Milk production is triggered by the hormone prolactin: its level rises right after the placenta is delivered, and the more often the baby suckles, the more of it is made; it peaks at night. Another hormone, oxytocin, pushes milk towards the nipple — this is the milk ejection, or let-down, reflex.

In the first days the baby gets colostrum, about a teaspoon per feed. Around day 2–4 the breasts fill up, and in the first weeks the baby is put to the breast 8–12 times a day or more — on demand, not on a schedule. Each feed tells the body how much milk to make next time.

WHO and UNICEF advise starting breastfeeding within the first hour after birth, breastfeeding exclusively for the first 6 months, and then, alongside complementary foods, continuing up to 2 years and beyond. In 2018–2025 only about 47% of babies under six months worldwide received breast milk alone. WHO estimates that optimal breastfeeding could save the lives of almost 400,000 children under five every year. Breastfeeding is good for the woman too: it lowers the risk of breast and ovarian cancer.

Why it matters to you. Breast size does not determine how much milk there will be — that depends on how often the baby suckles. A cold or flu is usually no reason to stop breastfeeding: with the milk, the baby also gets the mother's antibodies. Don't stop prescribed medicines on your own; tell your doctor you are breastfeeding, and they will choose compatible ones.