Exclusive breastfeeding means when the baby is fed only on breast milk from the date of birth until six months of age with a frequency of at least 9 – 12 times per day.
- Breast milk production is classified into four stages.
- The first stage of breast milk production is the stage of growth and development of mammary duct glands (this is called mamogenesis).
- The second stage of milk production is called lactogenesis it is the initiation of milk secretion by the mammary alveoli(It is a sack-like structure in the mammary gland).
- The third stage is called autopoiesis (it is the maintenance stage of lactation). In this stage, milk will be produced continuously.
- The fourth stage of milk production is called galactokinase. In this stage, the already produced milk will be released from the mammary gland as the baby‘s sucking stimulus continues. The process of milk production mainly depends on the frequency of breastfeeding on a daily base. So, the more the baby sucks frequently, the more milk is produced by the breast. So always you have to encourage the mother on early initiation (as soon as the baby is born) of breastfeeding primarily exclusively until the age of six months. In Session 8 of this module, you will learn more in detail about breastfeeding.
Fig 2.2 - The Anatomy of Breast