In plain words
The feedback inhibitor of lactation is a protein found in breast milk. When milk stays in the breast for a long time, this protein builds up. It tells the breast cells to make less milk in that area. This is one way the breast matches supply to how much milk is removed. It is why emptying the breast well, often and fully, is linked to steady supply in many studies. It is also why long gaps between feeds or pumps can lead to heavier, fuller breasts. Your body is responding to the signal. It is not a sign that something is wrong with you. If your breasts stay very full or painful, talk with a .
The deeper version
Feedback inhibitor of lactation () is a whey protein, first characterized in the 1990s in milk from several species, that accumulates in milk retained in the alveolus and suppresses local milk synthesis. This autocrine control predominates from about day five postpartum, after the endocrine drivers of lactogenesis have declined (Neville, Journal of Nutrition, 2001). Its existence is well supported in animal and in vitro work, and its relative contribution to supply regulation in women is less well established. The model underlies the clinical emphasis on frequent and complete milk removal, though studies comparing feeding schedules show variable effects on supply.
Where it comes up
- How breastfeeding works: supply and demandFeeding Your Baby
- Engorgement when milk comes inPostpartum: Your Body
- Oversupply and forceful letdownFeeding Your Baby
- Low milk supply: real, perceived, and what helpsFeeding Your Baby
What mothers here say about feedback inhibitor of lactation
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Sources
- Neville MC — Physiology and endocrine changes underlying human lactogenesis II. Journal of Nutrition, 2001