In plain words
Progesterone withdrawal is the sharp fall in progesterone that happens after the placenta leaves the body at birth. Progesterone is a hormone that kept the breasts from making full milk during pregnancy. Once it drops, the breasts can move from making to making milk. This drop, along with other hormones such as , is part of the body's normal start to breastfeeding. Mothers often feel it as breasts that become fuller, warmer, and heavier, usually a few days after birth. Progesterone withdrawal is one reason the first days are a time of change, and why a longer labor, a , or retained tissue can sometimes make the milk arrive later. It is a normal process, and it does not mean something is wrong.
The deeper version
Progesterone withdrawal after placental delivery is the endocrine trigger for , . In the presence of prolactin, insulin, and cortisol, the fall in progesterone relieves its inhibition of copious secretion, leading to tight-junction closure and the onset of milk synthesis. Neville, Morton, and Umemura (Pediatric Clinics of North America, 2001) reviewed the endocrine sequence of lactogenesis. Clinical delayed onset is associated with factors that may delay or hormone clearance, including retained placental tissue and cesarean birth, although the mechanisms are not fully resolved. The main controversy concerns whether timing differences in progesterone clearance explain individual variation in onset.
Where it comes up
- How breastfeeding works: supply and demandFeeding Your Baby
- When your milk comes inFeeding Your Baby
- Hand expression and collecting colostrum before birthFeeding Your Baby
- Colostrum and the first days before milk comes inFeeding Your Baby
- Engorgement when milk comes inPostpartum: Your Body
What mothers here say about progesterone withdrawal
No one has posted under this term yet.
Sources
- Neville MC, Morton J, Umemura S — Lactogenesis: the transition from pregnancy to lactation. Pediatric Clinics of North America (2001)
- Dewey KG et al. — Risk factors for suboptimal infant breastfeeding behavior, delayed onset of lactation, and excess neonatal weight loss. Pediatrics (2003)