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let-down reflex

let-down is the process by which milk is released from the milk glands to the milk ducts in preparation for breastfeeding. when a breastfeeding 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.

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