Childhood Skin Problems Slideshow Childhood Illnesses You Should Know Slideshow Take the ADHD Quiz!

Medical Author:

Allahyar Jazayeri, MD, PhD

Medical Editor:

Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD, Chief Medical Editor

Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD, Chief Medical Editor

Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD, is a U.S. board-certified Anatomic Pathologist with subspecialty training in the fields of Experimental and Molecular Pathology. Dr. Stöppler's educational background includes a BA with Highest Distinction from the University of Virginia and an MD from the University of North Carolina. She completed residency training in Anatomic Pathology at Georgetown University followed by subspecialty fellowship training in molecular diagnostics and experimental pathology.

View Full Profile

Milk Production

• Breast enlargement during pregnancy occurs primarily from the growth of milk-producing glands. Differences in breast size prior to pregnancy are caused more by non-milk-producing fat tissue than by glands. Small-breasted mothers do not produce less milk than do large-breasted mothers.



• The more frequently your infant sucks (correctly), the more milk you produce, until you have both negotiated the proper balance.



• It is unusual for a mother not to produce enough milk for her baby unless she is not breastfeeding correctly or frequently enough.



• If your baby is gaining weight properly, then you are probably doing fine.


• Sucking on the breast in the same way as from an artificial nipple is likely to produce sore nipples and a reduced milk supply. This "nipple confusion" is why you should not give bottles to babies during the early weeks when they are still learning to suck properly. If a baby sucks incorrectly on a rubber nipple, the baby still gets rewarded with milk. The baby does not get milk when improperly sucking mother's breast.