04/09/2026
How do my breasts produce milk?
Your body starts preparing to make milk during pregnancy. Your breasts may feel tender, and your ni***es and areolae (the darker area around the ni***es) may become darker.
Inside your breasts, special milk-producing glands develop and prepare to feed your baby.
Milk is produced in tiny sacs called alveoli. These sacs make milk and are surrounded by small muscles that help move the milk along.
The milk travels through small channels called ductules, which connect to the milk ducts. The ducts carry milk to your ni**le for your baby to feed. During pregnancy, these ducts grow and increase in number to support milk production.
After birth, a hormone called prolactin tells your body to start making milk. At first, your breasts produce colostrum. This is a thick, yellow milk that is rich in nutrients and antibodies to help protect your baby from infection.
A few days later, your milk changes to mature milk, which is thinner and produced in larger amounts to meet your baby's needs.
Newborn babies feed often, which helps stimulate milk production. The more often your baby feeds, the more milk your body is encouraged to produce. Your breasts are constantly making milk, so they never fully empty.
Need support?
If you are worried about your milk supply or have any concerns about feeding your baby, please seek support from your midwife, health visitor or breastfeeding drop-in.
