Breastfeeding is a relationship between baby and breast
Replicating breastmilk is the goal of manufacturers. At a very basic nutrition level, this is potentially possible. Breaking human milk down to basic components of proteins, fats and carbohydrates and assembling similar ratios from alternate sources can be done.
However there is much more to breastfeeding than what the milk is made of. Even beyond the unique growth and immune factors, it is the relationship of breastfeeding which is unique. Although it is always possible to feed human milk via what we can call "vessels" - cups, supplementary nursing systems, spoons and teats - nothing can replace the actual process of infant/breast communication.
Aside from the emotional, attachment and social aspects of the Mother-Baby dyad relationship, there is an often overlooked relationship between child and breast. The baby controls the activity of the milk-making tissues and behaviour of the breast without the cognitive input of the mother. When we muse that our breasts seem to take on a life of their own, we are more accurate than we think!
The breast rewards the baby's sucking with milk. This stimulates the baby to continue sucking, which triggers the let-down reflex, resulting in more and increasingly richer milk. The baby experiences pleasure and continues sucking. The breast releases hormones which induce relaxation and sedation. The baby drifts off the sleep and ... eventually ... detaches.
Now softer, the breast responds to its changed state. Although never completely empty, the decreased volume of milk also means a low level of a small whey protein called Feedback Inhibitor of Lactation (FIL) . It is believed this signals the breast to begin actively replacing the milk removed by the baby. The hormone prolactin, released alongside oxytocin on let-down, begins its job switching on breastmilk production. And within a very short period of time, the breasts are primed and ready to go again.
Breastfeeding makes milk. It is the frequent removal of milk which keeps the breast active, while long periods between feeds signals the breast should remain resting. Increasing removal frequency increases milk production.
