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What You Should Know About Your Let Down Reflex

Written by WebMD Editorial Contributors

Reviewed by Dan Brennan, MD on March 17, 2021

In this Article

• How Does the Let Down Reflex Work?
• What Are Signs of a Good Let Down?
• Complications of the Let Down Reflex

When your baby first latches on to nurse, they don’t actually get much milk at first. Instead, their suckling sends a message to your body to release the milk stored in your breasts. The strength and timing of the let down reflex, also called the milk ejection reflex, varies from mother to mother. 

How Does the Let Down Reflex Work?

If milk came out of your breasts instantly when your baby latched on, you’d probably leak constantly. Instead, your breasts store the milk until it’s needed. Most often, your let down reflex is triggered by a particular suckling motion your baby makes to stimulate milk production.

The let down reflex is a physiological response to your baby’s sucking. They stimulate small nerves in the nipple, which causes prolactin and oxytocin to produce milk and let down milk, respectively. The reflex is often accompanied by a tingling sensation in the nipple, but not all women experience that.‌

If you pay attention to your baby’s nursing patterns, at first their suckling will be faster and shallower to stimulate the release of milk. Once your milk lets down and your baby is drinking, their suckles will be deeper and longer. If they nurse longer and need more milk, they may adjust how they suck to stimulate more milk flow. 

Other let down triggers. Since your brain is wired to care for a newborn, other things may trigger the let down reflex. If your baby cries, or if you hear any baby cry, your milk may let down in response. If you go too long without nursing and your breasts get too full, your let down reflex may trigger to relieve the pressure.

Strong emotions may also trigger a let down of milk. If you are feeling intensely stressed, angry, or sad, your body may take that as a sign that you need to nurse your baby or release milk to alleviate pressure.

If your milk is not letting down, you can physically stimulate the nipple to allow let down. Try gently rolling your hand down your breast toward the nipple, then massage gently. It can also help to relax and think about your baby.

What Are Signs of a Good Let Down?

Breastfeeding is wonderful for your baby, but it is often full of doubts and questions. Are you producing enough milk? Are you doing it right? This extends to the let down reflex, too. You may wonder if your let down is strong enough or too strong. 

Here are signs of a healthy, functioning let down response:

Uterine cramps. You may notice that your uterus cramps during a let down in the days following birth. This is natural and nothing to be concerned about. As with menstrual cramps, for some the cramps are mild and barely noticeable, while for others the contractions can be more painful.

Change in sucking pattern. You may notice a change in your baby’s sucking pattern during a nursing session. Their suckle will go from being short and fast to long and slow once milk lets down. If they need more milk, their sucking may change again to encourage another let down.

Your feelings. Moms often report that they feel very relaxed and even sleepy when their milk lets down. This is a side effect of the oxytocin released during let down. You may also feel suddenly thirsty, which is your body’s way of preparing to replace the milk being removed during a nursing session.

Complications of the Let Down Reflex

Oversupply milk ejection reflex. A powerful let down is often accompanied by an oversupply of milk, sometimes called oversupply milk ejection reflex (O-MER). When your let down happens, you may notice that your baby sputters, coughs, and even chokes on your milk. Your baby may bite down to slow the milk flow. You may leak when not nursing or notice that your baby has more frequent but short feedings if you have an oversupply.

If this happens, keep a bib or cloth handy to catch your milk when it first lets down so that your baby doesn’t choke. After a moment when the let down slows, you can try latching your baby again. You can also restrict your milk flow by squeezing your areola during breastfeeding.

Talk to your doctor about safe ways to decrease your oversupply so that your let down is less strong.

Dysphoric milk ejection reflex. In some women, breastfeeding can create a negative physiological response, leading to negative emotions like guilt, anxiety, depression, and sadness. It is usually an isolated response that occurs only when you first let down your milk and into the first few minutes of breastfeeding. This is called dysphoric milk ejection reflex (D-MER) and is different from postpartum depression. 

There is still more research needed on the causes and effects of D-MER. Talk to your doctor if you are struggling with negative emotions during breastfeeding. 

Weak let down. You may have a weak let down if your baby seems frustrated while nursing. They may not be getting enough milk, or they may not be getting milk as fast as they want it. Using a breast pump can supplement less successful nursing sessions.‌

When pumping, look at photos and videos of your baby to try and encourage a let down. And just as you do when breastfeeding, try to relax. Take deep breaths and think about your little one, letting go of any stress.

Blomberg Rhythmic Movement Therapy - Center for Cognitive Technology

Blomberg Rhythmic Movement Therapy is a technique based on natural rhythmic infantile movements (repeating patterns of primitive reflexes) that have been adapted for children and adults.

At birth, a child learns to feel his body. First comes the formation of a sense of one's body, then the development of sensations (sight, hearing, touch, etc.). Reflexes are the neurological basis for motor and intellectual development. During the first year of life, most infantile reflexes should fade away or integrate into more complex forms of activity, then the person performs actions consciously, and not reflexively. But it happens that some reflexes do not fade, or fade partially. Preserved primitive reflexes overload the brain, causing difficulties in social and educational life.

Blomberg Therapy, through rhythmic body movements, stimulates through sensory receptors that act on different parts of the brain. Stimulation goes from one hemisphere to another through the rhythmic movements of the body. With the help of rhythmic movements, unformed neural connections are built or damaged neural connections are restored, reflexes are integrated.

The main symptoms that we can meet with non-integrated reflexes:

1. Fear paralysis reflex : poor reaction to stress, increased anxiety, perception of the environment as aggressive, rapid exhaustion, difficulty adapting to new conditions, emotional swings, fear of loud sounds / bright lights / touch, protest behavior, obsessive symptoms, outbursts of rage, aggression, difficulty making eye contact, etc.

2. Moro reflex : hypersensitivity to light, sounds, touch, difficulty in pronouncing deep sounds, stuttering, etc.

3. Labyrinth tonic reflex : motion sickness in transport, difficulty turning a light bulb, difficulty in raising or lowering the head, hunched posture, wrapping legs around a chair, poor hand-eye coordination, walking on toes, etc.

4. Landau reflex : clumsiness in the legs, difficulty in interaction between the upper and lower parts of the body, etc.

5. Amphibian reflex : difficulty in crawling, uncoordinated walking, jumping and running, etc.

6. Symmetrical neck tonic reflex : impaired development of correct body posture, difficulty sitting at a desk, weakness of the arms, difficulty sustaining concentration, poor hand-eye coordination, poor perception of space, depth, inability to take a comfortable position of the body, need

7. Asymmetric neck tonic reflex : difficulty in cycling, disturbance or delay in reading and writing, problems with mathematics, strong pressure when writing, with well-delivered speech, the presentation of thoughts is impaired on papers and so on

8. Galan spinal reflex : weakness of the lower body, clumsiness, mobility, hyperactivity, enuresis, discomfort from tight clothing, belts, contact of the back with a chair causes discomfort, etc.

9. Palmar reflex , grasp reflex, outstretched hand reflex: problems with fine motor skills, "porridge in the mouth" speech, trouble tying shoelaces, etc.

How is it?

The therapy consists of three stages:

1. Brain stem stimulation (Passive exercise)
2. Cerebellar stimulation (active exercise)
3. Integration of primitive reflexes (isometric pressure exercises active exercises, passive exercises)

At the first lesson, a test of the presence of primitive reflexes is carried out. The exercises for the first stage are shown below. The parent/patient is taught the movements and performs them daily at home. Then the parent/patient comes to a specialist to solve problems/change the program/check the quality of the exercises.

The duration of the course varies from 3 months to 3 years, depending on the person's problem, parents are taught this technique in the classroom, the parent is always present in the classroom. In addition to the study of primitive reflexes in the classroom, counseling is carried out on the introduction of various kinds of activities into the patient's life to consolidate the integration of reflexes and solve the declared life difficulties.

Session time: up to 50 minutes.

Therapy can be attended without a referral from the age of three, with a referral from a neurologist from the age of two.

Shown to whom?

Children:

1. with ADHD;
2. RAS
3. violation of volitional regulation;
4. ZPR, ONR, poor academic performance, dysgraphia, dyslexia;
5. cerebral palsy;
6. visual impairment;
7. with Down syndrome;
8. and many more

Adults

1. with pain syndromes;
2. with problems of the musculoskeletal system;
3. with mental disorders.

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What happens to the body when diving

The deeper the better!

© Creative Commons

Diving is one of the most serious tests for the body. At depth, freedivers diving without equipment, just holding their breath, face many dangers: lack of oxygen, high pressure, darkness and cold. We investigate what changes occur with the body of a diver diving to depth.

Diving reflex

Freedivers often use nose clips

© Gines Diaz

The mammalian diving reflex arose millions of years ago, during the formation of the oceans. It is also present in humans, provoking changes in the body designed to facilitate diving to depth.

First of all, the heart rate slows down by 10-30% (this figure is higher for experienced divers), reducing the body's oxygen consumption. This effect is called bradycardia. There is also laryngospasm - a reflex that prevents water from entering the lungs, and the effect of vasoconstriction (increased blood pressure).

Then the so-called blood shift occurs: blood rushes to the vital organs, protecting them from pressure. The level of hemoglobin rises, thereby allowing the diver's body to accumulate more oxygen. By the way, this reflex can be induced even at home - just put your face in cold water.

Breathing and buoyancy

When you dive to 10 meters, the pressure on your body doubles. At a depth of 30 meters, it triples, and upon reaching a mark of 100 meters, the lungs shrink to the size of a baseball. At a depth of more than 6 m, the human body develops neutral buoyancy, which allows it to remain at the same level without diving deeper. When resisted with special devices such as a belt with additional weight, negative buoyancy occurs, allowing the diver to continue his dive.

Freedivers should learn to distinguish between a real need to breathe and a reflex impulse. You should also beware of oversaturation of the body with oxygen, which is called nitrogen anesthesia. With it, at first there is a feeling of euphoria, which flows into a violation of coordination. Hallucinations begin, thinking worsens. As a result, the freediver loses consciousness, which inevitably leads to death if there is no safety net nearby.

Let's dive in!

© Gines Diaz

Under water, the body is primarily aimed at maintaining the proper functioning of the brain. In case of lack of oxygen and with the outflow of blood from the arms and legs, motor skills deteriorate. There is a risk of loss of consciousness due to developed hypoxia.

The brain also plays an important role in the psychological aspects of diving. Freediving is a dangerous activity, so the fear factor is always there. Beginners are frightened by the darkness approaching with every meter, incomprehensible sounds and the inability to breathe. The diver needs to master his fears by concentrating on diving.

Injuries

Total Immersion

© Bryce Groark

Injuries underwater are primarily caused by high pressure. The eardrums can burst, the mask injures the face, the pressure under which decreases, and it literally "sticks" into the diver's head. The lungs are stretched and compressed, the walls of the alveoli can burst, provoking a bloody cough. If a diver has dental problems, pain in them is exacerbated by expanding air bubbles pressing on the teeth and nerves.

But the main danger underwater is decompression sickness. Gases in the blood of a diver who quickly surfaced from great depths form bubbles that disrupt blood flow. Symptoms vary depending on the stage of the disease. It can be either a slight malaise with muscle pain, or an embolism of the respiratory system.

To dive or not to dive?

What is the maximum depth a person can withstand? The success of the dive depends on the level of training and fitness of the freediver. At the moment, the world record for diving belongs to the 46-year-old Austrian Herbert Nitsch, who in 2012 reached a depth of 253 meters.

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