Which factor best describes how milk supply responds to infant demand?

• A. Milk production remains constant regardless of nursing.
• B. More frequent nursing increases milk production.
• C. More feeding decreases milk production.
• D. Milk production depends only on the mother's diet.

Answer: (B)

Milk production responds to how often milk is removed from the breast. When the infant nurses more frequently, milk is removed more often, which signals the body to increase milk synthesis. Prolactin rises with nursing and drives production, while oxytocin helps with let-down. If nursing is less frequent, milk isn’t removed as often, and production can lag or decrease over time. Diet has only a limited effect on milk volume, so the primary driver of supply is the frequency of nursing. Therefore, more frequent nursing increases milk production.