Welcome to Aventarabia

Glossary

Becoming a new mother or starting to breastfeed can introduce many unfamiliar words and new concepts.

The Avent glossary gives an overview of breast and bottle feeding terminology, so you can make informed choices about which methods and products work naturally for you.

Please consult your physician or healthcare provider with any questions or health concerns you may have.




Areola Colic Colostrum Engorgement Foremilk Hindmilk Lactation	Lactation Consultant Lactiferous Sinus Latch-on Let-down Mastitis Milk Ejection Reflex	Oxytocin Plugged Milk Duct Prolactin Suck Suckle Wean

Areola: The pigmented skin surrounding the nipple. In order to suckle effectively, your baby's gums should be placed well around the areola. The areola overlies the lactiferous sinuses - which contains the breast milk.

Colic: a term for bouts of intense unsoothable crying and other behaviour, perhaps due to stomach or bowel pain.

Colostrum: The thick, yellowish fluid that is produced in the first few days of breast milk after birth. It has highly concentrated proteins, immunoglobulins, vitamins, and minerals, and is an important part of building up a baby's immune system. Mature milk comes in after the first couple of days.

Engorgement: A moderate to severe swelling and distention of the breasts caused by lactation. Prolonged engorgement can lead to mastitis.

Foremilk: The thin milk produced during the first few minutes of suckling at every breastfeeding session. Its higher water content keeps the baby hydrated and supplies water-soluble vitamins and proteins. Its fat content (1-2 gm/dl) is lower than that of hindmilk.

Hindmilk: The milk released near the end of a breastfeeding, after active let-down of milk. Fat content of hindmilk is higher, two or three times the concentration in foremilk. Hindmilk provides important calories for a breastfeeding baby.

Lactation: The time period during which a mother secretes milk from her breast for her baby.

Lactation Consultant: A health care professional who supports mothers with preventing and resolving breastfeeding problems.

Lactiferous Sinus: Behind the areola, the lactiferous sinus contains the breast milk.

Latch-on: The act of fastening on to something securely, such as your baby to the breast.

Let-down: The process of the milk beginning to flow down while breastfeeding. This can be stimulated by a baby's suckling or the petals on the Isis Breast Pump. Let-down can cause the milk to spray or leak from breast, and is also called the milk ejection reflex.

Mastitis: An infection in the breast tissue that produces tenderness, redness, and heat. It also produces flu-like symptoms of fever and muscle weakness.

Milk Ejection Reflex: The process of the milk beginning to flow down while breastfeeding. This can be stimulated by a baby's suckling or the petals on the Isis Breast Pump. The milk ejection reflex can cause the milk to spray or leak from breast, and is also called let-down.

Oxytocin: A hormone secreted from the brain that stimulates the contraction of the uterus during the first month of breastfeeding. Oxytocin can also be administered to induce labor.

Plugged Milk Duct: This usually appears as a lump in the breast and is often caused by pressure on the breast for prolonged periods of time.

Prolactin: A hormone that stimulates the mammary gland to produce and secrete milk. The name describes the hormone's function, as it supports or stimulates lactation.

Suck: A short, fast motion involving only the lips on the nipple.

Suckle: The act of pulling milk from the mother's breast using the lips, jaws, and tongue around the areola.

Wean: To gradually replace breastfeeding as the sole method of feeding with another nutrition for the baby, such as solids.