Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner Exam Prep

Answer: C - Prolactin is the milk-making hormone, while oxytocin is the milk-releasing hormone. Nerve endings in the areolae are stimulated by the baby's suckling, which in turn stimulates the pituitary gland to release these hormones. Epinephrine and norepinephrine are primarily stress hormones (catecholamines). Endorphins are released with breastfeeding, but they are not one of the main hormones responsible for the physiologic process of lactation. Estrogen is typically quite low during pregnancy and lactation.