Final answer:
Active milk production after childbirth relies on infant suckling and prolactin production, not estrogen or progesterone, which only increase slightly during lactation.
Step-by-step explanation:
The two events necessary for active milk production after the birth of a baby are infant suckling and prolactin production. Infant suckling stimulates the mother's mammary glands, which sends signals to the hypothalamus causing the release of prolactin from the anterior pituitary. Prolactin is crucial for the production of milk. Estrogen and progesterone levels do increase slightly with each prolactin spike, but they are not primarily responsible for active milk production at the postpartum stage.
During pregnancy, high levels of estrogen and progesterone inhibit prolactin-mediated milk synthesis. After childbirth, this inhibition is lifted, and prolactin stimulates lactocytes within the mammary alveoli to initiate milk production. This process, alongside the release of oxytocin, which aids in milk ejection, ensures that the infant receives proper nutrition through breastfeeding.