I sometimes use the following scenario to explain the concept that the breast
is never empty.

I ask the participants to think of the prettiest kitchen or bathroom sink
they have ever seen.  Imagine turning on the faucet so a slow but steady
stream of water flows into the sink.  The water will drain through.  If a
stopper is put in the drain, the water will slowly fill the sink.  When the
stopper is removed the water rushes out, but when the sink is empty water
will still be trickling out the drain because the faucet is still turned on!

The breast is always making milk. When the baby is not nursing, the milk
accumulates in the breast. When the baby feeds, the milk flows freely and
there is a lot of swallowing. And once the baby has removed the stored milk
from the breast, the swallowing slows as he gets the milk that is produced on
the spot.

During a growth spurt the baby does a lot of extra nursing. It's his way of
turning the faucet up to increase the volume and flow.  There is a lag time
before the mother's body kicks in to increase the volume and that is the
cause of "frequency days."

I have concerns about using the analogy of a sink, but I can't think of
another story that explains this in a way that both laypersons and
professionals understand.  It would also be great if I had a wonderful
graphic to show. Are there any cartoonists out there?

Does anyone have another analogy that would work?

Karen Koss