Dear all: Perhaps practices are different in your subcultures, but I always have to remind myself to check how often mothers are breastfeeding or draining their breasts when I get the call with "my baby is four months old and I'm losing my supply". I still can't quite wrap my mind around how abnormal infant feeding practices are here in Manhattan. There are at least two lay books that suggestion feeding 3-6 month olds only 4 times per day. There is one pediatrician who recommends 12 hours per night sleeping --- which gives you only 12 hours to get in the 8-12 feeds per day that would be normal. Even if a baby is taking only 6 feeds -- that means feeding every 2 hours within that 12 hour stretch. Yes, in most of the literature I ever read that was admittedly developing country data 8-12 feeds per day was STILL NORMAL. I've been plenty of babies who, in Manhattan culture, will appear to drop down to 6-8 feeds per day in the 3-6 month range with no apparent adverse effects, but once it dips down below that --- I see the milk supply crash. I've become so tired of the "oh, but I read such and such and my baby seems fine on 4 feeds a day" that I now explain in the prenatal breastfeeding class why no baby should ever eat less than 5 times a day --- by comparing it to toddlers who need three meals and two snacks and how toddlers have bigger stomachs than babies. And I explain that while you can stretch a stomach (like the Japanese guy who mostly wins the Nathan's hotdog eating contest in Coney Island) it is not a healthy way to eat --- opening the door for later eating disorders. So, while working with the 4 month milk supply crash, I highly recommend you investigate whether or not it is due to an abnormally infrequent feeding schedule first. While I have seen other causes --- I'd say that 95% of the time it is the feeding schedule. Best, Susan Burger *********************************************** Archives: http://community.lsoft.com/archives/LACTNET.html To reach list owners: [log in to unmask] Mail all list management commands to: [log in to unmask] COMMANDS: 1. To temporarily stop your subscription write in the body of an email: set lactnet nomail 2. To start it again: set lactnet mail 3. To unsubscribe: unsubscribe lactnet 4. To get a comprehensive list of rules and directions: get lactnet welcome