A common scenario when I come into the breastfeeding room is " I have no
milk."  It is like all the 2-5% of women who are supposedly unable to
produce enought milk for their babies decide to come to Tel Aviv to
deliver and of course choose our hospital and end up in my classes.
BTW, in 2.5 years, I have seen only two who really didn't have a drop!!

Obvious response to that statement is: " And what gives you the feeling
that you don't have enough milk?"

And of course it is the marathon feeding that the babies start doing on
day 2, and the nurses who tell the moms that obviously they don't have
enough milk so they should give a bottle. There is always the mom who
accepted that advice and gave the bottle and the baby calmed down.
And I ask her if he spit up within about ten minutes after the bottle,
which of course usually they do, and the point is made.

 If it is a baby who slept all day on day 1 cause there are still staff
who say that babies don't have to eat for 24 hours, so we talk about
making up for lost day.  Or, I tell the mom that it is a compliment that
he has fallen in love with her milk and just can't get enough.  Kinda
like what would happen if someone gave you a container of Haagen Daz
after you had been on a deserted island for two days without food.
Artificially fed babies don't do that cause the stuff is so gross.

It also helps to let them know that all this feeding frenzy will bring
in the milk faster and help him get rid of the meconium.

Or I compare it to a honeymoon.....for three days the baby will want to
be attached non-stop......by the third day he will calm down and take
longer breaks in between feeds, but every couple of weeks will go at it
like crazy again for two days or so.  Take it as a sign that he is in
love and enjoy!!  I will then get a phone call saying that mom and baby
are on their 6 weeks honeymoon!!
Until now the description used for growth spurts in Hebrew translates
loosely to 6 weeks crisis or breaking point.....I like honeymoon better.

I will try the Chinese food analogy next time.  I get sick of my own
jokes after a while and have to change to keep from falling asleep in my
own lecture.

Esther Grunis, IBCLC
head of breastfeeding rehabilitation in Lis Maternity Hospital
Tel Aviv, Israel
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