On Wed, 18 Jun 2008 Vicky York wrote;
"Either I'm clueless about using the archives or there is nothing in there to answer my question. I have heart that a breastfed baby does't need any more than about 4-5 ounces of breastmilk every 3 hours or so even if he is 6 months old because the components change to suit the baby's age. Does anyone know if this is a fact?"
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Hi Vicky
For a start, the baby is unlikely to take the same amount at each feeding, however much milk is there for the taking, as babies take what they need.  This will vary and may be a large "meal" or just a snack, and at other times will be somewhere in between.  This was beautifully illustrated with tables in a paper from the team at the Hartmann Lab a few years.  (I don't have it in front of me - can someone cite it?)
Feeding frequency also will vary, whether with the same baby of between babies.  I always worry when a number for feeding frequency is cited, such as 3 hours.  Mothers then focus on the numbers and can be very set on this.  Bablies of mothers with small breast storage capacity (which doesn't necessarily mean small breasts, just not the storage) will breastfeed more frequently and obtain a similar amount per 24 hours than a baby whose Mum has breasts that store a lot of milk.
The two breasts of the one woman may have different capacities, too.
Cheers
Virginia

Dr Virginia Thorley, OAM, PhD, IBCLC
Honorary Research Fellow
School of History, Philosophy, Religion & Classics
The University of Queensland, QLD 4072
Australia
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