Kathleen said:
>What women may be noticing is a CHANGE in milk production.  Most of the
>researchers who have followed babies (and their mothers, of course) over
>time and have plotted milk output have noted that infant intake declines at
>about 4 months in breastfeeding babies. Bottle-feeders continue to
>increase, given a chance.  See Dewey, et al's work and that of Daly and
>Hartmann and their crew.

I don't think this is an over simplistic view at all with regards to the
breast baby but well stated.

I'd like to add a couple of other considerations:
The mother at the 3rd month postpartum end:  She and her baby have worked
out efficiency.  Mother's breasts may even have returned to a "prepregnancy"
appearance.  I have had lots of mothers preceive that their supply is
compromised because their breasts no longer feel heavy or full.  Ultimately
mother and baby are on track.

The baby on the 4th month developmental end may be starting a
distractability phase which is in full force during the 5th month.  In this
case the milk supply is at risk for depletion.  I often tell mothers to feed
baby in a "quiet" environment until this phase passes and baby is willing to
take the time to eat.
Perhaps this is the reason Dr. Newman has had good results with galatagogue meds
- "kind of riding out the storm."

The mother who is expressing milk I wonder about.  That baby doesn't have
the same opportunity to self regulate.  If I understand that concept, baby
will leave milk in the breast because baby says he/she is done.  I don't
think it is just a component in breast milk but the physiology of being at
breast,  although some say the fat kicking in induces satiety. How wonderful
to know when you are full.  The end at the beginning of eating disorders!!!!
I agree we must be careful about approaching the subject of reduced milk
production and babies slipping in to slightly lower gear but I just don't
know if the mother and baby using expressed milk totally experience this
glorious phenomemon.  One could speculate the mechanics of partial breast -
partial EBM.

I keep reflecting on the dramatic eating pattern changes I have seen with
babies completely on EBM when switched over to breast.  The babies I am
thinking about almost overate with the bottle and were frantic about
feedings yet were placid at the breast and seemingly needed less.

Joanne Burke Snyder MA, IBCLC
Latch-On Services, A Private Practice in Indianola, Iowa