>> If a mom has nursed her biological child for almost a year, and plans to
>> adopt an
>> infant, is there any way (for instance weaning the one-year-old
>> temporarily or partially) to get the body to produce colostrum for the
>> new baby?

Partially weaning her biological child will mimic the effects pregnancy
would have if she were to be pregnant whilst breastfeeding.

In a study:
Prosser, CG; Saint, L. & Hartmann, 1984. Mammary Gland Function during
gradual weaning and early gestation in women. Aust. J Biol.Med. Sci. 62 (pat
2) 215-228.

"like the situation during weaning, once pregnancy was established the
concentrations of sodium and total protein increased in the breastmilk
whilst the concentrations of glucose and lactose decreased.....while the
nature of the alterations in the composition of the milk during weaning and
pregnancy are basically the same, the factors initiating these changes must
be different." (p225)

Milk yield was also studied from one women who breastfed throughout
pregnancy and then went on to tandem feed. Milk volume remained constant
from 16 weeks of pregnancy (was not measured prior to this) to 2 weeks
before delivery (about 150mls/24hrs - graph a little hard to interpret) when
volume began to drop. By Day 2 post partum yield had dropped to 42ml/24hrs
(and would therefore have mimicked colostrum - actually 150mls/24hrs would
also see a change in milk composition) and thereafter increased to maximum
production at one month (over 2 litres/24 hours).

Cathy Fetherston
Perth, Western Australia

             ***********************************************
The LACTNET mailing list is powered by L-Soft's renowned
LISTSERV(R) list management software together with L-Soft's LSMTP(TM)
mailer for lightning fast mail delivery. For more information, go to:
http://www.lsoft.com/LISTSERV-powered.html