>Someone asked about pumping women noticing drops at 2 weeks, 6 weeks etc and
>wondered whether supply dip was mother driven instead of baby driven in the
>form of a growth spurt.  I'm wondering how a woman's body would know about
>the baby's increased caloric needs if she's pumping half the day.  Without
>the extra stimulation of a baby in a growth spurt how would her body know to
>up the production?  Michelle Bressler, IBCLC


That's just it, Michelle, the baby *doesn't* need to up the production, ie
it doesn't have *increased caloric needs* - it just needs to have it
continued at the same rate. The reason for the 'feeding frenzy' we often
observe at these assumed 'growth spurt' times may be related to the
mother's supply dropping for some unknown reason. The research showed that
babies *do not* actually increase their intake over time, at least between
1 and 6 months.

It was Pam who mentioned this possibility, that it was the mother rather
than the baby causing the phenomenon we observe, and I think that this is a
very interesting hypothesis. Perhaps someone with the appropriate resources
and equipment, like Peter Hartmann, needs to actually look at this more
closely. I wonder if he has any new students looking for a project?????

Also Nikki wrote re 'Variable nursing intervals':
>  So, Dr. Hartmann....and others, could you please examine the mothers of
>nursing older babies and toddlers and children? Thanks. Warmly, Nikki Lee

Hmmm. Looks like I will have to fill Peter in on all these discussions and
see if he is interested. ;-)

******************************************************************
Joy Anderson B.Sc. Dip.Ed. Grad.Dip.Med.Tech. IBCLC
Nursing Mothers' Association of Australia Breastfeeding Counsellor
Perth, Western Australia.   mailto:[log in to unmask]
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