My suggestion to the mother of the three year old who wants to build her
milk supply would be to quit pumping.  Why?  Unless this child's only
source of nutrition is mother's milk, supply is not as important as the
time spent comforting the child at the breast.  This child has had to
face major separation and no three-year could be prepared for such an
event even if told about it in advance.

Likewise, I think an SNS would be of little use.  A device takes
essential time away from the child(time spent cleaning the device and
learning how to use it) who needs as much time as possible from her
mommy. I also think that drugs to increase a supply would be a waste of
money.

I believe that usually a milk supply for older nursing children(3 years
and up) is never that great(unless the child's main source of nutrition
is breast milk).  Most three year olds spend lots of time playing and
breastfeeding is more about emotional comfort, security.

This mother does not have to wean.  I know from nursing my children--my
last until she was 5 years old--that in the last few years of nursing
there never seemed to be alot there.  I remember asking my last child,
if she was getting anything.  She would always giggle and pat my breast
and keep going.  I could go many hours(days even) and not feel
full/engorged. But my little one would eventually climb unto my lap and
nurse like something was there.  I always felt like I was empty but I
wasn't.  I  could not hand express much milk at that point(when she was
younger I could hand express about an ounce every 3-4 minutes). Breast
pumps are never a good indicator of how much milk is there. I guess what
I am trying to say is that the supply is not so important as the
physical contact with this child. Both mom and child need to give
themselves time to heal emotionally from being separated. This may not
be what the mother wants to hear. But I think it's worth considering.
Valerie W. McClain, IBCLC

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