Hi, Yaffa Stark and others interested!
Since according to the researchers (see Lawrence,4th Ed., 1994,
pp.560-561), induced lactational milk does not differ in composition from
puerperal milk, it can't be "just" a by-product of pregnancy.
I've had a couple of clients with induced lactation having never been
pregnant and several mothers with "relactation" (a couple had never put
babies to breast though so although they'd given birth, they were almost like
induced lactators). In all cases their first drops of milk were orangey,
oily and similar to colostrom.
It's interesting to note that weaning milk returns to a similar
composition as colostrum (see Goldman et al, 1983 "Immunologic Components
in Human Milk during Gradual Weaning" ACTA PAED. SCAND. 72:133-34). I
can't seem to find this article right now but I used it in preparing my
chapter on immunologic components in human milk for THE LACTATION
CONSULTANT'S TOPICAL REVIEW way back when.
I remember something to the effect that it was once thought there was a
higher concentration of antibodies in weaning milk ie. Mother Nature's way
of protecting the weaning child but in reality the antibodies were just
more concentrated in the decreased volume of milk, so the "sample" appeared
to have a lot more antibodies than had been available when the milk volume
was at its greate - a similar concept to a falsely high hemoglobin with
hemoconcentration.
I think that colostrum is a product of the milk producing cells and is
thus just milk (Lawrence says colostrum is a stage of human milk, p.95, 4th
ED.), very concentrated milk, albeit, without sufficient volume to draw in by
osmotic pressure the serum which will eventually dilute it and change its
composition, but still milk. When clients say to me, I don't have any
milk yet, just colostrum, I always say but colostrum is milk, just very
concentrated with all the important proteins, lactose and vitamins which
are so valuable to the newborn.
I tell them newborns can't take very much in so what they do needs to be
really "high octane"!
'Nuff said!
--
******Joan M. Fisher, RN, BN, MEd, IBCLC******
***********Ottawa, Ontario, Canada************
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