Yesterday my family and I went to visit a dairy farm.  It was really
interesting to learn what a real business it is.  I mean, I knew that it was
a business, but it was interesting to talk to the farmer himself.  It was
useful that I know so much about lactation- it is virtually the same in all
mammal species!  Some of the cows actually stared to drip when they heard
the sound of the pumps!!

It was funny to me how interested my five year old was in the whole process.
He was right there where the pumps are hooked on.  He is still nursing and
the whole thing made perfect sense to him.  Teats- nipples- milk flowing-
yeah that's right!  He loved it there!  My nine year old however was content
to look from a distance.  He was terrified by the huge animals.  I was
udderly amazed at how big a grown cow is!!

Yes, it is BIG buisness- I learned a lot about artificial insemination-too.
Did you know that one "dose" of semon can costs around $300.00 and that a
bull can produce around 100 doses (I'm not sure fo that number) per
ejacualtion!  Some of the features that cows are bred for include the size
and shape of the udder and teats. (The semon donor is considered for how
"good" the cows are that are his offspring.) If the teats are splayed and it
isn't easy to hook up the milking machine, for example, it isn't an
efficient animal. (Read milk machine)

I mentioned to the farmer's wife that I am a lactation consultant and so
have an interest in lactation.  She went on to tell me how sorry she was not
to know about Nursing Mother's  Assocation of Australia when she had her
children 24 and 19 years ago.  She said that her milk was a very good
quality, but she couldn't produce anough to "feed a mouse".  What an irony
isn't it!  Their whole lively hood is dependant on producing "enough milk"
yet the dairy farmers wife couldn't!

Yes, I guess that we will have to depend on the dairy industry to learn what
we can about lactation.  That is where the money is- not breatsfeeding.
Although maybe if we started putting more value on the milk producing
genitic potential for the studs- I mean fathers- it might make a difference.
(That was intended to be a joke)
Any way, nothing profound or even new here I am sure, I just wanted to share
my experience with you. Nancy Sherwood LLLL, IBCLC- Perth, Australia