One way I have managed to make this more understandable for mothers is to
compare it to tears. Although our eyes produce tears all the time, to moisten
our eyes, they only spill down our cheeks when we cry. And although we
sometimes feel as if the tears are "gone", if stimulated, low and behold,
more spill down our cheeks.
I compare this to the breast and say... the breast is producing milk all the
time, and reabsorbing it, so IF the baby gets hungry, he will get a little
milk to encourage him to continue suckling. But, the FEEDING is actually
produced by the body as he nurses. (Breasts are not milk-jugs hanging around
your neck, full or empty)
Even if the baby has been nursing a LONG time, you may feel a second
"let-down" as the body makes more milk. Even if the baby "just ate", he can
eat again.

This also makes sense in respect to the weaning process....
Once a supply is established, eliminating one feeding at a time, would just
mean the body is not prompted to "make large volume" of milk at that time...
the next feeding, when the stimulus is present,  the milk is too.

Laura Wright
Jackson, MS


"The art of being wise is the art of knowing what to overlook."

- William James, American psychologist and philosopher

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