In einer eMail vom 14-6-02 13:13:21 West-Europa (zomertijd) schreibt
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> I have always been curious about what we call "overproduction."  What is
> evidence of overproduction?  Is evidence based on a mother's description of
> her problem?  Is overproduction often a case of erratic nursing patterns
> rather than having too much milk?  By this I mean that the mother goes far
> too long between feeds and thus has full breasts.  When we receive
> descriptions from mothers about oversupply, are we asking questions about
> her
> nursing patterns?  Erratic nursing patterns increase the liklihood of
> overfull breasts, engorgement.  This in turn decreases milk supply because
> very full breasts or engorgment is really about a milk supply going through
> the shutting down process.  Mothers assume the opposite that over-full
> breasts mean a great milk supply and not full breasts mean poor milk supply.
>
> As someone who has relactated and helped other mothers relactate, I think it
> is a mistake to believe that there is a point of no return when the breast
> involutes.  There might be a rare case of this situation but overall
> recovering a milk supply is not as physically difficult for the mother as it
> is mentally difficult.
>

I think many breastfeeding problems, including and perhaps above all,
production issues are at least in part due to ''thinking too much''. In my
part of the world mothers want to hold track of things and want to be sure
they do the right things. But because the information they have about
breastfeeding is at best non-existend and at wordt wrong they do more harm
with thinking than good. For example, baby drinks at breast and gets fussy,
mom wants to make him drink longer ''because he can't possibly get what he
needs in 5 minutes''. Baby fights being held at breast, gets more fussy,
overstretches, beomes frenzy. Moms thinks ''I'm out of milk, he's hungry and
there's nothing there'' and tops up with a bottle. Or baby wants to nurse as
I call ''on and off'' and mom offers the otrher breast 4 times an hour, thus
producing more and more milk. Or mom tries to force baby to finish the second
breast, because ' he can;t have enough if not finished 2 breasts''. And so on
and so on.
Half of the time I spend with patiens that are referred to me by HCP's I
spend on teaching just plain breastfeeding basics and expliaining normal
newborn behaviour. (the other half is trying to get badly hurt nipples
fixed).
In my experience and opinion most cases of oversupply are iatrogenic issues
and not primairily due to sub-optimal functioning breasts as many of the moms
concerned are made to beleive. I think that many problems could be avoided
when moms could be teached to trst their bodies and their babies to know what
they need and what they need to do and to just listen to that and their own
common sense. (Note: I speak from a perspective with a high percentage of
nonmedicalized births, so no postpartum medication-induced problems)

Warmly greeting,

Gonneke
==================
Gonneke van Veldhuizen  =+=  IBCLC, LLLL, MOM  =+=  primairy school teacher

EUROLAC
breastfeeding information centre and lactation consultant practice
http://www.users.skynet.be/eurolac




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