"One mother of a premie was pumping 12 ounces every 2 hours for weeks and
was cheered by the NICU staff. When the poor little one went to the breast
he began serious suffering, which took him many months to resolve. Mom's
milk supply is still sensitive to any frequent intervals but she exercises
caution."

Pat and others, I've always wondered about how this problem should be
managed. My take with a mother of a premature is to help her get a good milk
production, even if that is an oversupply, in the first weeks. To make sure
that in the future, maybe 3, 6 months down the line she doesn't have
undersupply problems. I'm thinking along the lines of getting those
prolactin receptors optimal in the first weeks, and also so that she has a
sort of "buffer" in her milk supply incase she has trouble with expressing
etc. Pat's post is making me realise that this is maybe looking to far into
the future? But is it prudent to first build an exeptional supply, and then
temporarily reduce this supply when it looks like the infant can start
coming to the breast?

My rational is that to get the prolactin receptors well established, then
reduce the supply by letting the receptors "rest". Gee, this maybe way off
mark, and I know I tend to theorize everything to the molecular level! And
I have zero experience in helping a premature to the breast but is there any
sense in what I'm saying?

Sara Bernard
The NEtherlands (not feeling so stupid now that I've been told that there is
only one changing room at this ice rink).

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