Pat's comment had as much wisdom as humor:
"I had a friend who says that she takes her figure
from her dad, but she made plenty of rich milk for her
chubby babies."

A few years back a LLLL in my area was fond of jumping
up at meetings to offer expectant moms the side view
of her her oh-so-slender figure for inspiration.
"When I'm not breastfeeding I just have mosquito
bites!" quipped our charming British import.  "And not
much more when I am!"  She would then fork-lift her
meaty middle boy back on to her lap & comment "and he
would have nothing but my milk for 19 months!"

I continue to be amazed by the slender,
sometimes-vegan mothers who heave enormous
"exclusively breasfed" babies and toddlers onto their
laps for a mothers' meeting.

I've asked mothers for years about changes in breast
size (when supply was a concern).  Whether the issue
is self-reporting or an aspect of breast anatomy not
yet understood, I have not found mothers' reports to
have much relation to observed milk production.  Today
I am likely to use a mother's self-observation of
changes as one more assurance her body is working for
her.  If she is still expecting & concerned, I assure
her that her active baby will certainly inspire
changes!  If a mother sees no changes I assure her
that many mothers are too busy nursing & changing
plentiful diapers to notice such things!  I point out
the many signs she has that milk supply is high & her
baby is thriving.

This comment is not meant to address serious supply
concerns or the rare but real issue of insufficient
glandular tissue.  Just a comment regarding the
opportunity to encourage milk production among the
vast majority of women for whom everything is working
but societal support.  Many of us who gather through
this format see the general population (from birth
centers to mother support meetings) in addition to a
self-selecting group of mothers with challenges.  We
never know when a small comment made in an offhand
manner will help or hinder, one mom at a time.
Science notwithstanding --

Milk is emotional secretion.

Susan Johnson  MFA, IBCLC

"Well-behaved women seldom make history."
                      Laurel Thatcher Ulrich



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