"Peter Hartmann has studied this and found that there is actually *no*
increase in milk intake by the baby from 1 to 6 months - rather it is very
consistent. On the other hand, they found that the levels of prolactin
actually *fall* gradually over the months. The idea of prolactin being the
controlling factor for milk production is now out-of-date.

It seems (my interpretation) that when a baby has a 'growth spurt', he may
temporarily eat more for a few days, but then drops back to the amount he
was taking before the 'growth spurt'. (A bit like a teenager who suddenly
eats everything in the pantry for a while, and then goes back to his normal
intake!)."

Then why is it that a mother who is pumping for her baby while she is
employed must leave more and more milk in the bottles?  Is this happening
because someone believes it should happen?  Or is it all so different when
it doesn't come from the breast? And what of that formula of 2.5 times the
infant's weight as a guide for how much milk to leave?

Are "we" really accepting this conclusion?

Patricia Gima, IBCLC
Milwaukee
mailto:[log in to unmask]