> it was nagging at me to find the reference to a woman who had nursed  
> at least 5 babies not her own, so i looked it up! it is in 'nursing  
> your baby' by karen and gale pryor in chapter 2: How the breasts  
> function, subtitle "human production capacity", page 28 of the  
> edition published in 1991:

" A woman with supernormal ability to lactate might be able to nurse  
more. In previous centuries, such women were often on the staffs of  
foundling hospitals. (There is a record of a woman in a French  
orphanage who for a short time maintained seven babies on her own  
milk.) "

i myself have nursed 3 different aged sibs for over 2 yrs, and almost  
9 mos of that through a pregnancy, but obviously not exclusively as  
one was a toddler and one was almost a kindergartner. i'm a bit  
confused as to exactly what sort of experiences you are looking for as  
you say you want to know how many babies a woman has exclusively  
breastfed but are not necessarily interested in mothers doing so with  
multiple-birth babies.

  if they're not multiples, they are either going to be different aged  
and most likely one will be too old to be exclusively breastfed... or  
they are going to be babies not her own, which is incredibly rare  
these days. and if different aged, i don't think you are going to hear  
of anyone nursing more than 2 or 3, because by the time a mother has  
that many children, the oldest is usually close to the age of self- 
weaning... so i'm just wondering what my foggy brain isn't grasping  
that you are looking for but hope the 'nursing your baby' reference  
helps! (and wondering f i misunderstood your request, which is  
entirely possible as i am staying up to go fetch my parents from the  
airport at 5 am this morning!)

ps - there was a great story in 'mothering' mag a few yrs ago about a  
mom who had lost the ability to use one breast and nursed 2 babies  
(might have been twins, if i recall) w/ the other functioning breast  
for a good amount of time. i think she even used to be on this list.

~jacqui gruttadauria, bsw
(near detroit, michigan where i am anxiously awaiting the arrival of  
my parents to visit and help out while my hubby recovers from his hip  
replacement surgery and has been doing everything by myself for 1 wk  
now and has been worn to an absolute withered frazzle of my former  
self. but still a lactating frazzle, thank goodness, as it soothes  
many a toddler and pre-schooler mutiny!)

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