Laurie's mother describes what I believe is a normal and physiological
situation when the mother pumps long term - as Laurie implies in her
analysis.

Her milk supply is not 'dwindling' but she is responding less to the pump.

As prolactin levels fall (and they have already fallen a bunch since birth
- they are back to pre-preg levels in the average bf woman by 6 months)
breast milk is made in response to the baby's sucking and to the removal of
the milk from the breast. It is normal for the pump to be less effective at
this than the baby - it's a different suckling action. The most important
way for her to get the same 16 oz in total yield from pumping is to pump
more often. She doesn't have prolactin on her side any more, so she's going
to have to pump twice a much.

She is unlikely to 'lose' her milk if she keeps doing what she's doing
though - feeding ad lib when she is with the baby, and presumably at night
when she's not working.  And if she feels she really is dwindling, she can
aim to feed more often.

This is one of the downsides of thinking that you can go back to work and
carry on 'breastfeeding' via a pump. Mothers then judge their milk supply
by the amount they can pump,  and lose confidence in the whole process when
quite naturally, they start to produce less at each sitting.

It's sad.

Heather Welford Neil
NCT bfc Newcastle upon Tyne

who'd still like to know what pedialite actually *is* , and what the
benefits to the baby are - please : )

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