Lactnetters,
>What you may be doing by
>having the mom express often for "discomfort" is mimic the action of the
>baby who gets to feed ad lib.  That may, in fact, preserve the
>milk-producing status of the breasts, but it would be so much better if the
>baby just did it, and if the milk went into the baby instead of being
>wasted.  Especially in those early days and weeks when a big proportion of
>the milk is still colostrum, full of wonderful antibodies.  I cringe to
>think of women expressing and discarding all that wonderful milk.  :(

From my own experience, I did think this myself. Isn't over-supply a
common problem? I can imagine if I'd done this, my poor babies (and
anyone within a 100 metre radius) would have been drowned! My body
always seems to think it's providing for quads, and I think my baby's
lack of nursing at first is possibly necessary to *reduce* my supply. I
tried coping with the problem all kinds of ways with my first two
babies, but by the third I'd got the problem hacked - I just nursed on
demand (which was *very* infrequent for the first two days, despite a
natural, homebirth and the baby never leaving my side), when I got
engorged I had a warm shower and allowed the excess to drain naturally.

My third baby was my biggest yet, and the fastest gainer - 91st centile
for the entire first year. Obviously no problem there.

So, I am extrapolating from my own experience (which is dangerous), but
couldn't expressing and pumping in this way actually risk over-supply
problems and undermine a mother's confidence in her baby to take as much
as he needed? I am sure there are cases where it's necessary, but surely
the most important thing is to encourage mothers to keep their newborn
close and nurse first, ask questions later (ie not wait until the baby
is screaming)?
--
Anna H. Breastfeeding advocate and writer.
http://www.ratbag.demon.co.uk/anna/

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