Jan, I have heard others report this anecdotically as well, although have
never seen any research. I can think of three possible mechanisms if it
exists: 1) the decreased fertility/decreased lactation connection--that
older first time mothers may be older because it has taken them longer to
get pregnant, for endocrine reasons related to both pregnancy and
lactation; 2) old breasts--involution or relative nonresponsiveness to
hormonal signalling; or 3) older first time mothers may have elected to
delay child bearing for busy career reasons, and early return to busy
career may impair lactation (age therefore just being a marker rather
than causative agent for phenomenon). There are other possiblities as
well, I'm sure--IF it exists. --Beth Williams ([log in to unmask])

On Thu, 13 Apr 1995, Jan Barger wrote:

> Hi Kathleen,
>
> I've actually been quiet for about 2 days... imagine that!  And welcome to
> all the new members!  I see that "advertising" Lactnet at our conference last
> week paid off :)
>
> RE your mom who is 42 & a low milk supply.  I've had age in the back of my
> mind for some time as a possible prob. for milk supply. Now everyone, don't
> jump all over me.  I've seen it in more than one case when a woman of 38+ has
> a first baby (haven't seen it in multips except myself), can't produce enough
> - all other things being equal.  I found an old (1974) edition of Greenhall's
> Obstetrics that talked briefly about involution of the functioning glandular
> tissue in "older" women.  (Didn't define older, but I suspect anything over
> 35 was older in their book :/ )  I had no trouble with my first two producing
> milk, though I was always on the "just enough" side rather than the abundant
> side.  With number 3, born at home at age 38, I never produced more than 3
> ccs in the left breast, despite pumping religiously, putting him to breast on
> that side first and third virtually every feed (he loved hanging out), etc.
>  Right side produced some, but not enough.  After I went back to work part
> time when he was 6 weeks old and was pumping with the classic, the most I
> ever got at one pumping was about 3 1/2 oz.  (Thought I'd died & gone to
> heaven :)  )  Wish, of course, that I knew then what I know now.  I think
> partly Tim was not a vigorous nurser, took 5 days to learn how to latch on -
> finally invented my own version of what has since become the SNS to get him
> to latch on -- etc. etc.  We went on bf for a year with supplementation.  At
> 7 mo I gave up on L side & nursed only on right.  Would have to say I never
> experienced any fullness first week or so.  Only thing that had happened on L
> side previously was a mastitis when daughter 2 was 3 weeks old, 6 years
> before Tim was born.  And that was treated and resolved almost immediately,
> though milk supply did decrease somewhat  and never got back to normal.
>  Since then (Tim's birth), I've been interested in milk production in "older"
> women.  Has anyone had any experience with women in their 50's who are having
> their first - you know, the menopausal  moms who are hormonally stimulated &
> then give birth?  Have they been able to bf?  The only one we had here who
> used an LC had twins (she was 56, her husband was 78 when the twins were
> born), and she didn't attempt breastfeeding long enough for us to find out.
> Anyway, this might be another thing for us to explore.  Any thoughts, anyone?
>
>
> Jan
> [log in to unmask]
>