>May I pose a question to this group regarding storage space
>and foremilk/hindmilk... If a woman then hsa small storage
>capacity, would this mean that she would have a smaller
>amount of foremilk and more hindmilk coming out?  And
>possibly a heavier baby?  Just trying to understand all of
>this.

Wendy, the only effect storage capacity has is the frequency with which mum
needs to drain the breasts (ie feed the baby). As long as she feeds
'according to need' of her baby, she will produce the same amount,
proportion of fat, etc as any other mother (notwithstanding oversupply
problems - that's another topic!). It's just that a mother with a small
storage capacity feeds smaller quantities, more often, than one with a
larger capacity. Over the 24 hour period, the volume, etc is the same.
Mothers with larger storage capacities have a greater flexibility in their
feeding patterns, which is why these are the mothers who coped OK with
four-hourly schedules, etc. The ones with smaller storage capacities can
easily make enough milk overall, but have a lot less flexibility in timing
of feeds - they *need* to feed more frequently, or their supply suffers.

Actually, what many people don't realise is that at any one feed, the baby
rarely takes all the milk available - he stops when he's had enough, so the
breast at the end of feeds has variable amounts left in it. Generally over
the day, the amounts left behind tend to decrease, but it is never *empty*.
However, the way storage capacity has been calculated for individual
mothers by Peter Hartmann is by measuring the breast volume (using cameras,
computers, etc to estimate) over a 24 hour period measured before and after
every feed, and subtracting the lowest volume from the highest volume
obtained. This difference is assumed to be the volume of milk being held
when mother is at her fullest (ie that breast's storage capacity), and the
smallest breast volume measured assumed to be that of the breast when
virtually empty. Also, most mothers have quite different storage capacities
in their two breasts.

I hope I haven't confused you more!

Joy Anderson IBCLC, NMAA Breastfeeding Counsellor
Perth, Western Australia
[log in to unmask]