Jan says:
<It has been my clinical experience that occasionally some mature first time
mothers (I'm thinking late 30's and higher) may not produce enough milk, ALL
other things being equal.  And before I get roundly flamed for posting
something that is not evidence-based, let me reiterate that this has been my
CLINICAL experience.>

Me too, Jan! I always keep this in my mind, almost as a "dirty little
secret"; it's a question I never give a blanket, categorical answer to, but
reply that it depends on many complex factors, and blah blah blah.

And who would I call "mature first-time mothers"? Frequently, in my
observation, that it's women who are having their first babies after about
38-40 yrs. old or so AND have had trouble conceiving. And I've also observed
it in women around the same age who have had lots of previous BF children
(usually >5, if I had to guess) AND a LOT of long-term on-going stress and
just plain old hardship in their lives (poverty, abuse, hunger, health
problems, multiple children with special needs, loss of children or spouses,
stuff like that). I think (scientifically speaking, of course) that
sometimes our bodies just plain run out of steam - now how's that for a
technical observation?

I'm sheltering my head even as I write this, for protection from the
outcries of those many of you out there who had your babies at a "mature"
age and enough milk to supply a small army. Obviously, I don't mean YOU!
Just adding my own observations to the mix. (And people whose last names are
Barger or Bargar or Berger gotta stick together, ya know!)

Cathy Bargar RN IBCLC IThaca NY

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