At 2:02 PM -0800 6/2/06, Ellen Steinberg wrote:
>Joy writes: Milk volumes in the Hartmann labs use the method they have
>developed
>and used for many years now where they weigh the mothers (not the
>babies - found to be more accurate) plus do volume calculations on
>the breast using a computer, video camera and stripes projected
>across the breast. They have written it up as a 'computerized breast
>measurement' system and it is very accurate.
>
>Joy, I think then that the answer to my question about whether these
>researchers were measuring mom's production capability or baby's actual
>consumption is that they were more closely measuring mom's production
>capability.

No, Ellen, I think you have misinterpreted what they found from what 
I wrote. They measured *exactly* how much milk the baby took from the 
mothers over 24 hours, by test-weighing the mother. They go into the 
home and set up their equipment and are with the mother for every 
feed, top-up, every time the baby's lips meet the breast, day and 
night for 24 hours.

>  I do not doubt the accuracy of these measurements, especially
>since they have been corroborated by several studies.  And I also accept
>that milk production capability remains relatively constant from 1-6 months.

No, capability is *much* greater than what the mothers are producing 
for one baby. They measured the baby's appetite, not the mother's 
capability.

Apologies if this wasn't clear in my earlier post.

>
>What I am still left wondering is whether babies who are larger eat more.

This I don't know for sure, but don't think so. What they have found 
in the Hartmann studies is that each baby has his own individual 
relatively constant volume of intake - ranging from less than 500 ml 
per 24 hours to over 1000 ml. I am fairly certain that there was no 
correlation with anything obvious, such as baby's size, feeding 
pattern, mother's storage capacity, etc. It seemed 'random'.

Joy
-- 
******************************************************************
Joy Anderson B.Sc. Dip.Ed. Grad.Dip.Med.Tech. IBCLC
Australian Breastfeeding Association counsellor
Perth, Western Australia.   mailto:[log in to unmask]
******************************************************************

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