I certainly wish that the word "colostrum" could be fully appreciated and agree that we need to educate professional and lay persons both about it.  However, I must agree with what some of us have said about moms coming in with the precenceived notion it is "just colostrum" or even "bad milk".  The time for a crash course in colostrum is not in those first vulnerable days after giving birth!  The term I like to use is "early milk" and "later milk".  I talk about how human milk changes over the nursing experience to meet the basby's changing needs as well as to reflect the flavors in what mom eats while formula is the same day in and day out.  How boring would it be for you to eat the same food, same flavor day in and day out?

Like Nikki, I cringe at the term "milk coming in".  I am also a little uncomfortable with saying "you milk volume will increase after a few days" as this can reinforce the notion that low volume means "not enough".  We need to assure moms (and nurses!) that it is a great favor to the baby that mom's milk isn't flowing in great volumes initially.  This gives the baby the opportunity to master the technique before having to cope with large amounts at ta time.  It also gives his tiny little tummy a chance to prepare for handling more than a teaspoon (or even fraction of a teaspoon) at a time.  While baby is born with the reflexes and instincts to "know" how to nurse, practice helps refine the techniques.  After all, baby hasn't had to "work for food" up till now.   Imagine you haven't been able to eat food for some time.  Would you want to start with a ten course dinner or a few nibbles at a time?  How many of us have seen formula fed babies who either are "forced" to take an ounce or more or who keep swallowing it out of self defense because it keeps coming out of the bottle ready or not.? All to often, shortly after, they "give you a refund" which should be taken as a sign that they can't cope with the volume, but it is often instead blamed on the technique of the person who gave the feeding!

Winnie

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