Pam,
I'll have a go at answering this one....I've been asked about this more than
once because people wonder how relactation fits in with this idea, it's a
common misunderstanding. The research that you refer to describes how a
baby's *consumption* peaks at about 1 month and stays at that level until 6
months, it's not talking about the mother's ability to increase her milk
supply. Increasing milk supply can happen at at time.
> Okay, I am studying to retake the exam for my 10 yr anniversary....I am
> calling it a celebration. Haha. I know Hartman's research, heck, I bared
a
> breast on stage just to see for myself. But, still no matter how hard I
try to
> just accept it is so because Hartman says so, I am bugged a bit by the
idea
> that supply is set at 1 mo, and stays set through 6 months. It seems to
me that
> we can 'increase a supply' after one month. If we can't, then if a mom
> comes to us with her 6 week old and a low milk supply, why are we
bothering to
> do anything at all? If in fact whatever her supply happens to be is what
it
> is and it won't increase, why bother adding more expressing/nursing/herbs
etc.
I agree with you, I think it is worth replicating this research. However,
one observation I have that fits in with this is that adoptive mums often
find that they can stop supplementing when they start feeding other
foods....
Then there is the 'after solids milk supply
> diminishes'. If a baby is to be breastfed with solids 'complimenting'
not
> replacing breastmilk for the first year, it seems to me the amount of
> breastmilk should not decrease simply because mother is offering solids.
If in fact
> the volume is the volume, and the number of times a baby needs to remove
milk
> to maintain the full supply is as low as 6, why is it assumed the supply
> diminishes? And does it really diminish for all women or only those who
use
> solid foods to replace a breastfeeding as opposed to complimenting?
I think that the experience does fit in with the research. If you've got a
healthy baby who's "routinely" breastfeeding then the research says that
you'd expect for the milk supply to peak at 1 month, stay stable until other
foods are introduced and then slowly decline.....however, get a baby who was
previously eating lots of solids who gets sick and stops eating solid food
altogether and starts breastfeeding up a storm then both the baby's
consumption and the mother's production level will increase.
Which still
> takes me back to the notion that supply is set at 1 month. I know of far
too
> many women who have brought their supply up well after one month, far too
> many women who have had a sick 2 year old bring them back to engorgement
and a
> full supply of milk. Why is that we have all this 'evidence' and
'research'
> that doesn't seem to fit with experience?
>
Karleen Gribble
Australia
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