Allison:
I appreciated your comments in the on-going discussion about
colostrum/lactogenesis and the role the placenta plays.  I need to clarify
that I was not maintaining as a fact that colostrum is produced only in a
finite amount but that I had read speculation about that..  I confess lact of
knowledge about this subject and I am seeking more.  For instance, the stuff
that leaks from pregnant nipples. We call it colostrum.  Is it colostrum? I
hope this is not a totally stupid quest.  Has it been looked at and compared
to what occurs pp?  An old art. (1983 I think)  I have in my files talks
about milk from an induced lactation skipping the colostral phase.  This
would suggest that colostrum is produced in preg. and  it belongs to the
phase of lactation driven by endocrine function.  My understanding of the
autocrine phase is that it requires nipple stim. and freq and complete
"emptying" to continue to maintain lact.  When that stops involution begins.

Yes, I have also seen one woman with retained placenta who prod. amazing
quantities of milk.  That's why I wrote that ret. placenta TYPICALLY delays
lactogen. There was a case report about this type sit. somewhere a while back
(JHL?)  I would say that depressed supply is the more freq. presentation in
my exper.and it is freq mentioned in the lit.  I'd like to hear from others.

I am going to dig around and see what ref. I can find in the physiol. lit
 about colost. now that I've shot off my mouth  in public and revealed my
ignorance.  Any lurking experts are welcome to jump in.

Barbara Wilson-Clay, BSE, IBCLC priv. pract. Austin, Tx