Nikki comments:

<Humans are variable all over the globe, just as any  other species of
mammal.......so I can accept that milk production is another  variable of
human
activity, probably genetically-influenced.
   What do you all think??>

I think it would be great if radiology soon reaches the point where
ultrasound or some other non-invasive way could determine how many lobes
there are in a breast. I have read an article from Russian research
(Victoria???) which at least was able to determine the % of glandular
tissue, % of fat tissue and % of connective tissue and compared moms in the
first trimester with their own changes in the second and third trimesters,
showing a remarkable reduction in fatty tissues and increase in glandular
tissues for most moms.

My memory of my reading tells me that each female fetus develops x # of
secondary buds from each of the two primary buds. (Somewhere in there, or
perhaps later, testosterone begins to alter this pattern in male fetuses.)
Some or hopefully all of these secondary buds eventually canalize, so that
with pubertal/menstrual changes, each secondary bud will develop into a
lobe. Those with more lobes will subsequently develop more smaller ducts
branching off the main ducts to form more lobules, thereby partly accounting
for the difference in storage and production capacity between various women.


Then, depending on the size and health of the placenta with the first
pregnancy, those "branches" will develop a supply of "leaves" that will
mostly "fall off" at the end of that nursing "season" during involution, to
be replaced with a new set of "leaves" stimulated by the new placenta of the
next baby, etc..

I know it's not as simple as that of course, but I think it starts with the
basic framework that one's hereditary, genetic and congenital conditions set
one up for, including the degree of nipple eversion, inversion, etc. etc.

I have had at least one mom with an obvious lack of tissue in the inner
upper and lower quadrants of both breasts thank me when I explained this to
her in simple terms. She could accept it when she realized that it was an
early developmental thing, probably starting when she was in her own
mother's womb. (Somewhat like people can accept the developmental need for
glasses when they can't see the way they expect to see.) She was then
happily able to work quite hard at keeping up her supply but appropriately
supplement with an SNS as needed in the early months till introducing
solids, finally deciding to wean at 18 months, and then thanked *me* for
helping her achieve her dream!

Jean
***********
K. Jean Cotterman RNC, IBCLC
Dayton, Ohio USA (right now in sunny Glendale, AZ, USA!)

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