Jan, I have heard others report this anecdotically as well, although have never seen any research. I can think of three possible mechanisms if it exists: 1) the decreased fertility/decreased lactation connection--that older first time mothers may be older because it has taken them longer to get pregnant, for endocrine reasons related to both pregnancy and lactation; 2) old breasts--involution or relative nonresponsiveness to hormonal signalling; or 3) older first time mothers may have elected to delay child bearing for busy career reasons, and early return to busy career may impair lactation (age therefore just being a marker rather than causative agent for phenomenon). There are other possiblities as well, I'm sure--IF it exists. --Beth Williams ([log in to unmask]) On Thu, 13 Apr 1995, Jan Barger wrote: > Hi Kathleen, > > I've actually been quiet for about 2 days... imagine that! And welcome to > all the new members! I see that "advertising" Lactnet at our conference last > week paid off :) > > RE your mom who is 42 & a low milk supply. I've had age in the back of my > mind for some time as a possible prob. for milk supply. Now everyone, don't > jump all over me. I've seen it in more than one case when a woman of 38+ has > a first baby (haven't seen it in multips except myself), can't produce enough > - all other things being equal. I found an old (1974) edition of Greenhall's > Obstetrics that talked briefly about involution of the functioning glandular > tissue in "older" women. (Didn't define older, but I suspect anything over > 35 was older in their book :/ ) I had no trouble with my first two producing > milk, though I was always on the "just enough" side rather than the abundant > side. With number 3, born at home at age 38, I never produced more than 3 > ccs in the left breast, despite pumping religiously, putting him to breast on > that side first and third virtually every feed (he loved hanging out), etc. > Right side produced some, but not enough. After I went back to work part > time when he was 6 weeks old and was pumping with the classic, the most I > ever got at one pumping was about 3 1/2 oz. (Thought I'd died & gone to > heaven :) ) Wish, of course, that I knew then what I know now. I think > partly Tim was not a vigorous nurser, took 5 days to learn how to latch on - > finally invented my own version of what has since become the SNS to get him > to latch on -- etc. etc. We went on bf for a year with supplementation. At > 7 mo I gave up on L side & nursed only on right. Would have to say I never > experienced any fullness first week or so. Only thing that had happened on L > side previously was a mastitis when daughter 2 was 3 weeks old, 6 years > before Tim was born. And that was treated and resolved almost immediately, > though milk supply did decrease somewhat and never got back to normal. > Since then (Tim's birth), I've been interested in milk production in "older" > women. Has anyone had any experience with women in their 50's who are having > their first - you know, the menopausal moms who are hormonally stimulated & > then give birth? Have they been able to bf? The only one we had here who > used an LC had twins (she was 56, her husband was 78 when the twins were > born), and she didn't attempt breastfeeding long enough for us to find out. > Anyway, this might be another thing for us to explore. Any thoughts, anyone? > > > Jan > [log in to unmask] >