Breast milk production "norms" & the abnormal schedule

[aeterna]

I've heard plenty about how breast milk production is at its highest first thing in the morning, and milk is fattier in the wee morning hours. I'm wondering if anybody knows whether this holds true for women who don't abide by a normal sleep schedule? My DH works second shift, so we're usually up until 3am. Does the body adjust prolactin levels based on your sleep schedule or on daylight?

[foreverinbluejeans]

I don't think it matters what your sleep schedule is. I was watching a PBS show about cows. I always wondered why farmers got up so dang early to milk their cows. I would train my cows to get up at 10:00 to get milked! Then I watched this PBS show and it talked about the milk cycles in cows and how it can't be changed. What has been invented is a milking machine that can be put in the field and the cow can walk into it when she feels she needs to be milked. The farmer doesn't have to get the cows back to the barn or get up early to do the milking. The cows know when they need to be milked in the morning and then again in the afternoon or evening. Somehow the machine cleans them before milking so the milk is safe. The cows looked happy and they are supposed to like the new milking machines. They have empowered the cows!

Milk cycles have been studied much more in cows than humans. They have tried to change cows milk cycles and haven't been able to. It would be hard to get approval in humans, there are lots of rules about doing studies in humans. I haven't heard of any evidence that milk cycles or homones change if sleep cycle is altered. If I'm wrong the cow story is still interesting.