[~*~MamaJava~*~]

I learned a new BF fact today from a new LC...your breasts will hold a certain amount of milk, and your baby will get about that much from each feeding. She said babies need 25-35oz per day, and you can divide that by the # of oz your breasts will hold, that kind of gives you an idea of how many feedings you'd be doing....<br>
....now, I know lots of times I'll give dd a feeding and it's just a bit, or else there's those middle-of-the-night Big Gulps <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/wink1.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="wink1"> but I suppose it averages out.<br><br>
I had NEVER heard this before. Like just even thought about the idea that my breasts hold, say, 4 oz, but my friend's hold, say, 8 oz, and maybe that's why I'm on my 3rd frequent nurser and her babies feed every 4 hours except at night when they sleep for 8-13 hours from 2 weeks on....<br><br>
What do you think about this?

 

[alegna]

Total crap. Your breasts keep making milk while baby nurses.<br><br>
-Angela

 

[~*~MamaJava~*~]

Ok, that's what I thought. Then this LC told me that factoid, plus I had a conversation with my MIL and SIL last week: I was saying that I thought my friend, whose 7lb baby was sleeping for a 6/7 hr stretch at night and feeding every four hours, should maybe up the frequency, and they said no way! If she feeds only that far, plus that big stretch at night, baby will get LOTS of milk. I was thinking: yes, the mom might FEEL full, but in the long run...downer on the supply.<br><br>
This is my 3rd nursling <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/lol.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="lol"> but I'm wondering if I've learned nothing!

 

[attachedmamaof3]

yah....crap, and pretty ridiculous crap too if you ask me!

 

[smeep]

If that were true then women wouldn't be able to nurse twins or triplets.<br><br>
You REALLY need to inform this LC that milk is made on demand and as the baby needs it. That's why they have growth spurts where tehy're on the boob every hour or more for 1-2 days and then they're suddenly slowing down. It's not that they're getting less milk, it's that your breasts have responded to the baby's need for more milk.<br><br>
Please, please, please inform her about this because she is very wrong and is giving out horrible advice that is probably leading to many women weaning because they don't think their breasts hold enough. here is a link on supply and demand:<br><br><a href="http://www.kellymom.com/bf/supply/milkproduction.html" target="_blank">http://www.kellymom.com/bf/supply/milkproduction.html</a><br><br>
note the only thing even close to what you're talking about is the storage capacity that a mother's breasts have, <i>in between feedings</i>. It has nothing to do with how much milk a woman can make throughout the day (or hour, or feeding, or week, etc.)

 

[~*~MamaJava~*~]

Okay...so maybe she's talking storage capacity, but she didn't talk about making MORE milk as baby is feeding. Here's a quote from her e-mail :<i>What I think may be causing frequent nursing in all your children is breast storage capacity. That refers to the amount of milk you can hold in your breasts when full. Each woman is different regardless of breast size. A baby needs approx. 25 - 35 ounces per day - divide that by the amount of milk your breasts can hold when full, eg. 4 oz. you will need to nurse more often than the woman whose breasts hold 6 oz.That means that no matter how much your baby grows she will always get approx 4 oz per feed. This regulates feeding patterns a great deal. You empty the breast you make more milk, full breasts slow down milk production until they are once again emptied. This is not a problem, just may explain why your children nurse more frequently to get their needs met. You are producing all they need, just at frequent intervals. That is my first thought.</i><br><br>
Please note, I was asking her about frequent nursing, and she told me that it was totally fine, totally normal, and a good thing. She didn't come up with any scheduling crap or anything like that. It was just this one thing that had me thinking.<br>
Maybe I was just misunderstanding?<br><br>
eta: Okay, I see the twins and triplets thing too. I was thinking that didn't make sense, but obviously if I was only making 4 oz at a time, I wouldn't be able to feed them all.

 

[smeep]

I think she is misunderstanding ohw it works. Apparently she understands the storage capacity in between feedings thing...but she seems to think that once the baby empties the breast and it's stores from in between the feeding that the breast will not make any more milk...because she talks about a baby getting 4 oz max at a feeding. This is simply untrue.<br><br>
I think you need to explain it to her that while, yes, larger breasts do hold moer milk in between feedings, it has nothing to dowith how much a baby gets <i>during</i> a feeding. They will get whatever they choose to take out of the breast at that feeding. When the milk that has been stored in between feedings has been taken by the baby, the breast immediately makes more milk until the baby is satisfied and done nursing.

 

[~*~MamaJava~*~]

Emy, do larger breasts store more? I am curious about that. I know size doesn't matter...but in this case, does it?

 

[rmzbm]

Your LC doesn't sound very smart.

 

[sewmom]

I think your LC may be getting things a bit mixed up. It is true that some breasts have larger storage capacity than others and often these breasts do not nurse as often. Breasts with smaller storage will nurse more often. The larger storage breasts tend to get bigger or are bigger but smaller breasts can produce the same amount of milk in a day (just in smaller quantities but more often). Both both types of breasts continuously produce milk, at different rates. Does that make sense?

 

[Sagesgirl]

<div style="margin:20px;margin-top:5px;">
<div class="smallfont" style="margin-bottom:2px;">Quote:</div>
<table border="0" cellpadding="6" cellspacing="0" width="99%"><tr><td class="alt2" style="border:1px inset;">
<div>Originally Posted by <strong>rmzbm</strong> <a href="/community/forum/post/7935829"><img alt="View Post" class="inlineimg" src="/community/img/forum/go_quote.gif" style="border:0px solid;"></a></div>
<div style="font-style:italic;">Your LC doesn't sound very smart.</div>
</td>
</tr></table></div>
That's what I'm thinking.<br><br>
Another clue that it's nonsense: How on Earth are you supposed to know how much your breasts hold? She talks about storage capacity as if we've ounce markers on the sides of our tits or something.<br><br>
That woman needs to not be a lactation consultant. Seriously. I wonder how many women have wound up supplementing or switching to formula because of her idiocy.

 

[Selesai]

<div style="margin:20px;margin-top:5px;">
<div class="smallfont" style="margin-bottom:2px;">Quote:</div>
<table border="0" cellpadding="6" cellspacing="0" width="99%"><tr><td class="alt2" style="border:1px inset;">
<div>Originally Posted by <strong>Sagesgirl</strong> <a href="/community/forum/post/7938859"><img alt="View Post" class="inlineimg" src="/community/img/forum/go_quote.gif" style="border:0px solid;"></a></div>
<div style="font-style:italic;">That's what I'm thinking.<br><br>
Another clue that it's nonsense: How on Earth are you supposed to know how much your breasts hold? She talks about storage capacity as if we've ounce markers on the sides of our tits or something.</div>
</td>
</tr></table></div>
You mean <i>you</i> don't have ounce markers on your boobs? I thought everyone did! <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/lol.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="lol">

 

[Twilight]

My first DD and the new baby are totally different in terms of nursing frequency.<br><br>
DD1 nursed every 2 hours during the day and every 3-4 at night, sometimes more.<br><br>
DD2 nurses every hour and a half during the morning, then she spaces it out to every 3 hours in the evening, and then she (gasp) sleeps through the night.<br><br>
So DD1 got on the order of 14 feedings a day and DD2 is getting 8 or so.<br><br>
Same boobs! Just different children with different needs for comfort and growth, I guess.

 

[annettemarie]

I always tell mamas "They're factories, not warehouses". <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/wink1.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="wink1">

 

[cdahlgrd]

At least it gives women a good reason to nurse frequently.<br><br>
And then there is the twin issue. I was pumping 10-18 ounces per pumping session. Yes, 18 ounces. Every 3-4 hours. (Hmmm let's see, that is 70-140 ounces a day. Sometimes I would get 18 ounces. . .. after nursing them both!! (Why 18 ounces? If I pumped more, then it would shoot milk up the tubing <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/lol.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="lol">)<br><br>
Our bodies are made to stretch to the size needed. Breasts will hold the amount of milk they need to hold; vaginas will stretch to allow a baby to pass through. Wow, isn't the female body amazing!!

 

[waylonsmama]

<div style="margin:20px;margin-top:5px;">
<div class="smallfont" style="margin-bottom:2px;">Quote:</div>
<table border="0" cellpadding="6" cellspacing="0" width="99%"><tr><td class="alt2" style="border:1px inset;">
<div>Originally Posted by <strong>Selesai</strong> <a href="/community/forum/post/7938903"><img alt="View Post" class="inlineimg" src="/community/img/forum/go_quote.gif" style="border:0px solid;"></a></div>
<div style="font-style:italic;">You mean <i>you</i> don't have ounce markers on your boobs? I thought everyone did! <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/lol.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="lol"></div>
</td>
</tr></table></div>
<img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/lol.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="lol"><br><br>
I have never been worried about how much milk I have....there will always be enough for ds...as long as he takes...there will always be enough made

 

[cdahlgrd]

<div style="margin:20px;margin-top:5px;">
<div class="smallfont" style="margin-bottom:2px;">Quote:</div>
<table border="0" cellpadding="6" cellspacing="0" width="99%"><tr><td class="alt2" style="border:1px inset;">
<div>Originally Posted by <strong>annettemarie</strong> <a href="/community/forum/post/7939500"><img alt="View Post" class="inlineimg" src="/community/img/forum/go_quote.gif" style="border:0px solid;"></a></div>
<div style="font-style:italic;">I always tell mamas "They're factories, not warehouses". <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/wink1.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="wink1"></div>
</td>
</tr></table></div>
Oh, I LOVE THAT!!

 

[Samjm]

DD1 and DD2 are completely different nursers, like a pp said - same boobs, different children.<br><br>
I pumped for DD1 while at work, and I kept a detailed log of how much I got each session. I've been doing the same for DD2. One interesting thing I noticed though was that I needed to pump for longer to get the same amount of milk for DD1. My letdown took longer before it was over, with DD2 I can pump and be done in 5 minutes. With DD1 it was more like 15 minutes. On average I'm pumping about the same amount as I did then.<br><br>
I'm not sure if my breasts have responded to the different nursing style of DD2 or if her different nursing style is due to my breasts. It is interesting though.

 

[Genesis]

Yeah, that didn't sound right to me either. It's hard to find a good LC. I always try to speak to LLL first before contacting one.

 

[smeep]

<div style="margin:20px;margin-top:5px;">
<div class="smallfont" style="margin-bottom:2px;">Quote:</div>
<table border="0" cellpadding="6" cellspacing="0" width="99%"><tr><td class="alt2" style="border:1px inset;">
<div>Originally Posted by <strong>~*~MamaJava~*~</strong> <a href="/community/forum/post/7933603"><img alt="View Post" class="inlineimg" src="/community/img/forum/go_quote.gif" style="border:0px solid;"></a></div>
<div style="font-style:italic;">Emy, do larger breasts store more? I am curious about that. I know size doesn't matter...but in this case, does it?</div>
</td>
</tr></table></div>
In between feedings, yes. But it in no way determines how much milk a baby will or can get during a feeding.