Q about supply, something doesn't make sense to me

[MrsHD]

I've read loads about stimulating your supply, mainly by allowing baby to feed as much as he/she wants. Thing is, if you always have as much milk as they want to take at a feed, in what way is your supply needing stimulating? Is it to do with quality or richness of milk? As far as I'm aware I've never run dry!

MrsHD, the need to stimulate supply is nothing to do with quality or richness (which is always fine) but everything to do with quantity. The milk production line slows down when the breasts are full. There is an enzyme in milk called FIL - feedback inhibitor of lactation - and the more milk in the breasts, the more FIL. This is why you don't carry on making milk to the extent your breasts explode The production stops because of FIL. When the breasts are relatively empty, there is relatively little FIL, and so milk production (under the influence of hormones) continues. So frequent feeding stimulates supply and infreqent feeding slows it down...and less is made.

You will never be dry - estimates vary, but there is always some milk in the breasts at any one time.

Hope this explains it - the very useful www.kellymom.com has more detail.

I just read this with interest. DS2 is 10 weeks old, thriving etc so I'm pretty reassured that my BF is going very well at this point, but I'm very in the dark about the science of it - I just keep feeding on demand and hoping I'm doing the right thing!

Hijack - Tiktok could you pop over to multiple births here

Probably just to tell her how to get some RL support, but thought you may be able to help

Thanks tiktok, that makes sense. If your breasts are never dry though, surely your supply is always adequate? Just interested as the science makes more sense than the logic!

MrsHD, I can understand your question...if the breasts always have milk in, then how can a baby ever not have 'enough'??

When breastfeeding is going well there is always milk there. It is possible for breasts to be virtually empty when breastfeeding is not going well.

that's interesting tiktok.