Interesting breast milk article

[american_mama]

Interesting article.
http://gma.yahoo.com/mother-39-milk-made-order-boys-girls-093247831.html

I wonder a couple things.... in studying the effects of breast milk on humans, do these results mean that donated breast milk should be considered separately than non-donor milk? I'm sure the statistical relevance of this is very low, since few babiesget donor milk, but I've always been curious about variations within feeding categories. For instance, there is pumped breast milk, donor breast milk, frozen breast milk, formula through a SNS and consumed at the breast, etc. I would think there would be some small benefits gained and lost in thse variations.

In terms of non-humans, the article says cows and rhesus monkeys make more milk for female babies, and that the scene for this seems to be set during pregnancy. I wonder if the dairy industry would take note of that and start trying to select female calves in order to get more milk from the mother cows, and what the consequences of that would be.

[barkley1]

Fascinating!!

[buddyleebaby]

Huh. I wonder what happens when there is more than one baby nursing? Bou/girl twins, etc.

[sunshine873]

Interesting, yet not all new news. When DD was born 5 yrs ago, the neonatologist told me specifically that moms of preemies make milk that is different from a full-term mom. Our bodies make just what our specific baby needs to thrive. This conversation came about because I was concerned about my low-supply and was inquiring abut donor milk. He said that my supply was enough for DD at the time (he was right) and although donor milk is preferred over formula for preemies, my milk was specifically for DD where she was now and would be the best thing for her little system.

[essnce629]

So fascinating! I love hearing new research on breast milk and breastfeeding!

Just yesterday, we were at the Long Beach aquarium where we had a behind the scenes tour, and our tour guide was telling us about how blue whales lactate. They have NO nipples and SWEAT milk instead! It is the consistency of cottage cheese, 50% fat, and is released into the water where it then gets stuck in the baby's "milk mustache" which is the only hair a blue whale has during it's lifetime and the milk strains through it! The newborn whale gains 10 pounds an HOUR!!!! So cool!