Hi,

Thanks for the support, Soul. I do do some public speaking at ABA conferences and the like. I live a long way from Melbourne (Warrnambool) but am prepared to travel sometimes!
Ryn, please don't beat yourself up. I often joke that I didn't get the guilt gene. I think it's something worth building immunity to - guilt. You can do no more than you can do. Like you, I was pressured into giving my first baby formula comps. He never slept! I was exhausted. I regret not knowing more about babies and milk supply, but I didn't. I did the best I could with what I knew. I am somewhat angry with the support I got from professionals and still angry at the misinformation mothers get today.
In the early days babies are designed to feed frequently. After the placenta leaves your body, your prolactin levels increase. This is one of the main hormones that makes milk. The first milk you make is colostrum. Between day 2-4 your milk "comes in" But like most things, it is not all one thing or another. It gradually transitions from colostrum to mature milk. Often womens milk has that yellowy colostrumy look for 2 weeks or so. In response to your baby sucking your body lays down prolactin receptors. The more that the baby feeds, the more prolactin receptors are laid down. . The prolactin receptors are like a "lock" into which the prolactin "key" fits. After some time your prolactin level plateaus at a fairly low level. But you still make milk fine, because of the prolactin receptors that are laid down early. Drugs in labor interfere with this process - baby may be unnaturally sleepy, or may be unco-ordinated when feeding. In our society, babies who sleep are feted, wheras demanding babies are thought to be "naughty" But the demanding ones are the ones who will by and large ensure their mum has a good milk supply.
I hope my e-mails are newver interpreted as making mothers feel guilty. You can't change the past. And I would be the last one to point the finger. I work with breastfeeding mothers every day, and see first hand the challenges they face. And I'm still a breastfeeding mum myself. I still have the same insecurities (well, not so many abotu breastfeeding - but I have a teenager now!) I think it's important that we get as much knowledge out into the community as possible and that the information is held by women.

Warm Regards
Barb