In plain words
Storage capacity is how much milk the breast can hold between feeds. Some breasts hold a lot, and some hold less. It depends on the breast tissue, the milk ducts, and other factors. Storage capacity does not show how much milk a mother makes. It is one part of how supply works, along with how often and how well the breast is emptied. Mothers with a smaller storage capacity may feed or pump more often, which can be normal for them. Some mothers worry that softer breasts mean less milk. Research suggests that softer breasts at six to twelve weeks are usually not a sign of low supply. Lactation consultants look at storage capacity alongside a baby's weight gain and diaper counts.
The deeper version
Storage capacity is the volume of milk held in the breast between removals, determined by alveolar and ductal milk volume and by the compliance of the breast tissue. Lactation physiology describes a handoff from hormonal to local control of milk synthesis, in which breast fullness and the frequency of removal regulate production through local feedback. Neville, Morton and Umemura (2001) describe this from pregnancy to lactation. Storage capacity, rather than feed frequency, is proposed as the main predictor of per feed, which is why softer breasts at six to twelve weeks are usually not read as low supply. without removal lowers supply through the same feedback. The concept is used clinically, but direct measurement in humans is limited.
Where it comes up
- Combo feeding: breast and formulaFeeding Your Baby
- Exclusive pumpingFeeding Your Baby
- Growth spurts and feeding changesFeeding Your Baby
- How breastfeeding works: supply and demandFeeding Your Baby
- Oversupply and forceful letdownFeeding Your Baby
- Returning to work and pumpingFeeding Your Baby
What mothers here say about storage capacity
No one has posted under this term yet.
Sources
- Neville MC, Morton J, Umemura S — Lactogenesis: the transition from pregnancy to lactation. Pediatric Clinics of North America 2001