I thought breast milk dries out at certain point?

Question

I have a friend who worked at this one Company who she met this girl who still breast fed her 3 yr old just to loose some of her weight because apparently breast feeding makes you loose weight faster? I dunno. Anyways, I came across this video on youtube (see link below) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fxv6R9fUO74&feature=related where this mother is still breastfeeding her youngest daughter who is 8 the oldest daughter stopped breastfeeding when she was 5. My question is, "Doesn't it breast milk dry out at a certain point or do we keep on producing milk as the child get older and older?" Please explain.

Answer 1

as long as there is a demand for it, you will make it- it doesnt jsut say ooops baby doesnt get any more. natural weaning ages are from somewhere between 4-7 years old, meaning before people put a time frame on it, baby humans naturally wean themselves usually between those point. the average worldwide age for weaning in the world right now is 4 1/2 years old.

Answer 2

A woman can produce milk for as long as a child is nursing, or she is pumping. It doesn't dry up until there is no demand for the milk anymore!!

Answer 3

the milk reproduces beacause she is still breast feeding. my daughter is now 4 months old and my milk is dried up. I breast fed for 1 month and then stopped. Thats ashame though. shes way to old to be gettin breast fed.  

Answer 4

no, it doesn't run out. b*****s provide milk on a supply and demand basis, so as long as there is a demand, there will be a supply.

According to research that has been done, 8 yrs does seem to be about the maximum and this is because the child then loses the ability to suckle. When babies feed at the breast they don't actually suck, they use their tongue to compress the breast and older children can't do this as effeiciently as a baby.

Answer 5

you keep producing as long as you breastfeed regularly.  The feeding itself is what keeps your body producing more mild

Answer 6

b*****s work on a supply/demand basis. If you keep demanding, b*****s will keep supplying.

Simple.

Answer 7

Milk production is based on supply and demand.  As long as there is still demand (the baby still sucks) there will be supply.  Think of wet nurses, people whose job it was to nurse others' babies, as long as the breast is stimulated it will supply milk.

Answer 8

no, you will produce milk as long as you keep feeding, milk will disperse and dry up when nursing stops altogether.

Answer 9

As long as a woman keeps on nursing or pumping, she will continue to make milk.

(Back when wet-nurses were used, some women would work as wetnurses for many years, going from one client to the next.)

Answer 10

I think as long as you keep feeding on a regular you keep producing milk . But that is sick 8 yrs old are you serious i know a friend that told me her aunt stop breast feeding at 4 yrs old which my daughter is now I couldn't imagine I know it's healthy but d**n isn't a point when it's just time to get milk from the store.

Answer 11

it is one of those things that "use it or lose it " fits :)  If you don't breastfeed it will dry up if you do continue to pump, breastfeed.. etc you will keep producing.