I’ve been wondering something for some time now. I’ve been told by doctors and literature that breastmilk takes on the flavors of whatever foods mom eats, so to be careful about strong-flavored stuff like spicy foods, heavy garlic, things that may make the baby resist breastfeeding. I’ve heard of breastmilk taking on a sweet flavor because of mom eating fruits or sweets. Medical people have advised me that what I eat, the baby eats, so if she’s constipated, to drink prune juice, and it’ll get to her. (It works.) Here’s the question. How does the food go from my stomach into the breastmilk? If flavors and nutrition from foods are retained that means food isn’t being molecularly broken down, filtered, and then used as raw materials (like blood) for the body’s milk glands to do their thing; it means instead that foods are, to some extent, going directly from my digestive system to the milk glands. I don’t remember in any anatomy classes seeing a straw connecting stomach to boobs, so how is this done?

I guess I should wiki this process.

P.S. This has nothing to do with the post, but my courtroom assistant just told me she was watching Oprah’s show last night and Neil Patrick Harris and his partner were on, talking about their two new babies, and how THEY FOLLOW THE SLEEP BOOK. Oprah seemed skeptical when the two of them explained about the sleep needs of their babies and how their babies sleep from 7p-7a. They were supposedly good, well-informed parents and very much advocating allowing the babies to have what they need, i.e. giving them the opportunities at the right times to nap and sleep for the night. I’m glad to see “Barney” is on my side on this! I don’t mind being a slave to Allie’s sleep needs and naps for the first couple of years of her life, because it does so much for her growth and temperament. I don’t need an avid social life; I’ve lived for 35 years for myself, what’s giving just a couple to my baby as she starts off life? I hope Mr. W doesn’t get too resentful, tho.