In a message dated 6/22/2006 3:19:44 P.M. Central Daylight Time, [log in to unmask] writes: Lee now writing: Jan, I will be very honest, I have more questions than answers. One reason for the overproduction may be that the edematous moms get off to a very bad start with breastfeeding and go on to pump a lot before they seek LC help, especially if the baby is guzzling down 3 or 4 oz at a time from the bottle. OTOH, and this is purely anecdotal, in my area it SEEMS to be related to edema (caused by lots of pitocin, IVs, epidurals?). Maybe in the future, we will have studies/research regarding if overhydration can lead to a superabundant milk supply; I know that at the present many believe that the opposite is true. Do you have any thoughts on that? Do any other Lactnetters? I only have questions and suppositions! BTW, oversupply in my area is something that I have noticed more of in the past few years only. I don’t know why that change is the present situation.>> Hi Lee, I'm a bit behind the 8 ball in getting back to you with my thoughts on this phenomenon. I suspect that it isn't the edema/excess IV fluids/Pitocin that is causing the problem, but a reliance on overpumping. There are a lot of moms that seem to want to pump early on -- much more than they would ever need to. I truly don't see a lot of oversupply, though my guess is that more than 85% of our moms receive pit -- either induction or stimulation, and 90% get an epidural (repeat C/Sections excepted -- they get a spinal). But perhaps that is because we (I) tell them to not pump unless absolutely necessary. There is no reason for it until they have gotten the breastfeeding off to a good start, and then they only need to pump a little bit to have a spare bottle (one) in the fridge in case they are out and about without the baby and can't get home in time for a breastfeed. If anything, I concur with Jean when she talks about the fact that there may be delayed lactogenesis II with edema from overhydration.... By the way, did anyone hear the news item a week or so ago that said that exposure to toxins in the environment was leading to an increase of insufficient mammary tissue -- that women who are in areas of high exposure are at risk of not developing enough functional breast tissue. So perhaps us seeing an increase of IMS isn't all in our heads! AND (while I'm on a roll here): today's Chicago Tribune had a column by Julie Deardorff (in the Q section for Trib fans) that basically said yes, breastfeeding is best, but we need to stop with the pushing it already, and get women to eat healthier during pregnancy, because if the mother doesn't eat a healthy diet during pregnancy, breastfeeding won't make any difference anyway. Here's just a tidbit: <<Unfortunately, if women neglect their own nutrition and health, they are taking risks while the baby supposedly is safely protected in the womb. And the fetus' environment during those 266 critical days between conception and birth could have a far greater impact on a child's future health than the postnatal decision to use breast milk or formula. In fact, by the time the baby is sucking down milk or formula, certain adult diseases already have been programmed, thanks to both genes and the uterine environment, say some researchers. Called the "fetal origins of disease," the theory holds that the time in the womb can influence whether we're thin or fat or susceptible to depression. It also can have an impact on the likelihood of developing heart disease, insulin resistance, osteoporosis and schizophrenia, according to work published last year in the journal Biology of the Neonate.>> _http://www.chicagotribune.com/features/columnists/chi-0606250401jun25,1,25352 45.column?coll=chi-leisure-col_ (http://www.chicagotribune.com/features/columnists/chi-0606250401jun25,1,2535245.column?coll=chi-leisure-col) While I certainly agree that we need to improve prenatal care, that doesn't eliminate the fact that moms need to breastfeeding, just for the health of it. Jan Barger, RN, MA, IBCLC, RLC Wheaton IL _Lactation Education Consultants_ (http://www.lactationeducationconsultants.com/) *********************************************** To temporarily stop your subscription: set lactnet nomail To start it again: set lactnet mail (or digest) To unsubscribe: unsubscribe lactnet All commands go to [log in to unmask] The LACTNET mailing list is powered by L-Soft's renowned LISTSERV(R) list management software together with L-Soft's LSMTP(R) mailer for lightning fast mail delivery. For more information, go to: http://www.lsoft.com/LISTSERV-powered.html