Re:
Date:    Wed, 12 Jul 2000 08:44:05 -0400
From:    T Pitman <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: Re: oxytocin receptors

When I heard Michel Odent speak last year, one of the points he made was

that oxytocin receptors develop in response to oxytocin production. He
said
that loving touch and sexual arousal throughout a woman's lifetime will
increase oxytocin production, and therefore the numbers of oxytocin
receptors. This would make sense in terms of the possible link with
abuse -
these women have probably not received the lifetime of positive touching

that would give normal oxytocin production, and the negative kind of
touching they received would likely inhibit it.

-- These posts on abuse and BF are fascinating and distressing. They
seem to confirm that when healthy sexuality has been damaged BF is a
huge challenge, and I am grateful that some of these women have had
caring people like Nancy and Lisa helping them. On another level, Kathy
Dettwyler's posts suggest that healthy sexuality has been damaged on a
larger, societal level, so no wonder that BF is a challenge for so many
mothers.
--The oxytocin receptor problem is a reminder to us that there is an
emotional component to milk production and MER. I think that, in
reaction to some exaggeration about moms losing their milk after an
emotional upheaval or not being able to produce milk because they were
so overwhelmed or not being able to let-down because they couldn't
relax, we have gone a bit too far the other way, considering all
problems technical. It's always the latch that isn't quite right, not
the life that goes along with it. Yet so many of my helping calls are
about creating the kind of lifestyle that makes it easy (or, for some
moms, possible) to breastfeed.
Jo-Anne. Now I really have to go and make lunch...

             ***********************************************
The LACTNET mailing list is powered by L-Soft's renowned
LISTSERV(R) list management software together with L-Soft's LSMTP(TM)
mailer for lightning fast mail delivery. For more information, go to:
http://www.lsoft.com/LISTSERV-powered.html