I don't know how relevant this is, (and what is to follow is hearsay...) A
friend of mine in the DC area heard Miriam Lobok (sp?) speak on Norplant and she
had said that contrary to popular opinion, that it could significantly decrease
milk supply IF given before 2 months and a well established milk supply, and
that after that time it didn't seem to make that much difference. Perhaps this
is similar to the Depo Provera. Personally, it scares me to think about taking
hormones while nursing a baby. (Some of that fear is rooted in being a DES
daughter. I can't help but wonder if these moms and babies aren't part of a lab
experiment that the results won't be known for 30 years and a generation or two
down the road.) Come to think of it, it scares me to be taking hormones period.
As I approach what seems to be early menopause starting, I may have to deal with
that fear more rationally, I suppose...
It just seems logical that since the reproductive hormones overlap and interact
with the lactation hormones, that dumping one into one system is bound to have
some kind of effect on the other, and the effect--even if not obviously
detrimental--is not the intended sequence.
Changing the subject a bit, did any of you see the Associated Press story about
too much stimulation during the day causing baby to lose sleep at night? A Dr.
Sara Harkness of PA State Univ studied Dutch and American families and found
that Dutch babies sleep longer, and sleep through the night sooner than Amer.
babies. She believes it to be because of "a Dutch penchant for regularity and
restfulness, contrasting with the Amer belief that stimulation helps babies'
mental development.
"Dutch parents tend to establish soothing routines for their babies all day
long, not just at night. Compared with Amer moms, they pick up their babies less
and talk to them less. They believe infants should learn to entertain
themselves. They put them to bed at the same time every night.
"' Perhaps having a regular and restful daytime routine is a key to the early
development fo a pattern of nighttime sleep that seems to fit the needs of both
the child and the rest of the family,' said Harkness."
Comments? Of course nothing was said about bf, and I wonder what the Dutch
attitude towards bf is and how that plays into this whole picture. While I think
they may be on to something about decreasing the stimuli during the day, I don't
think that should include being held by mom. The article also says that "many
parents list poor sleeping as their biggest childrearing headache, especially
during the first year or two." I have to wonder how often sleep "problems" are
more a problem with an unrealistic idea of baby sleep habits rather than baby
sleep habits being "wrong." (Can you tell this in one of my hots spots??)
Anybody else see this, perhaps in a newspaper that might tell more of the story?
Melissa
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