There have been some really terrific and informative posts recently. Thanks to those of you to usually lurk. Hello baby Jacob - if your mommy didn't lurk we could have done a countdown for you to be our first baby of 1997.

Depression in common in women. There are all kinds, genetic, hormonal,social, a mixture, etc.. Bottom line - get help. Breastfeeding is not the be all and end all of a lot of situations in life, if it can help, it will. To the mothers of children with depressive disorders - you did your best. Depression has always been around but I don't think that most societies were able to define it as we can today. This goes for a lot of other things which we find are common today, like ADD and learning disabilities. I just had a light bulb go on when a relative wrote about who was the hyperactive kid in the grandchildren's generation. I suddenly saw a line going back four generations, we thought the kids were just 'wild'.

About weight gain/loss return of menses, my two pregnancies and lactation episodes   (states?) were totally different. First time, gained a lot of weight and kept most of it till we weaned, kept a lot of it forever. no menses for a year. Second time less, weight gain, lost it a few weeks after birth and no menses for two year weekss. I would guess that each episode stands alone.  I think it is also about time that the health profession realized that a lactating female is in a different phase/state of health than a non- lactating one. There are differences and they should be recognized. Too many generalities, too little knowledge.

My favorite HP stories usually concern BFing over about 8 months, besides tying the baby to you so she/he will be an emotional cripple, it can really screw up your sexual orientation. It seems you can't win.  Right now I am having a lot of trouble when I see six week old puppies and kittens taken away from their mothers in order to be given to human 'masters'. Some one told me we are now up to seven with puppies.

To my mid-Atlantic friends - I will be arriving in NY on January 15th for another long trip. The laptop is with me, can't live without my email. My daughter, Noa, was discharged from the Army today (yeahhhhh us!) and begins her university studies about a week after we arrive. Talk about good stress.

best wishes to you all, EVI