In a message dated 98-01-25 14:26:10 EST, you write:

<<
 I was fascinated to read this post. I have never heard anyone describe
 this phenomenon before. I too experienced a very brief feeling of
 melancholy when my first breastfed baby would stimulate letdown. I tried
 to describe it to several people and the closest thing I could  compare
 to the feeling is intense homesickness. It was never a real problem for
 me and it faded after a few months. I looked for references to this
 symptom in the medical literature and never found anything.
  >>

Me too.  I had originally replied privately but this discussion is getting
interesting.  I had it nearly all the time -- nursing or pumping -- for
months;  and even now ( 2nd child, 15 mos old) I still do have it
occasionally.  I used to weep, sometimes, even though it was perfectly obvious
that it was a hormone-surge result -- I felt a sort of "sadness of the world
as I hold my child" feeling that used to make me think of Renaissance statues
of Mary Lactans.


I never really felt (or feel) the kind of calm serenity that prolactin is
supposed to produce.  The closest thing are the time I just plan fall asleep,
baby and all . . .

Elisheva Urbas
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