Nancy writes:

>I've become convinced that we see so much depression of all kinds because we
>now have three generations of adults whose brains developed without the
>proper nourishment (breastmilk) as well as decades of parenting styles that
>promotes distance between mothers and babies, rather than attachment.  Add to
>that any other insult such as substances used in adolescence or abuse or
>whatever and we have a society of sub-optimal brains, souls, and psyches.

I,too, have been pondering the dramatically-increased incidence of
depression and anxiety, both in post-partum women, women in general, and in
teens.  I know that depression has been around a long time and that it was
hidden in the past because of shame. But in many countries today it is at
near epidemic proportions. In my daughters' high school, about half of the
students were on anti-depressant medications.

I often read of the life-long effects of early nutrition (both known and
unknown components), and the long-term effects of early emotional nurturing
has been documented for decades.  I agree with Nancy that inadequate human
milk substitutes and a deep sense of isolation fostered by our "modern"
methods of infant/child care are major contributing factors. Such does
affect the body chemistry.

Last week I read of a study of 97 baby Rhesus monkeys in which, from birth
to 6 months, one group stayed with their mothers and were reared normally,
while the other group grew up with same-age animals, but no adult contact
[and most likely milk from another species]. After 6 months, the monkeys
were removed from their respective social groups and isolated from social
contact 4 days a week for 4 weeks. The researchers report that in response
to these stressful separations, the animals that grew up without adult
contact showed higher cortisol levels (a stress hormone) in their blood
than those who grew up with their mothers.

The researchers suggest that among these monkeys, for whom social
relationships during infancy and childhood are very important, being
removed from adult contact led them to develop chronic anxiety. This showed
up in their behavior, which included clinging to each other, low levels of
play, and self-directed (as opposed to social) behaviors.

As adult monkeys the researchers offered both groups opportunities to drink
alcohol. "One of the most important findings of this study is that infant
monkeys that respond to a stressful situation with high plasma cortisol
levels, drink excessive amounts of alcohol as adults."

[One of the most important findings of this study is that infant monkeys
who were separated from their mothers and their mothers' milk from birth to
6 months experienced high levels of anxiety and had altered chemical
responses to stress. PG]

There are a number of issues from this article that we could address--such
as seeing it as "adult contact" instead of "maternal contact." To the
researchers these monkeys were with an adult, not specifically a mother.
And there was no mention of how or what the infant monkeys were fed.

But the point that I want to bring out here is that the resultant effect
was anxiety and elevated plasma levels of cortisol as a life-long response
to stress.  The isolation-oriented parenting that is encouraged in modern,
technological societies is not preparing our children to face life's
challenges with healthy physical, mental, or emotional reactions.

We "smart" humans believed that it doesn't matter how an infant is fed, and
that human mothers would over-ride the built-in nurturing that accompanies
a baby at the breast. We could free mothers to do and go whatever/wherever
they wished while their babies' stomach's were adequately filled with
something "white (sort of)."  There were many mothers who adopted babies
and who nurtured them to full health, so it doesn't really matter. But, at
that earlier time, those adoptive mothers had likely been nurtured
themselves by mothers who had been nurtured...

The more generations away from nurturing the "human way" we get, the
greater the loss of cellular memory of how to "human." And since busy
mothers weren't writing books about what they were and were not doing, and
the profound experiences they were having in their mothering, and how
fulfilling that role was for them, we came to believe that nothing
important was going on in the day to day life experience of bringing up a
child to healthy adulthood. The only books being written were by people who
wanted to separate mother and baby as much as possible. (ex: Emmett Holt)
Seeing only the burdens of motherhood, this detachment was offered as a
"gift" to tired, busy mothers. But what a price we all have paid!

A new mother today is suffering from (possibly) poor infant nutrition, loss
of attachment at her mother's breast, loss of those precious night-time
snuggles, an inexplicable sense of isolation and lack of connection, and a
societal denial of the value of her role of mother. She is encouraged to,
as soon as possible, feel, act (and look) as if she doesn't have a baby.

Any unresolved issues in her life come crashing to the fore with the birth
of her baby.  As she holds her infant, all of her unmet needs begin crying
for fulfillment.  Here is one who is asking so much from her, and she needs
mothering as much as this little one does. She may have been holding
herself together for years in a "mature" adjustment to her losses, but her
baby is a reminder, and it all comes pouring out. All of the issues that
she had been pushing away, come tumbling out. [And in compassion for her
parents, they were suffering some of these same losses.]

And in the US, she is most likely living among strangers--house or
apartment--with only a partner, from whom she needs more than he can give.
Seeing his baby brings out his unmet needs too.  His wife had been filling
some of his losses, as he had hers, but now everything has come crashing
down on both of them. They both need someone to hold them, rock them, and
say, "There, There."

This crisis time is an opportunity to truly heal some of the effects of
early loss, and the new baby does need to be nurtured in the meantime.
This mother doesn't need another loss--the loss of what a satisfying
breastfeeding experience can bring. And given the crisis she is in, she
will probably need some chemical correction to her early emotional/chemical
patterns.  But she also needs much more than an anti-depressant.  As others
have noted, she needs therapy in a most caring environment and/or a support
group such as Corrine found. This crisis is not just about the birth of a
baby and the hormones that fluctuate.  If she gets the help she needs,
fully, she will come out of this with some genuine healing.

I think that this is what the Lactnetters are saying when they say just
tossing a drug her way is not really responding to the needs of the mother
with PPD.  And it was not really responding to her needs if she was given
just an anti-depressant before she became pregnant. The fact that we have
anti-depressants that are compatible with breastfeeding is important in
stopping the cycle of detachment and isolation of both mother and baby.  Of
course, we must also rid our cultures of other destructive practices that
rob little humans of the nurturing that will bring them to full maturity
and that force mothers to deny their normal human desires.

Corrine's story, for which we are all appreciative, shows what full
treatment can do--meds, support group, relationship with a caring doula.
The medications can " give my brain time to heal, so that my body could
heal, and I could then begin to deal with the normal adjustments to
motherhood." But more was needed and, fortunately Corrine found what was
needed.

In Diane D.'s post her client had PPD with her first baby, losing her
breastfeeding experience, feeling better with the meds...but didn't have
her depression addressed.  So here she is suffering again.  Hopefully with
Diane's help, she will go beyond just the meds this time.

With so many women reacting to life's crises with debilitating depression,
we have an important role.  We don't have to be psychiatrists, but we can
listen and can help with referrals to those who will truly help her. We
have a PPD support group here in Milwaukee that has been of tremendous help
to mothers. They share their stories--the horrible ones too--and they are
heard--and healed.

Any time that we help a mother to breastfeed her baby and to celebrate her
most important job of mothering and to ignore the prevalent advice to
involve herself in her baby as little as she can get by with, we help in
the healing of this terrible "experiment" with humankind. Maybe we can
begin to reverse the devastating patterns.

Thank you, all, for your personal sharing on this crucial subject and for
those who have offered us further enlightenment.

Pat Gima, IBCLC
Milwaukee, Wisconsin

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