In addition to what's been suggested--all of which seem like ideas to be  
further looked at, I am thinking of some other variables.
 
A big change since I was having babies (1975) is that we have so much  
infertility now and assistance for these couples.  For many of the couples  I've 
worked with, the arrival of that first child is happily achieved against a  
backdrop of the grief of babies lost.  Perhaps there is more going on in  that dyad 
than we have identified, not to mention the possibility of milk supply  
problems, etc.  Later childbearing--with or without previous loss--is  another 
change.  I don't know if that is significant to our topic, but  Diane asked about 
what changed.  
 
Epidurals have been mentioned.  Epidurals inhibit oxytocin  release.  In 
addition, if there was a surgical delivery, the dyad missed  out on the enormous 
surge of oxytocin that is conducted by the transvaginal  pressure of the baby's 
head.  Perhaps oxytocin is a driving force of the  baby to attach and the 
attachment mechanism might be nursing.  To my  knowledge, we don't have good 
evidence about the relationship between artificial  oxytocins (pit) and bonding.
 
Nancy Williams, MA, MFT, IBCLC, CCE
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 



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