I'm very happy to have found this group and although quite overwhelmed by
the volume of info I finally take time to introduce myself/ I am a
pediatrician in Paris and worked as a trainer for LLL france about 10 years
ago and then trained and worked as a consultant for wellstart. I helped
create the European society for the support of breastfeeding (SESAM) about 4
years ago and we are running conferences on BFIN Europe, articles in the
professionnal and lay press as well as running BF management training
courses in maternity hospitals throughout france.  I am very impressed by
the vast amount of knowledge you all have. And I do find it hard to read all
the mail we get.
A few comments about some ideas that struck me:
Newborn on phenobarbital: You know that baby was on phenobarb throughout
pregnancy so getting a bit more postnatally won't affect him especially with
such a low level, as a matter of fact BF allows for a more gradual weaning
which is ideal rather than having the withdrawal symptoms.

About the Peter hartmann studies why is it that one can assume that
increases in breast volumes are assumed to be milk volumes? I don't think
one can make this assumption in the first few weeks post partum. Indeed a
lot of the so called primary engorgement of day 3 is usually felt to be
mostly redistribution of extravascular and extra cellular fluids from
placenta and adnexa to the breast.I still do not believe that breasts can be
storage tanks because there is no sphincter on the end of milk ducts as
there is in every reservoir of fluid in the human body.

About milk reduction: it is felt here that the best remedy(often unknowingly
taken) to decrease milk production is parsley. Pulsatilla (sorry I do not
know the english name for this flower)mother tincture 150 drops for one or 2
days is also used.

About pleasure during breastfeeding : 2pleasure hormones are circulating in
breastfeeding mothers' blood: oxytocin and endorphins. Although oxytocin is
also generated during orgasm it is of special value as the strongest hormone
to induce mothering behavior when injected into  animals(I learned from my
friend mary Kroeger from wellstart who is on this net as well (is it in
Hawai no less). So just because ocytocin is secreted should not be confused
to mean it is a sexual pleasure, but only a sensual pleasure with that one
common hormone.

pierre
PIERRE BITOUN
70 RUE NOTRE DAME DE NAZARETH
75003 PARIS
TEL/FAX +331 4274-5662
email: [log in to unmask]