>A
>thought to consider, though:  Since nipple stimulation is one way moms
>are advised to self-induce labor, if this mom chooses to breastfeed and
>ends up with a premature birth and *especially* if the premature birth
>results in the baby spending time in the NICU, the mom will be filled
>with guilt and "what ifs."

Jan Barger has presented a compelling image on this in the past:  The uterus
is largely "deaf" to oxytocin until just before delivery, when the number of
uterine oxytocin receptor sites skyrockets.  At that point, it's able to
"hear" the hormone and responds with effective contractions.  Nipple
stimulation - or pitocin, for that matter - simply doesn't work to induce
labor until just before labor would have started anyway.  That's why it
doesn't make a cheap, safe abortifacient.

As far as I know, we don't have studies to support the theory that toddler
nursing isn't a problem, but the theory is so solid that I'm not sure we
need the studies.  If we were able to initiate abortions with a simple pit
drip... well, then there'd be some reason to question the safety of toddler
nursing by a mom with a history of premature labor.

I asked Jan if I was paraphrasing her correctly.  Her response:

>That's exactly right.  If we could initiate abortions w/ Pitocin, we wouldn't
>have the need for the types of things they are doing now.  Simply doesn't
>work....
>
>The problem is, if the uterus is ripe and ready to birth a baby (preterm
>labor/24 weeker) it doesn't matter what the mother does or doesn't do -- for
>many of these women, even putting them on bedrest doesn't help.
>
>What we need to do is get a whole raft of women in various stages of pregnancy,
>put them on an external fetal monitor, let their toddlers breastfeed, and see
>what happens.


--
Diane Wiessinger, MS, IBCLC, LLLL  Ithaca, NY
www.wiessinger.baka.com

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