Oxytocin is not just a female hormone. Niles Newton wrote that comparative studies on men and women indicate equally high levels of oxytocic substances in the blood and pituitary. She wrote about the intense emotions involved in orgasm and how that pleasure reinforced caretaking behavior in the male and the female. She also wrote about the psychological significance and how these reflexes are easily conditioned and inhibited. Pat, the study I remember about prolactin was the one about the rooster that was injected with prolactin. Rooster's are known for their fighting dispositions. When injected with prolactin, they dropped the fighting and mothered the chicks. Sorry don't remember the name of the study. But prolactin does have a relaxing effect on mothers. Prolactin was a "saving grace" for my older children when they were in trouble. If I sat down and nursed the baby I always forgot what I was mad about with the older children. Maybe that's why they were always telling me to "nurse the baby, nurse the baby!" Children always one step ahead of their parents. Valerie W. McClain, IBCLC *********************************************** The LACTNET mailing list is powered by L-Soft's renowned LISTSERV(R) list management software together with L-Soft's LSMTP(TM) mailer for lightning fast mail delivery. For more information, go to: http://www.lsoft.com/LISTSERV-powered.html