Regarding laura aldags questions about LAM and bone density--there have been
several interesting studies done to look at the effects of long term low
levels of estrogen due to lactation and pregnancy and their effects later on
bone density, etc.  I am interested in this too, Laura, as osteoporosis runs
in my family aand at age 39 I already have osteopenia (the precursor to
full-fledged osteoporosis).(Attention all female LC's,Ph.Ds, and MDs out
there with risk factors in your family history for osteoporosis--its never
too early to get a bone densitometry study done!)  But my grand mother with
severe osteoporosis did not breastfeed any of her five babies and my paternal
grandmother who breastfed five babies for 2 years each had no osteopenia at
all.  And, it just did not seem right to me that good old Mother Nature would
have women become brittle if they nursed their babies long term...the studies
I have read in fact looked at this.  They found that if weaning is gradual,
there is a mechanism in the body for recovery of bone mass during and after
weaning.  The studies I can immediately lay my hands on today (Saturday at
home not at the office!) are:  Specker B. Tsang R., Ho M. Changes in calcium
homeostasis over the first year postpartum: Effect of lactation and weaning.
Obstet Gynecol 1991:78 (1)56-62.  and another study that found that
"pregnancy and lactation do not have long-term negative effects on BMD (bond
mineral density) and that changes in BMD during pregnancy and/or lactation
appear to be transient. "(I am pulling this quote from BFDG Abstracts 1993
from LLLI): Pregnancy and lactation as determinants of bone mineral density
in post-menopausal women by D. Kitz-Silverman, E. Barrett-Connor and K>A>
Hollenbach. Am J Epidemiol 1992: 136:1052-59.  Two studies do not a definite
conclusion make, but there are more, and at the least it again confirms that
the biochemistry of the human and in this case, female, body is quite
complicated and has tackled these biological problems for many years with
many successful outcomes.  Hope this is helpful.  The Center for
Breastfeeding Information at LLLI I am sure can give you a more comprehensive
list than this.