Ilene, you wrote:
<Dr. Klaus made a comment at the conference I attended today that was
puzzleing to me.
He stated that oxytocin was the "love" hormone and that prolactin was
responsible for
milk production.  I knew that prolactin was responsible for milk
production but for as long as I can remember I thought it was also
referred to as the "mothering hormone" responsible for nurturing,
relaxing feelings. >

I remember asking about this exact same question last year. No doubt it
is in the archives somewhere. I believe that Kirsten Uvnas-Moberg has
written a great deal about oxytocin.

Pat wrote:
< I thought that I remembered that prolactin was the hormone given to
experimental male animals and made them act motherly.  Anyone else
remember
that study? >

Yes, Pat. I remember receiving a handout at a LLL meeting nearly 40 years
ago. It was a reprint from LIFE magazine. It reported on a policeman with
a pituitary tumor and his urge to nurture until it was removed, and the
study about male laboratory animals who received injections of prolactin.
Their subsequent nest-building and nurturing actions to the young was
quoted, no doubt from the study you mention.

I had also picked up reprints of Niles Newton, and was aware of the
interrelated relational aspects of oxytocin. But I specifically remember
being suffused with a feeling of adoration for the whole world and
especially for the small cuddly bit of humanity right there in my arms.
It came over me a few minutes after I began to nurse.

It seemed to me that the timing was completely different from the timing
of the MER. I remain personally convinced that there is an emotional
effect attached to prolactin, as well as oxytocin, and in my personal
experience, I thought they felt different, even though often blended.

As I understand it, each species has its specific type of prolactin. I
have seen it mentioned frequently in research titles, in relation to
birds, pigeons in particular. I wonder if birds have much oxytocin?

I wonder whether it may prolactin that causes a relative "nesting urge"
in the 3rd trimester of human pregnancy. Isn't this about this time that
prolactin levels begin to consistently rise till term? There certainly
would not seem to be the amount or frequency of oxytocin consistently
effecting mothers at that point in pregnancy. I hope someone knows of or
does more studies on this.

Jean
**************************
K. Jean Cotterman RNC, IBCLC
Dayton, Ohio,USA

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