Dear Colleagues,
     The discussion on postpartal learning is indeed interesting.  I'd like
to add the point that there is going to be a lot of individual variation.  I
like the list of factors presented by Crystal Stearns.  Even so, these
factors, e.g. "stress", are going to affect different women differently.
For some of us, "stress" is stimulating. For some of us, any mental
stimulation is welcome.  I am sure there are different reactions to the
other factors, such as medications and environment, too; e.g. someone who
has never been in a maternity hospital is going to find this environment
more alienating than someone who has worked there.
     Just to give a personal example:  When I gave birth to my 4th child,
December 1969, I went into hospital on my "due date", rather than at onset
of labour, because (a) I was very tired and badly needed a rest and (b) I
tend to have my babies quickly and lived in another town an hour away from
the hospital.  I was also writing a very early draft of my first book (on
breastfeeding), and took all the writing and reference materials into
hospital with me.  In the small hospital, I was able to concentrate on
writing in the six days before giving birth, dividing my time between
resting, exercising and writing.  After the birth, I got straight back into
writing - well, the first day I probably spent more time enjoying my baby
and sponging her to keep her cool (100+ degrees Fahrenheit weather) and
writing baby announcement cards.  I will concede that I had had a wonderful
birth, as usual *no* episiotomy, and the only discomfort was from
engorgement - despite rooming-in and (mostly) very frequent feeding - as one
afternoon my daughter refused to feed for some hours in 100+ heat, despite
sponging.
    I left hospital after 5 days, and went home to 3 other children who
proceeded to cry and yell because they'd missed me so much.  Despite this
potentially stressful factor, I can *still* remember the two medical journal
articles (photocopies) which were in the pile of mail I avidly opened on
arrival home.  One was on iron deficiency from blood loss from the gut in
infants fed cow's milk before the age of 12 months (over 50%).  The other
article was on the rise in temperature in the breast during a breastfeed.
Sorry, I cannot remember the methodology of the second article, even though
I can remember in round figures the percentage in the first article.
    I offer this anecdote to illustrate that individual factors can
alleviate (or, conversely, worsen) postpartum learning or memory.  I was
reading and playing mind games during labour, until I needed both hands free
to do effleurage.
    Warmly,
           Virginia
            Virginia Thorley
             In sunny Brisbane

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