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 *********************************************** 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