Pat Young wrote: <I have recommended Tom Brewer's info for years. It makes sense to me! My niece was following Fit for Life and really put herself into PIH. Too low protein! Another PIH idea. Mom soaks in pool or tub, decreases fluids in mom's tissues. (please don't ask me the ref. It is some study I read a while ago :-)> As I have been reading these related posts, an idea came to mind. I'd like to hear some thoughts particularly of the RD's and MD's on this observation of mine. What if? # 1. One thing I comment on frequently is how often I have observed edema in the breast tissue prenatally. Enough that it occupies space and thereby, holding it "uses up" the elastic potential needed to start out promptly extending the nipple-areolar complex into the proper depth in the baby's mouth to avoid nipple trauma and provide for good milk transfer. # 2. I have recently been personally trying Protein Plus (High protein lo carb diet) and noticing how consistently that formerly retained fluid has been kept flushed out of my legs and probably more areas. # 3. Putting 2+2 together, if a mom who is "too full" of baby to eat much in the late 3rd trimester comes into the home stretch (pun intended) with a medium to low amount of protein in her diet, that might make her serum albumen or globulin on the low side? And less likely to promote prompt osmotic entry of 3rd spaced fluid back into lymph vessels? Ergo, seemingly storing extra fluid on board as what has long been assumed to be nature's insurance plan against dehydration in labor and/or hemorrhage? # 4. Said mom is then given several liters of glucose (non-protein) fluid IV in labor, diluting the ratio of blood proteins even further. In combination with other factors with antidiuretic action, this could also effect the amount of fluids retained by the whole body, the breasts sharing in the retention. # 5. Sounds like it couldn't harm anything, and might help for moms to pay close attention to eating an extra helping of protein daily, especially chicken and fish, in the last month or two of pregnancy? It would be interesting if someone were to try recommending this routinely to their OB patients and see if it changes the commonly seen amounts of prenatal and postnatal fluid retention, perhaps thereby cutting down on one source of breast swelling and subsequent latch problems. # 6. Maybe even someone with research dollars to run some blood tests to see if serum protein levels are higher with an extra helping of protein daily? Then, would that be sufficiently "research based" proof, one way or another? Always tempted to be thinking out of the box! K. Jean Cotterman RNC, IBCLC Dayton, Ohio USA ___________________________________________________________________ Get the Internet just the way you want it. Free software, free e-mail, and free Internet access for a month! Try Juno Web: http://dl.www.juno.com/dynoget/tagj. *********************************************** 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