Using your Daily Biorhythm to increase Milk Output by DrJim

Using your Daily Biorhythm to increase Milk Output
by DrJim

Here is something that is good to know although it may not be practical for many. Most breastfeeding women have discovered that they make more milk at night than in the day. For many it can be a significant difference, producing copious amounts at night and modest amounts in the day. Why is this and can it be taken advantage of by couples engaged in an Adult Nursing Relationship?

There are two hormones that are dominant in everybody when they are awake and active in the day; these are Insulin and Cortisone. Insulin of course is very important to all the phases of acquiring food and assimilating it into the body. Cortisone is important for physical activity. During the night however, these two hormones become inactive in a healthy person and another important hormone dominates; Growth Hormone. A big shift takes place in the endocrine system during the night. Growth Hormone is responsible for healing and repair of the body at all ages. Indeed the progressive waning of Growth Hormone levels released at night is responsible for the majority of the symptoms of aging.

Interestingly the hormone Prolactin is a complicated polypeptide comprised of a long string of amino acids in a similar way to insulin. It happens that it is about 80% similar to growth hormone, another long polypeptide, and even has some growth hormone effects in the body. Prolactin may play a role in slowing down the aging process by supplementing Growth Hormone levels in the body and assisting it in stimulating some regenerative processes. In men this is probably taking place because it has been found that men have low levels of Prolactin when they are youthful, but high levels of Testosterone and Growth hormone. As they age their hormone balance changes with a significant drop in Testosterone and Growth Hormone while Prolactin rises somewhat providing some Growth Hormone effect.

Back to Prolactin and nighttime activity- The endocrine system is a complicated control system. It happens that Prolactin release is paired with Growth Hormone release in another pathway so that some Prolactin is released when Growth Hormone is. Of course the majority of Growth Hormone is released during the night while sleeping. In addition more Prolactin is released in response to suckling at night because the endocrine system becomes more sensitive to the nipple stimulation.

When women are pregnant many find that the fetus, especially toward the end of the pregnancy, is on a wake-sleep schedule completely out of phase with the mother. During the day the mother is up and walking around and notices that the baby sleeps most of the time- awaking occasionally to kick and squirm, then returning to sleep. As soon as the mother lies down to sleep at night it seems, the baby wakes up and is active, kicking and moving through the greater part of the night. When the mother gives birth this pattern continues for a while with the baby seemingly wanting to be awake, fussing and eating at night to the great distress of the weary mother. What is the reason for this? During the night when she sleeps, her high growth hormone levels and the associated enhanced levels of Prolactin cause her to make lots of milk. Of course with the baby consuming this abundance, its body must produce insulin to handle all the calories. So it is natural for the newborn to be eating, digesting and active at night and sleeping and growing in the day.

Now how might this apply to an ANR? Well, if you are trying to induce lactation and doing the pumping and drinking the fluids and all the other regular things, you might remember how helpful it can be to get nipple stimulation during the night while you sleep. You will invariably produce more Prolactin during the night than any time during the day. The extra Prolactin release may help you to get where you want to go. Will this work if you stay awake during the night and pump, then sleep during the day? No, you have to get the nipple stimulation when you sleep. Your husband will have to awaken you in the night just enough to suckle once or twice while you slumber. The best time of the night to do this is when you are dreaming because this is when you put out your Growth Hormone- typically 1 to 2 hours after you go to sleep. The second time, if you choose to do so would be best in the deepest part of the night about midway. Perhaps the sleep disturbance for the two of you is not worth it? Understand, anyway, have fun.

DrJim

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