The Healthy State of Lactation by DrJim

The Healthy State of Lactation
by DrJim

Being in the state of lactation is a wonderful, healthy condition. There is no need for a woman to be afraid of bringing upon herself any type of illness or abnormality if she wants to bring about lactation. The following is probably my favorite thing to write on this topic because it is simply…Wonderful.

The Influence of Estrogen:

In the normal non-pregnant state Estrogen predominates overall in its influence. It is primarily responsible for the secondary sexual characteristics of the female. It causes breast development and that nice hourglass figure that is so feminine. It influences the distribution of fat- more to the hips and breasts, less to the waist. It causes the vaginal tissues to thicken and be ready for sex. It is responsible for the lubrication that occurs during arousal. Estrogen affects literally every tissue and organ in the female, even her bones benefit, making them strong. Estrogen predominates in the first part of the monthly cycle. It is the rise of estrogen that stops menses. It boosts her libido, causing her to desire to have sex after her menses has stopped. Her arousal is clitoral centered. She is likely to say to her husband at this time; arouse me, stimulate me, excite me (meaning vaginal sex). Overall one would think this is a healthy state to be in. The average estrogen level varies quite a bit from woman to woman with some women having more of a straight figure; small breasts and not much difference in waist-hip ratio while other women have more the “Selma Hyak” figure, which is associated with higher levels of Estrogen. It is well known that women that have higher levels of estrogen with the hourglass figure are more fertile. Certainly one cannot say that having higher levels of Estrogen is bad? Estrogen levels peak about age 25 and unfortunately are on a steady decline thereafter. Along with this decline in Estrogen is a waning of many functions in the body especially the breasts and sexual organs. If it were possible to slow down the aging process and retain the way their bodies were at age 25 most women I think would desire it. The normal non-pregnant state is a healthy state to be in and the influence of estrogen on the body is a good influence to have.

The Influence of Progesterone:

Progesterone is the hormone of pregnancy. It is a wonderful hormone with a whole host of effects on a woman’s body. It is responsible for the further development of many tissues and organs in the body after Estrogen has influenced them. It causes the breast structure that has already responded to estrogen to fill with alveoli. Without the estrogen development, there would be no sites to build alveoli at. It causes the lining of the Uterus that has thickened under the influence of Estrogen to develop a more complex secretory function. Without the influence of Progesterone menstrual problems occur because the lining is not mature and does not detach properly. Without the influence of Progesterone the uterus is not ready for implantation, and a pregnancy cannot occur. Progesterone affects all the tissues of the body as well, bones and oil glands in the skin are affected. Progesterone up regulates other hormones including growth hormone and thyroid function. When a woman ovulates her basal temperature rises slightly that correlates with the production of Progesterone just after ovulation. This is associated with an increase in her metabolism and energy level, a feeling of healthy well-being. Many women at the time of ovulation have increased desire to have sex and feelings of wanting to be pregnant. A woman is likely to say to her husband at this time; make love to me and make me pregnant, I am ready for you and want you inside me. During pregnancy Progesterone and Estrogen levels rise 20 fold. The way a woman feels during pregnancy is primarily due to Progesterone and its influence so you could say that pregnancy is the condition where the hormones are balanced with Progesterone dominant in contrast to the non-pregnant state that is Estrogen dominant. I do want to say however, that at the very beginning of pregnancy it is Estrogen that causes morning sickness and some of the body changes that a woman has to get adjusted to with the onset of the tremendous rise in hormone levels associated with pregnancy. A woman cannot be fully feminine and sexual without the influence of Progesterone in her body. Progesterone is associated with youth and vitality. When a woman stops ovulating she stops producing progesterone. Good levels of progesterone are healthy and pregnancy is a healthy state for a woman to be in. I say this because I absolutely disagree with the notion that is promoted by people, including some doctors, that pregnancy is an abnormal condition to be viewed as similar to a temporary disease state. During pregnancy many disease conditions often improve due to the increased activity- growth, healing and repair in the tissues, particularly autoimmune diseases. Most of the hormone problems that women complain of when they are not pregnant are related to an imbalance of Estrogen to Progesterone with Progesterone being lower than ideal.

The Influence of Prolactin:

Prolactin is a wonderful hormone that is associated with the post-partum state, lactation and breast feeding. It is another hormone that makes a woman feel healthy, sexual and young, but in a different way than Estrogen and Progesterone. During the post-partum state the hormones are balanced with low Estrogen and high Prolactin. It is a Prolactin dominant condition that causes a variety of changes throughout a woman’s body and in her emotional state, feelings and desires. It is a healthy, normal condition that many women find enjoyable and should. It is too bad that some women are uncomfortable with it and try to avoid it as much as possible as they may miss a whole dimension that is there for them to know in their life experience. Of course I am talking about the experience of breast feeding their little one and all of the hormonal and body changes that accompany it. Normally this time does not last forever, soon it is past. Some women who find it enjoyable and fulfilling long to return to it in the form of inducing lactation. Inducing lactation is inducing the post-partum state to a partial degree.

During the post-partum state the ovaries are quiet and resting. The signal to make them produce follicles and Estrogen is turned off by Prolactin. This low Estrogen condition causes the Pituitary to be much more sensitive to the nipple stimulation and put out much larger amounts of Prolactin which keeps the breasts lactating and prolongs the post-partum state. The low Estrogen during this time causes the vaginal tissues and associated structures to be slower to respond to sexual arousal. There is less ready lubrication during arousal, perhaps a little less rapid clitoral response. Some women dislike this very much. Interestingly Prolactin and Oxytocin are produced in her body with clitoral stimulation, intercourse and orgasm. These hormones are produced in her body with breast fondling and nipple stimulation as well. Prolactin causes the breasts to be much more responsive to stimulation with the nerve endings developing in the nipple and areola under its influence. The areola enlarges and becomes more pigmented in association with this increased sensitivity. You could say that these larger, darker areolas are like little targets saying; give me some attention. This nipple development results in more sexual arousal with suckling and many women experience orgasms with nipple stimulation alone. In a Prolactin dominant state the center of sexual arousal shifts somewhat from clitoral centric to nipple centric. This could be a problem for some husbands who are “leg men” and don’t want much to do with those breasts, especially when they ignore the breasts and find it hard to arouse their wife with clitoral stimulation alone. Some men might be uncomfortable with the fact that milk will come out of her breasts when they are stimulated. I think they may be more uncomfortable with the deep feelings that it engenders, perhaps a challenge to their masculinity and control. I believe overall though that it is a very deep arousal response that men have to lactating breasts and that most men find it deeply satisfying to experience her femininity in this way.

Elevated Prolactin modulates many pathways in the brain to do with emotions, feelings and desires. This has been described as “nesting behavior”. Personally I think this is one of the most precious things about a woman in the post-partum state. During this time a woman wants to stay home, not explore and roam. She may want to stay in bed more and nest and have her husband there in bed with her. She feels more serene and calm and has a strong desire to nurture. She wants to cuddle and be held and have intimacy- talking and sharing. Of course she wants to cuddle and bond with the baby and nurse. Her sexual arousal is much more breast centered and very much dependent upon her comfortableness and enjoyment of her lactating state. Prolactin promotes the desire in a woman to have her breasts suckled. If she is very secure with her husband and comfortable with her body, inevitably she is aroused with breast play and the couple end up participating in sex often, perhaps more often than in a non-pregnant state. Many women feel that they are most sexy when they are lactating. Prolactin promotes sexual responsiveness just as Estrogen and Progesterone do. The wife might say to the husband at this time; Kiss me, hold me, fondle me, pay attention to my nipples, after you do I will be desirous of more.

The husband meanwhile can experience and share all these feelings that she has. The nest that she makes in the bed, she brings the baby into of course but she also wants her husband in there with her. The post-partum condition is a healthy hormonal state just as the pregnant and non-pregnant states are as discussed above. There is much misunderstanding about this condition however and the desire to “stay in the nest” along with the strong flood of feelings washing over her and the fact that she has a slow response to clitoral stimulation may end up giving her a diagnosis of “Post-partum depression”. I know that this is a real entity and appropriate for some women however, I think it is given to some women who are perfectly normal but misunderstood by their spouses and sometimes their doctors, who do not realize the changes or the joys that they can have in sharing this time with her. Lactation results in a variety of singular health benefits not gained any other way. Breasts are designed to be stimulated by hormones. Stimulating lactation will often make fibrocystic breast disease go away. It is known that there are lower rates of breast cancer in women who have spent some time breast feeding or lactating. Inducing the post-partum state can be an excellent way to resolve a problem with Endometriosis. Doctors often use birth control pills to do this.

The Monthly Cycle:

All healthy women who are ovulating and experiencing regular menses experience all three of these hormones at peak times throughout the month and to a limited extent all the feelings and changes mentioned above. They may be subtle and not recognized though. Estrogen dominates within a day or two of cessation of menses and prevails until ovulation. Within a day of ovulation Progesterone predominates until hormones start dropping rapidly at the end of the cycle. Prolactin predominates when Estrogen falls to a low point about 4 days before menses and lasting through menses until the next Estrogen rise. Women experience all the emotional changes that these three hormones bring about throughout their monthly cycle. Of course, that is what makes women so complicated to us men and at the same time so fascinating such that we cannot do without them.

When women are pre and post menopausal and their hormones are not cycling but flat and at lower levels, some have discovered that inducing lactation boosts their hormonal levels and makes them feel younger and more alive and sexy. This can be deeply fulfilling for them and their spouse. There is nothing unhealthy about revisiting an earlier time of life through inducing lactation.

DrJim

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