Lactation - Psychology verses Physiology
(Part II)
It is becoming more and more clear, the key to producing breast milk by induced lactation lies in the brains ability to "switch on" the Mammary Glands, rather than drugs and/or stimulation techniques. The mechanism that switches on the Mammary Glands seems to be similar to the mechanism that switches on the Adrenal Glands. In response to being startled, a person's brain signals the Adrenal Glands to instantly saturate the cells with Adrenaline, causing the "fight or flight response" we are all familiar with. When switching on the adrenal Glands, the brain is responding to strong emotions, such as fear or anger; however, in the case of Mammary Glands, the brain must respond to a different emotion, the need to breast feed.
When a woman is experiencing breast stimulation from either physical or sexual pleasure, her breasts may become engorged, (even to the point of being painful at times), yet little or no milk may be produced. On the other hand, if the stimulation is a psychological need to breast feed, (such as hearing a hungry baby crying), a woman may spontaneously let down and milk drip from one or both nipples. Spontaneous let down in response to a baby crying does occur with some women, even though lactation was induced and she has no baby of her own.
I have noted, when a woman begins the process of inducing lactation, she usually experiences physical pleasure, sexual pleasure and the need to breast feed at the same time; however, after breast feeding over a long period of time, the need for sexual pleasure may separate it's self from the breast feeding session. It is not unusual for a long time nursing couple to enjoy breast feeding at one time and sexual pleasure at another time. The amount of milk a woman produces seems to correspond with the need to breast feed and be breast fed with milk, rather than experiencing physical or sexual pleasure.
I have noted, at least in some cases, a woman's mental focus is different when breast feeding an adult partner, as opposed to breast feeding an infant. When a woman breast feeds an infant, she is in complete control of the nursing session. She may position the baby's head in relation to her breast and place her nipple in the baby's mouth, allowing the baby to focus on feeding only. However, when breast feeding an adult nursing partner, (particularly if the partner is male), she may allow her partner to control the nursing session.
I am wondering how important a woman's mental focus on positioning and insuring proper latch is to the mental process of switching on the Mammary Glands. I would like to start a thread on this point and perhaps get some feedback from our members. What are your thoughts and opinions on the nursing session: how do you handle your nursing sessions? Women who have nursed, (or still nursing), both an infant and an adult, do you see a difference in your mental focus between breast feeding an adult and breast feeding an infant? Also, what are the differences in your techniques in breast feeding an adult and breast feeding an infant?
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