Consummatory behaviors and weight regulation in pregnant, lactating, and pregnant-lactating mice.

Pregnant Rockland-Swiss (R-S) albino mice consumed significantly more food and water and gained significantly more weight between gestation days 8-17 compared to virgin R-S females maintained in isolation for a comparable period. Postpartum (days 1-10) patterns of ingestion and weight change among thelectomized (nipple-deprived) mouse dams provided with young did not differ significantly from those of virgin animals without young. Sham- and nonoperated dams received suckling stimulation from young and consumed about 100% more food than thelectomized or virgin females (Experiment 1). Pregnancy concurrent with lactation does not increase further the hyperphagic response of female mice. Nipple presence is the principle regulator of postpartum hyperphagia in lactating and simultaneously pregnant-lactating mouse dams (Experiment 2).