POSTPARTUM ANOVULATION IN NON-NURSING MONKEYS - HYPOTHALAMIC-PITUITARY-OVARIAN REFRACTORINESS IS NOT INDUCED BY THE MILIEU OF EARLY-PREGNANCY

To evaluate the role of the early pregnancy milieu in inducing postpar tum refractoriness of the hypothalmic-pituitary-ovarian axis, pregnanc ies in rhesus monkeys were terminated on either day 35 of gestation or near term at 162 days. Non-nursing mothers with gestations interrupte d near term resumed ovulation at a mean of 56 +/- 12 (XBAR +/- SE) day s postpartum, in contrast to the 17 +/- 2 days required for the female s having had abortions at day 35. These results demonstrate that the e arly pregnancy milieu is not determinant of the hypothalamic-pituitary -ovarian refractoriness observed in non-nursing mothers delivering at term.