HELP

[@llli*katoom]

have been bf my son since birth. He is now 6m old. Had al nature drug free labor for 20hrs then had to have emergency csection. Have had a period @ the beginning of the month for the past 5m. I was sposta have a period 6days ago and havent yet. Also started having serious contractions. Worse than labor type. Led to me crying and vomiting. My husband took me to OBGYN. They did prego test it was neg and sonogram. He confirmed my contractions and stated my uterusi needed to have a period bad. He said my hormones were messed up and i needed to stop nursing and get on the pill. I spoke with another dr who rec. The same thing. I have contacted 3 lactation consultants and my aunt who is a PA. They are searching 4 info on this matter. I do not want to stop nursing my 6m son and give him formula. Please give me any advice. Thanku.

[@llli*lehall]

My initial reaction is that that is a load of crap. The pill is itself hormonal, and just getting on the pill will mask but not address whatever is really going on with your body. And deprive your baby of milk. You might try contacting a physician who works with Natural Family Planning. Not because you necessarily want to go that route, but because doctors who don't prescribe birth control look for other solutions instead of just throwing "the pill" at it. I had a condition diagnosed by a NFP doctor after 10 years of other doctors not catching it because they were too quick to think "the pill" would solve every problem.

[@llli*sonogirl]

I think you need a third opinion. I am a sonographer, and I can't think of anything that would show up on an ultrasound that would confirm that your uterus "needs" to have a period. You can see contractions occurring on an ultrasound, but that in and of itself doesn't diagnose anything. You could see a large backed up collection of blood in the uterine cavity, but that is not generally treated only with the Pill, nor would nursing affect this. You could see fragments of retained placenta, and that also would not be treated by stopping nursing. And you can't make any conclusions about hormones with an ultrasound-- did they do blood work to come to this conclusion?

[@llli*katoom]

i agree. Im kinda at a loss as to what dr. To go to. The first was our obgyn. The second was rec by my lactation consultants and is the best of the best as wel as a HUGE advocate of bf. The sono was the second i had had done since my son was born. They were more looking for placenta fragments than anything but while n there stated all the bloodflow and build up for my period. Contractions were so bad the dr could tell in person and on sono machine of them. It was no doubt worse than labor. I was crying squirming and vomiting and i have a very high pain tollerance. He gave me some drugs 4 a muscle relaxor and i took them to get it under control. Since then i nursed my son all lastnite and contractions started again this a.m.

[@llli*lllmeg]

I don't understand why u have to stop nursing even if you do go on the pill.

[@llli*katoom]

so far everytime i nurse him often these contractions start. I got prescribed a new pill with all the hormones to take and i am taking it. It isnt helping with the contractions and if my research is correct will eventually reduce my supply. I plan on doing another preg. Test today.

[@llli*katoom]

preg. Test was negative again.

[@llli*sonogirl]

So did they recommend you quit nursing because that is what triggers your contractions? Are you experiencing them when you aren't nursing?

[@llli*lllmeg]

This sounds really miserable for you. If weaning gives you relief, then weaning may make sense. I just don’t understand what is happening.

I am not a medical professional in any way. I have no idea what is happening, I have never heard of something like this in 10 years involvement with LLL, So I don't like to and have no expertise to question your doctors. But here are the things I personally would be wondering about and would request answers about if I were in your situation.

First, I would have the same question as sonogirl. Is the pain actually during nursing, during milk ejection (let down), and ONLY at those times? or at other times as well? because if they suspect D-MER, that specifically occurs during MER. (Milk ejection reflex) and may (theoretically) be tied to the oxytocin released During MER. And there is anecdotal evidence that D-MER can be helped without mom weaning. So far, what you describe does not sound like D-MER to me, but you could look up that website if you are interested.

For six months you have been nursing you baby without painful contractions-right?
had a period every month, again, without unusual pain?
What has changed?

Are they saying any breastfeeding mothers hormones are out of whack, or just yours? Breastfeeding is normal and its hormonal effects on a woman are thus also normal. What is making it so abnormal for you that you are having this pain and have to stop nursing?

Here is what I am thinking-yes, nursing causes some contractions shortly after birth in order to expel the placenta and help shrink the uterus. In other words, this aspect of nursing is a benefit. But this is only very early on.
If you have blood and tissue build up in your uterus, and that is causing cramping, even if the breastfeeding is thus causing contractions, how is the breastfeeding harming you? Don't you want your body to be trying to expel the blood and tissue and isn't that what contractions would do? My concern is why you are having all this pain and nothing is coming out! I fail to see how breastfeeding stops the flow of blood or tissue. Breastfeeding mothers have periods and give birth just fine.

Also even if your baby stops nursing tomorrow, you will have to pump, in order to prevent getting engorged. You will continue to lactate long after your baby stops nursing!

Has anyone mentioned the possibility of a d&c?

Are the lcs you talked to IBCLCs? Have they asked permission to post your situation on LactNet in order to get input from other ibclcs from around the world?

[@llli*mommal]

with LLLMeg. This situation sounds medically suspicious, at best. "Your uterus needs to have a period" is not, to my knowledge, a medical condition, nor is it something that can be treated with a pill.

Go see a different doc!