RE: saw the doctor today
Clare....I hope this doesn't get too long. My problem is going to be completely unique. But, I think hormonal imbalances were the cause, but I couldn't find a doctor who cared to deal with my problem until this past year.
I experienced severe problems with breast infections when I was nursing baby number 3,4, and 5. (and I nursed them for 2 1/2 years each). I would get infections like 2-3 per week at least (like a severe flu, high fever, shaking, etc). Numerous doctors were consulted and none of them could find the problem. I produced LOADS of milk and this contributed to the problem. Along with the infections came severe temperature shifts in my system. I would be freezing and shaking one minute and after a few hours the I would feel the warmth return. Someone said why didn't you wean them...problem was I couldn't get the milk to stop. If I didn't pump it out I would swell up literally like a football. The only way the milk would decrease was when I got pregnant again. Somewhere in the 3-4 months it was like a switch turned off the milk (that's when the progesterone/estrogen levels really kick in). After baby number 5, a very sweet physician's assistant finally listened to my problem and helped me wean the baby (#5) around 8 months of age by putting me on a very controversial cancer drug which blocked the persception of prolactin to my brain. After not nursing and being on this for 2 months, I quit taking it...only to become engorged again. I finally dried up, but it took about 3 months.
I had asked our regular ob/gyn about whether going on the pill would help me with the hormone situation (make my milk decrease)...after all my milk would drop when I was 3-4 months pregnant. She shrugged it off and said it wouldn't make a difference. They tested my hormone levels to see if they were irregular and they said "all was normal - for a nursing mom".
Well....this pregnancy (#6) the sweet physician's assistant had me apply a bc patch right after the baby came out to see if this would make my milk decrease. Miracle of all miracles.....it did. I completely dried up and felt great post partum.....until I took the patch off. My milk came back in and the INCREDIBLE MOOD CHANGE was more dramatic than words can describe. I am not a moody person, I have no idea what PMS is like (or I've never noticed), but I now know the power of hormones just by this experience post pregnancy.
Ladies....hormones control everything in your body. The problem is finding someone who will work with you to find the right balance. I do not like taking artificial hormones, but there may be reasons for them and believe me....they alter moods, temperature changes, EVERYTHING. I don't care if they think the levels are normal. Seek someone out who will work with you. I want to stress that I'm not advocating taking hormones...I would try every natural possible method to avoid them. Also be VERY aware that dairy and meat products are filled with artificial hormones which most likely added to the problem to begin with. If possible find organic sources of meat and dairy.
There's my speech. I am so interested to know that ecto's have low levels of estrogen. When I was having these infections I weighed 97 pounds and I'm 5'3. No one has ever told me that ecto's are more prone to this - that's why I wondered if there was any medical evidence for this - or is this another one of those things that doctors won't discuss. Thanks for listening guys (gals
).
Briee
