Pregnancy related Osteoprosis

[cheekychopsmum]

I've just been told today that I got Osteoprosis during pregancy (aged 33 with no risk factors) and wondered if there was anyone else out there who have had this.

I broke my back when slipping on the stairs when DS was 2 months, which prompted tests. Now confirmed and advised not to have future pregnancies and if so, not to breastfeed for more than 1 month. I breastfeed DS for 9 months.

I would be prepared to take the risk as want more children and enjoyed breastfeed and had planned to do so again. I can find very little in the internet, so would be grateful for any advice/information.

Thanks

Hi CMM,,I too was diagnosed with this at 33 and I went on to have another baby ...my 4th... breastfed for 6 months as I had done the previous 3 and was not told not too !!!!!!. I however have coeliac disease and this is what they say has caused mine....I am shocked that pregnancy could cause this as it develops over years (I thought) and also bone mass can repair itself by weight bearing exercises and the correct foods, so all is not lost. Have you had full bloods done to rule out other causes?....so {shock] and {hmm} to think it was caused by pregnancy!!!..I do think that even if I was told not to have more babies I would have still had my final buba, but I was unaware of any link. Did you have a bone mass reading given to you in how much bone mass you had lost? When I was given my result they told me that at the age of 33 I had a bone mass of a 76 year old!!!!!!

Thank you Cost, no they have not told me what my bone mass is, I will ask at my next appointment. The blood tests all came back clear, and there is no noticable other illness, but they took loads more blood yesterday, so we'll see what that brings back. The bone consultant said that it is quite rare, he sees about 2 women a year and it is just random. He thinks because I am quite slim (been 8 stone all adult life) I probabley had low bone density naturally and then with pregnancy you get sapped of calcium, hence the osteoprosis. The good news is that with this type you can increase your bone mass, whereas with regular you can just maintain it, so in a year prehaphs I could be back to what I was prepregnancy. That is what confuses me about why he is against further pregnancies, cos surely I could pump myself full of calcium and steer clear of slippy surfaces...? How about you, how do you deal with it, have you had any serious accidents? Breaking my back has really changed my life, and I am still struggling with it, but that is just something I have to get used to.

Hi, I have never had an accident..(crosses fingers) and have never broken a bone (crosses fingers again)and am grateful of that but I am very very scared on icey days of slipping and doing some real damage. I would have no idea my bone mass was poor if I had not had my scans..Also went for a follow up Dexa scan on my back and pelvis recently to check how things where but when I asked for the results from my consultant I was only told....they are ok..wehn I pressed him for more details he said that was all the information he had on his report..."no change" ...he was very brusque and I was reluctant to feel silly asking him again..could have kicked myself as soon as I left the room..I am due to go back in a few months for more assessments and will ask more questions then. Sorry to hear you are struggling with your back.....it must be difficult with a young child too. I am not so good with doing my weight bearing exercises..I am jsut too busy with 4 kids..but deep down it is niggling away at me that I am doing myself no good ignoring them...

You can reverse the loss with diet and exercise- your best bet is to get to a gym and see what you can do with weights- ask for a trainer to help you. There is also lots on the web under exercises to build bone.
You need to work at it though!
Calcium alone won't do it- you need to jog,skip, and do weights for your arms, legs, back and hips.

Last time i was scanned I had osteopaenia- the stage before full blown osteo. I am small too and was dairy free for years including when bf. I did take calcium but not enough it seems.
Your dr should let you see your results. I had mine done privately and was given my own copy.

I am now on HRT for meno, which should help for a while, and doing all I can with exercise etc to try to stop the rot!

There is a lot of info on the National Osteoporosis Society website.