HRT while breastfeeding

[Saffrondoormouse]

Can I use a low dose oestrogen cream while breast feeding? Googled it but can’t find a lot of info out there. It seems that oestrogen can suppress milk production a bit but are there any other side effects that would make this no go? I think in cream form very little hormone would get into the milk?

Background: 50 this year, DD is 18 months (surprise 3rd baby!) and I hope to continue breastfeeding her till she’s at least 2. A drop in supply would not be a huge deal though as she’s eating well and will drink cows milk from a cup.

Have had a year of feeling pretty crappy: tired, low mood, low self esteem, brain fog, anxiety, weight gain, increased stress incontinence, finding usual things like driving a challenge (get heart palpitations) etc etc. At first I thought I had pnd and am on the cusp of asking dr for antidepressants but putting the pieces together I wonder if I am actually peri menopausal and if HRT would help /be a better solution?

My periods came back late last year and are fairly regular but my pmt is off the wall bad and they are a lot heavier. I have about a week each month (mid cycle) when I feel almost ok again but then after ovulation everything drops back onto anxiety and low moods again. Christmas was a real low point and I had a bit of a break down / couldn’t stop thinking about ending it all.

Don’t have any friends or acquaintances in same position so reaching out for a bit of advice.

I don’t know anything about this myself, but Dr Louise Newson posted about this on Insta the other day and linked to this article.

www.balance-menopause.com/menopause-library/breastfeeding-hrt/

Hope this helps.

This is so useful thank you so much! ❤️

Hi saffron, I'm in similar position, 46 (nearly 47) with 15 month old who was a bit of a surprise. Had an unproblematic pregnancy and birth and felt fine until baby was a few months old then I guess my hormones dropped off and now feeling really menopausal! Terrible fatigue, memory, joints ache, hair falling out, depressed, hot flushes at night, irritability and paranoia, and incontinence. I'm still breastfeeding although mainly at night now, my DS is a terrible biter!. I asked gp about hrt and was advised to follow it up when I'd finished breastfeeding. I really sympathise with you even down to the driving thing I have to do school run and dread it. I also only feel normal for about a week a month, if that.

Also insomnia hence why I'm awake! I'm waiting for gp to ring me back about blood test results, I'd recommend getting your iron and ferritin levels checked as anaemia or low ferritin can make you feel terrible.

Hi fraggie thank you so much for your post- can’t tell you how much comfort it is that I’m not alone. Hope your gp can get you feeling like yourself again. Thanks for the blood test tip.

@fraggiequeen @Saffrondoormouse

I was prescribed hrt at 44 when feeding a 3 yr old (🙄 won't stop/ I can't be bothered!)

It's absolutely fine to do so and indeed less oestrogen is absorbed than with vaginal oestrogen pessaries for VA and combined oral contraceptives which are licences for bf women at this stage.

The only think I'd say is that it possibly reduced supply a tiny bit but I had already nightweaned a couple of months before (which is when symptoms then got worse...!)

At your stages it shouldn't be an issue.

My Gp was v clued up but this may help: mine already knew of it. I was prescribed hrt the month after this was published. breastfeeding-and-medication.co.uk/fact-sheet/the-menopause-and-breastfeeding

I was in the waiting list for dr N but my Gp was great. I did email them to say it was an issue as I was one of a few women in my bf group who were querying it.

Insomnia was a big symptom and had been an issue for years before with my eldest.

I think in that sheet by Wendy it mentions that hrt is actually sometimes given as a pnd treatment.

I was also diagnosed with hypermobility syndrome after my first and many issues; nothing got better when I stopped feeding. In fact worse. I did notice after miscarriage I was stronger and then I was so much better after my second pregnancy. About a year later started to go down hill again and it was very cyclical.

Hrt (eg patch and utrogestan which I use vaginally) would be more natural and apparently less/ no absorption than COP. You could have mirena and patch too.

To add; the hypermobilty issues have nearly all but gone and I now believe it was symptoms of peri. I'm still flexible but not in pain.

I had about 1.5 years between stopping feeding my eldest and becoming pregnant with my youngest and nothing changed symptom wise. As a couple of people said it would improve when I stopped bf. The only thing that improved it was pregnancy (loads of hormones during and for a little while after) and then hrt.

Night weaning impacted supply a lot more.

Thank you Warrior brilliant resources here. Thank you for sharing and I’m so sorry for your pregnancy loss.