(1) Barbara asked if menopause can occur while breastfeeding. Yes, it can. I can't think of any reason why BF would delay this natural event.
I mentioned in passing this aspect of one of the case histories in a case series ofr Anglo-Celtic (Caucasian) Australian women, published in 1993 under my former surname:
Thorley V. Relactation in mothers of children over 12 months. J Trop Pediatr 1993 (Feb);39(1):45-48.
Case 5 was the youngest child of the mother of Case 4, who had weaned and relactated with toddlers on *two* occasions. (Time post weaning = 4 and 6 weeks, respectively.) On this last occasion, the mother noticed menstrual changes - longer cycles, lighter bleeds, followed by infertility and menopause. This didn't seem to affect breastfeeding. He continued breastfeeding till age 5 (almost 2 years after re-establishing his mothers's supply after weaning).
The mother did not relactate when her son atttempted to breastfeed 4 months after his second weaning, but she attributed this to the fact that he simply didn't remember *how* to breastfeed.
I don't have any reprints of the above article left, but suggest you try a good medical library. (The above paper was named joint UNICEF Breastfeeding Paper of the Month, for Sept. 1994.)
(2) As regards one of the mother's other queries: why exactly would she want to use hormonal replacement therapy? If she is worried about calcium, there aren't any studies (that I can find) specifically on her situation. However, there *is* evidence about the benefit of weaning slowly to allow bone calcium stores to replenish naturally. Weaning suddenly, out of concern about something for which there is not yet research, doesn't look such a good idea, in my personal opinion. I'd want to see evidence.
If she has her bones checked, they will probably show calcium loss at this stage of lactation, and so there is the risk that there will be confusion on the part of her health care providers about cause/result, i.e. that it is from menopause, or from menopause + BF, instead of something that would happen in the normal course of events. I am sure there are references posted in the Lactnet Archives on issues of calcium and bone lose during pregnancy and lactation, and the lower risk of fractures in older women who have breastfed (dose-dependent). I urge you to check the Archives, Barbara.
Obviously studies are able to calculate risk, but cannot tell you what the picture is for any particular woman. (Just as, though breastfed babies are resistent to a number of infectious diseases, Baby A might just happen to be the unlucky exception.)
The mother is lucky to have Barbara to provide support and look for information for her.
Cheers,
Virginia Thorley
Brisbane
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