>An enquiry came to me today about a mother who has been diagnosed as
>OS-oestragen deficient due to "prolonged breastfeeding" and has been told by
>2 MDs to wean.
Breastfeeding can cause some estrogen-deficient symptoms...I more often see
vaginal dryness as a symptom during the postpartum period, which seems to
improve after 4 or 5 months. I would be really surprised if nursing a 3yo
3-4 times a day is the reason for estrogen deficiency. I would check her
thyroid status, an FSH, and prolactin level. Is she menstruating? Does she
have a family history of early menopause? Does she smoke? Did she lose alot
of weight? These will give you clues about reasons for low estrogen levels.
Hope this helps-Anne Eglash