I am working with a woman who has a 5 week old daughter.  She is
experiencing extreme lower back and pelvis pain to the point where she
was hospitalized -flat on her back with pain medication for 5 days last
week.  During the period she was on pain medication, she pumped and
dumped and her husband fed ABM. She is now nursing again and has
re-established her milk supply. She cannot pick up or care for her baby
or find a comfortable nursing position. Her physical therapist is telling
her that RELAXIN is somehow causing her problems. I thought relaxin was a
hormone of pregnancy and not lactation. This woman is seriously
considering weaning completely in order to get rid of the relaxin. She
had previously nursed her now 10 year old with no problems for 2.5 years.

It seems to me that once again breastfeeding is being blamed for an
unrelated problem. She did not have any of theses problems during her
pregnancy. I can't find any references to relaxin during lactation that
would explain these severe symptoms. Would prolactin or some other
lactation hormone cause these problems? Would weaning make such a
significant difference in her discomfort that it would be worth giving up
breastfeeding? ( I know what your answers will be - I am just looking for
eloquent come-backs) When I had severe sciatica during pregnancy, I was
told that my symptoms would diminish after birth because the relaxin
would no longer be present. It seems like she needs a post partum
chiropractic adjustment or some other realignment to me.

Any information or experience with this situation would be greatly
appreciated.

TIA,
Marie

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Marie Schulte LLLL & MOM
from the computer known as
[log in to unmask] ;-)
Visit the
La Leche League of Madison web page at:
http://www.terracom.net/~mjstoy/
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