This may be anecdotal, but my grandmother had arthritis from the time she
was in her early 20s.  She said that with each pregnancy, it got better.
And she didn't breastfeed for a minute!

I know we are more limber and flexible when we are pregnant.  Maybe the
pregnancy is taking away some of the pain.
Also, fatigue and stress may bring on a flare up-most mothers I know are
pretty tired for the first year (at least!) of baby's life.
Perhaps she was sleeping more at nine months.

Can't imagine breastfeeding would be the cause.

This is all IMHO

Susannah
Sammamish, WA


>Date:    Wed, 8 Oct 2003 08:12:14 -0400
>From:    Laura Walker <[log in to unmask]>
>Subject: Aching joints

>I had a mom who recently gave birth to her second child.  When her first =
>was 6 months old, she began to experience painful joints, mostly hands =
>but in other parts of her body as well.  Because of the pain which got =
>worse, she saw a rhuematologist and all tests were negative although by =
>the time she got in to see him, her symptoms were not at their peak..  =
>After she weaned her daughter at 9 months, the pain went away.  =
>Pregnancy occurred a month after that. Any guess of what they are =
>asking?  The pain in her hands has come back now that her second child =
>is here and breastfeeding.  I told her I wasn't aware of any correlation =
>of a relationship between the joint swelling and pain with breastfeeding =
>but that I'd throw out the question to all of you.  The fact that the =
>pain stopped after weaning is a powerful convincer for them that there =
>is a relationship somehow here.  My feeling is that it is coincidental.  =
>This mom is in her early forties which is a prime time for autoimmune =
>processes to crop up.  Anyone have any comment/ information?

>Laura Walker RNC, IBCLC
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