Dear Lactnetters,

I've been no-mail for quite a long time, and still am, so I'd
appreciate if you could answer this for me privately if possible.

I've got a former client who has recently switched doctors (her old
doctor moved).  She is breastfeeding 14 month old twins, and,
unsurprisingly, hasn't resumed menstruating.  The doctor expressed a
great deal of concern about this, and said that she would begin to
lose bone mass if her periods didn't start soon, and that she should
begin oestrogen treatment if not menstruating by 18 months PP.

She is not planning to wean any time soon, and I've told her that
taking oestrogen is likely to dry up her milk (not to mention all the
other side effects of hormone treatment).  I've given her the numbers
of local physicians who are more knowledgeable about and supportive
of breastfeeding, but she would still like to know about possible
bone loss.  Are there any reliable studies which have found permanent
bone loss as a result of lactation amenorrhea, or is this doctor
simply treating her as if she's menopausal?  (It has been my
understanding that breastfeeding doest NOT decrease bone density --
am I wrong?).

Any insight would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance

Jennifer Landels, BA, CBE
Vancouver BC

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