I wanted to add my .02 on the woman with the unusual discharge.  I've been out
of town, and am not completely caught up on digests, so apologies for redundant
info.

I rolled my eyes reflexively when I read that this woman's doctor blamed her
discharge on breastfeeding, but there's actually a grain of truth in it this
time.  It's common for nursing mothers to experience unusual cycles,
particularly when their children have sudden surges in their nursing frequency.
 Their bodies are getting two conflicting messages:  the pituitary says, "Okay,
let's ovulate"; the nipple stimulation says, "Wait--small child here--too soon
for another baby."  It sounds as if this woman is having an extended fertile
time, with high estrogen levels but too much nipple stimulation for her to
ovulate within the usual time frame.

If this discharge is stretchy and mild-smelling, it is probably cervical
mucus.  Cervical mucus is not a medical problem; it is normal, healthy, and
indispensable for normal fertility.  Most of us probably wouldn't exist
without it, as conception is many times less likely in the absence of mucus.
This quantity, of course, is not common, but as a natural family planning
teacher I have heard of women who routinely need a pad to absorb their mucus
discharge.  It is certainly possible that this is a variant of normal.  The
PMS-like feelings are also normal:  some women feel crabby or depressed when
their estrogen levels are high.

It's also good to keep in mind that not every bleeding episode is a true
menstrual period, especially in this situation.  Estrogen causes endometrium
build-up, but high estrogen levels and no progesterone (because no
ovulation has occurred) set a woman up for a situation called breakthrough
bleeding, where the uterus just can't maintain its lining and some of it
sloughs off.  ***Breakthrough bleeding can be a highly fertile time, despite
the myth that you can't get pregnant during your "period."***  Breakthrough
bleeding may explain why nursing mothers have more frequent or shorter or
longer bleeding episodes than they're used to, and why they're seeing mucus at
the "wrong" time.

A couple of thoughts on why this may be happening:  one is that pregnancy
can make you more fertile.  I have an article which says that pregnancy causes
an increase in the number of crypts in the cervix which secrete fertile mucus.
I'm also wondering if this woman is heavier now than she was before her
pregnancy.  More body fat means higher estrogen levels and more fertile mucus.

This mom may find that when she begins to see this very stretchy mucus, just a
day or two of reduced nursing will allow her to ovulate.  After ovulation, the
mucus should dry up within three days.  If she can plan fun, distracting
outings with plenty of snacks and drinks offered before her toddler asks to
nurse, that may be all she needs to let the "Ovulate!" message overrule the
"Wait!" message.  Talking with an NFP teacher may also help this mom to figure
out what's going on and rule out anything abnormal.

Jamie Smith
LLLL and NFP instructor in Edinburgh
which feels sadly chilly after a vacation in Barcelona

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