Periods resumed while breastfeeding, but then stopped…
Question
My baby is now 20 months and I am still breastfeeding her. My periods returned when she was 10 months old and they were a regular 28 day cycle. I am 34, she is my 3rd child. I had my last period in April so I am now 3 months late. All tests show hcg readings neg. , hormonal studies and thyroid all normal. I have to wait 2 weeks for an ultrasound but after that I think my Dr. is stumped. Can you direct me into what else I could be getting her to check? Â I have tender and bloated lower abdomen, and all babies were via c sect.
Elissa
Answer
Last Updated: July 16, 2013
Dear Elissa,
I think the ultrasound will be revealing because I would suspect an ovarian cyst. However, I would have expected some spotting and bleeding because of irregular endometrial shedding. Also, I would have expected increased pain due to a persistent and/or enlarging cyst. That being said, I would wonder about a pituitary adenoma. This is a benign growth of that part of the brain where prolactin is produced. Prolactin helps with milk production. Since you are nursing, milk production is normal and the hormone level of prolactin may appear to be normal for a nursing woman.
If the ultrasound is normal, I would ask the doctor about the possibility of a pituitary adenoma which can be detected by MRI, a non-Xray scanner which gives excellent clarity of the brain. It is very common to have a MRI scanner at most community hospitals along with CT scanners.
Please let us know what your doctor is able to diagnose. I would be very interested.
Sincerely,
Gretchen V. Marsh, D.O.
I think the ultrasound will be revealing because I would suspect an ovarian cyst. However, I would have expected some spotting and bleeding because of irregular endometrial shedding. Also, I would have expected increased pain due to a persistent and/or enlarging cyst. That being said, I would wonder about a pituitary adenoma. This is a benign growth of that part of the brain where prolactin is produced. Prolactin helps with milk production. Since you are nursing, milk production is normal and the hormone level of prolactin may appear to be normal for a nursing woman.
If the ultrasound is normal, I would ask the doctor about the possibility of a pituitary adenoma which can be detected by MRI, a non-Xray scanner which gives excellent clarity of the brain. It is very common to have a MRI scanner at most community hospitals along with CT scanners.
Please let us know what your doctor is able to diagnose. I would be very interested.
Sincerely,
Gretchen V. Marsh, D.O.
Answered By:
Gretchen Marsh, D.O.
Dr. Marsh graduated from Western University of Health Sciences in 1987 in Pomona, CA and is board certified in Family Medicine by the American Osteopathic Board of Family Physicians. She has been certified as a NaProTechnology® Medical Consultant (NaPro) and Creighton model Fertility Care System (CrMS) teacher since 2001. She and her husband, Jon, have 5 sons and live in the Reno region, where she sees patients in person, in addition to her telehealth services offered via MyCatholicDoctor.com
