ĀŢĿĄŜ↔ĴŮŅĶĬĒ asked:
So I was just wondering… I know the average age for women to begin menopause is aroung 50 years old. Women are having babies at an older age lately and I was wondering if the menopause factor affects breastmilk production? If a woman is breastfeeding will it delay her menopause onset? If she delivers a baby and is breastfeeding will her milk production cease at menopause? Just curious.
So I was just wondering… I know the average age for women to begin menopause is aroung 50 years old. Women are having babies at an older age lately and I was wondering if the menopause factor affects breastmilk production? If a woman is breastfeeding will it delay her menopause onset? If she delivers a baby and is breastfeeding will her milk production cease at menopause? Just curious.
That is a good question, it would probably depend on the woman and her hormone levels and how the body handles it. It can take years to get through menopause so I would think she should be able to nurse for a year if she wanted. I know my mom is 50 now and she has been going through menopause for 4 years now and she isn’t done yet.
Since menopause is not a one day event (one day normal everything, next day menopause – this doesn’t happen – although if you ask any woman in menopause, they will wish it did). I would say anything that affects your hormones would affect milk production, but if the right hormones were there to release good eggs, then the good ones are probaby there to keep creating milk!
Yes a woman who has had a baby just prior to menopause can breastfeed. Menopause takes a lot longer than just a few months to begin with. And there really is NO “average” age for menopause…all the women in my mom’s family were in their 30s. No birth and breastfeeding will not delay menopause.
There are several factors to consider in this situation. First, menopause is an event that happens gradually – the hormones that are involved do not start and stop suddenly. Secondly, milk is produced on a “supply and demand” basis, and *most* women will produce enough milk for their infant(s) provided they are nursing on demand – that is, nursing as often as the baby(ies) cue to be fed and without any supplementation of formula. For the 3% of women who are medically unable to produce enough milk for their infants (due to conditions such as poly-cystic ovarian syndrome, thyroid disorders, or perhaps even menopause), there are often safe medications that can be taken to help boost milk production.
Would breastfeeding delay the onset of menopause? Possibly. The progesterone and oxytocin levels present in breastfeeding mothers could definitely have that effect. This would make a fascinating study!
And remember – even if a mother, in menopause or not, is finding it difficult to sustain a full milk supply even after seeing a lactation specialist and attempting to boost her supply, SOME breastmilk is always healthier for her infant(s) than NO breastmilk! She should feel proud to provide that head start to her children!