Have you ever heard about pregnancy-induced fake menopause?  I’m currently undergoing a number of tests to find out why I constantly feel pregnant. I finished breastfeeding my second child over a year ago. I’m now 37.

 

While undergoing a test recently, the nurse (who claimed to be an expert in women’s heath) asked about my symptoms, all of which seem to occur in menopause. She explained this newly discovered phenomenon as, basically, your hormones struggling to get back to normal over a number of years after pregnancy/breastfeeding, especially if you have had your children close together as I have. She also stated that if you have stress or other factors it may hinder the normal process.

 

Most people don¹t notice it because they go back on the Pill, which I have not. The Pill supposedly helps the hormones jump back to normal quicker. I can¹t use the Pill because it causes bad migraines.

 

Have you heard about pregnancy- induced fake menopause? Can you suggest any treatments or remedies to alleviate these symptoms?

 

Answer:

 

To tell you the truth, I have never heard of “pregnancy-induced fake menopause.” However, there probably are other conditions that may mimic the symptoms of menopause.

 

You mentioned that you had your children close together and that you were breastfeeding them. It is not uncommon for a woman’s hormones to take their time returning back to normal levels, especially if they have been breastfeeding for a long time. Some women experience an absence of their period until several months after they stop breastfeeding. Usually this returns to normal once the mother stops nursing. The amount of time it will take for the hormones to return to normal will depend on the individual woman.

 

Other symptoms that mimic menopause may also occur because of a hormonal imbalance. Since you did not say, I’m not exactly sure just what symptoms you are actually experiencing, but I’m betting it’s not menopause.

 

Induced-menopause is something that occurs when the ovaries are damaged from x-rays, chemotherapy, drugs, radiation therapy or ovarian failure. It’s one of the forms of premature menopause. Premature menopause is defined as menstruation that stops before the age of 40. It is often due to a family history of premature menopause or some other health problem. There are also a number of other factors that can affect a woman’s menstrual cycle and these include pregnancy, illness, stress, extreme weight loss, or an excess of prolactin, the milk-producing hormone. 

 

I would go and see your doctor. He or she can interpret your symptoms and may run some more tests to find out exactly what is going on.