Breastmilk vs. Formula Debate

I always have pain with sex and with BFing it really hurts.

doctor prescribed vagifem which is an estrogen containing tablet that is inserted into the vagina.

I've tried looking on the internet as to whether or not its okay to use while BFing.

What say you ladies?

Some stuff said never use it.

Some stuff said it's okay and that it can't possibly screw with your supply since it's topical.

Others said it can mess with supply, but only if you are taking it before 6 months postpartum.

I remember reading on this board (it was up on the actual debate part) how some women were prescribed topical creams for their dryness issues while breastfeeding.

Would this be the same as an estrogen tablet in the vagina?

Can anyone tell me?

I already inserted one and now I'm terrified my 6 month old will not want to nurse anymore because I will develop low supply or something.

If you have only used one, even if you notice a drop in supply, you can stop using it and rebuild your supply with lots of nursing for a few days.

It would seem that a drop in supply is possible - I guess how much it affects you would be an individual thing though. The good thing is that you have been nursing for six months, and your supply is fairly well established by now. Using just one would not result in a permanent drop in supply that you could not recover from.

If you do notice a drop, it may be better to go with some lubricant rather than a hormonal based treatment.

Teresa

I wouldn't worry too much.

This is a convenient resource, LactMed, (hopefully the link will work)

http://toxnet.nlm.nih.gov/cgi-bin/sis/htmlgen?LACT

Here's a partial:

>>Limited information on the use of estradiol during breastfeeding indicates that the route of administration and dosage form have influences on the amount transferred into breastmilk. Vaginal administration results in measurable amounts in milk, but transdermal patches do not. Maternal doses of up to 100 mcg daily transdermally produce low levels in milk and would not be expected to cause any adverse effects in breastfed infants. Vaginal administration results in unpredictable peak times for estradiol in breastmilk, so timing of the dose with respect to breastfeeding is probably not useful.<<