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Why Am I Lactating After A Year Of Miscarriage?
Hello. Well october of 2014 I was pregnant; I lost the baby in late November of 2014. But somehow I was lactating by the end of the first month . I stopped lactating about late January of 2015/early February of 2015 . I don t know if this is important ... but I never breastfed or was pregnant again after .... and here it is January of 2016 , and about 2 days ago , I started lactating again . I have read similar questions by other women , and they are basically asking the same thing as me , but the difference I noticed between me and these other women , is the fact that I DID NOT breastfeed . ( As I said before , I m not sure this is an important variable , but I just want to be sure ) . So .... MY QUESTION IS : Why am I lactating , almost 1 year later ; what could be causing this ; why would my body feel the need to produce milk if there was never a need for it to begin with ?
posted on
Thu, 7 Jan 2016
Medically reviewed by
Ask A Doctor - 24x7 Medical Review Team
Sat, 30 Jan 2016
Answered on
Mon, 1 Feb 2016
Last reviewed on
Hallow Dear,
Since about a month after the previous miscarriage you had stopped lactating completely, and now for last few days you have again started lactating after a gap of about an year or so, this lactation is not related to the pregnancy which you aborted.
Lactation or milk production (Galactorrhoea) in the breasts is a result of increase in the hormone called prolactin. Prolactin is produced by a ductless gland Pituitary. Please get your blood examined for Prolactin levels. If they are raised (>20 ng/ml) it indicates that you have got hyperprolactinaemia. This will cause milk secretions. Such conditions interferes egg formation and hence conception.
If there is hyperprolactinaemia, you will be advised to undergo X-ray of the skull to find out whether you have any tumour in the Pituitary. Small tumours and Prolactin levels upto 50 ng/ml can be managed by medicines. Large Pituitary tumours raising the Prolactin levels more than 100 ng/ml in the absence of pregnancy may need surgical treatment.
Are you any medicines? Certain medicines (methyldopa, opioids, antipsychotics, serotonin reuptake inhibitors, as well as licorice and other medicines) are responsible to cause milk secretions. Behavioural causes (stress, and breast and chest wall stimulation) also can cause milk secretion.
Thyroid dysfunction also may result in milk formation. So please get your blood examined for T3, T4 & TSH.
Depending up on the cause, you may require treatment.
Please report to your Gynaecologist for investigations and follow up.
I hope this helps you today.
Dr. Nishikant
Since about a month after the previous miscarriage you had stopped lactating completely, and now for last few days you have again started lactating after a gap of about an year or so, this lactation is not related to the pregnancy which you aborted.
Lactation or milk production (Galactorrhoea) in the breasts is a result of increase in the hormone called prolactin. Prolactin is produced by a ductless gland Pituitary. Please get your blood examined for Prolactin levels. If they are raised (>20 ng/ml) it indicates that you have got hyperprolactinaemia. This will cause milk secretions. Such conditions interferes egg formation and hence conception.
If there is hyperprolactinaemia, you will be advised to undergo X-ray of the skull to find out whether you have any tumour in the Pituitary. Small tumours and Prolactin levels upto 50 ng/ml can be managed by medicines. Large Pituitary tumours raising the Prolactin levels more than 100 ng/ml in the absence of pregnancy may need surgical treatment.
Are you any medicines? Certain medicines (methyldopa, opioids, antipsychotics, serotonin reuptake inhibitors, as well as licorice and other medicines) are responsible to cause milk secretions. Behavioural causes (stress, and breast and chest wall stimulation) also can cause milk secretion.
Thyroid dysfunction also may result in milk formation. So please get your blood examined for T3, T4 & TSH.
Depending up on the cause, you may require treatment.
Please report to your Gynaecologist for investigations and follow up.
I hope this helps you today.
Dr. Nishikant
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