PSA: Do NOT get your cholesterol checked while BFing

ejgballerina

So, I went to my work health screening this week to get my BP, cholesterol, glucose, BMI, and skin checked.  Everything was great...except my cholesterol came back 266!!  What!?!?  The nurse went on to say that was really high and I needed to follow up with my doctor.  Okay, the rest of the day I was freaking out:  I don't eat meat or fried foods at all.  Sure, I like my cheese and eggs, but nothing crazy out of control.  I talked to my doctor and a little known fact that even most doctors don't know:  breastfeeding can raise your cholesterol levels!  A normal range is between 120 and 190.  A lactating woman's range can be 225 to 300 and it's completely normal!  Whew.  Okay, just wanted to let everyone know to save someone freaking out like me over nothing. 

https://www.associatedcontent.com/article/371186/high_cholesterol_and_breastfeeding.html?cat=52

5Foot

Apparently pregnancy can do the same.  I asked my obgyn to do a cholesterol check and she said I wouldn't get an accurate reading pregnant, that it would be high.  So, I'll have to wait now for quite a while to get it checked apparently!  Thanks for the info!

lrrb

It took my high level a YEAR to come down after my pregnancy and I didn't breastfeed at all.  It started out at 255 6months after pregnant and now, 2 years later its only 140.  Soooo that just proves that point!

qtpa2t

Wow!  You'd think more doctors and nurses would know about something like that.  

SeaSoul

No kidding?!  I just had mine checked a couple of months ago and it was like 159 (normal), and I was BFing - granted not as much as I was when he was younger, so maybe that makes a difference.

GenRN45

cholesterol is actually NECESSARY during pregnancy/lactation, because it helps to make the estrogen and progestone.

I'm sorry they scared you.

InACitySoNice

Cool!  Thanks!

LuckySunshineBaby

Thank you so much for posting this! 

 

When I was BF'ing, I left my regular GP  and went to a new Dr. that came really highly recommended.  At my first appt. I was 3ish months pp and BF'ing and he had my blood work done.  He called me 3 weeks later (well, his nurse did) and said I needed to sch. a follow up due to irregular results.  I asked what for and explained I had trouble finding a sitter (SAHM, no sitters in the area) and she said it was due to some "liver #".  So, I repeated my blood work, hired a sitter and sch. an appt.  I came in and it was because my cholesterol was 201.  I was livid the nurse gave me the wrong info and I had hired a sitter to be told to "exercise more" because being a SAHM gave me an increase "chance of catching the Lazy'es"

I had on more follow up 6 weeks later (sch. a sitter, whole 9 yards) and arrived for my appt.  The dr. called 20 mins after my appt (I was the only one in the waiting room and asked the nurse who his appt. was with (I could over hear the whole thing) and said he wasn't coming in until he had a a cluster of appts an 1.5 hours later and I could wait or re-schedule. 

I left him and switched Dr.'s, cursing him the whole way.  I'm glad to know that he was schmuck on many levels:)

nicolita14w

This is extremely interesting. I just saw my PCP last week about wrist pain and she started harping on my cholesterol levels which were tested last June. I was 4 months postpartum at the time and had stopped breastfeeding only about 2 months earlier. I definitely still had milk there. Hmmmmm. Very interesting-- thanks!