Extended BF Bladder Prolapse?!?

ahowell88 · May 2013

Omg so my pediatrician asked me how long I plan to breastfeed for and when I told her I was interested in babyled weaning and wanted to nurse pretty much as long as LO wants to, she got this horrified look on her face and proceeded to tell me that if I do that, Im putting myself at risk for Bladder Prolapse due to extended low estrogen levels!! Now I'm freaking out! Obviously, I'm not going to just stop breastfeeding, but I am interested to know if any of you ladies have experienced this or if its just an antibreastfeeding doctor. TIA!

jess9802 · May 2013

I have heard that a weak pelvic floor (whether due to childbirth recovery and/or obesity) may not "recover" until one has weaned and estrogen levels rise again. But I have never heard that EBF itself will cause a prolapse absent other risks for one.

I would not rely on a pediatrician for this type of advice; this is more the purview of an OB-GYN.

patrickandkim · June 2013

I think this is silly. My only thought is that many women who BF remain without menses during BFing and this would create a temporary low estrogen state. Maybe this is what she was thinking? However, I have yet to see bladder issues in a patient solely r/t nursing. Most issues I see are cystoceles that are r/t relaxation of the pelvic floor from birth.