Latest news with #lactation
CTV News
3 days ago
- Health
- CTV News
New lactation station open at University of Alberta
A new lactation pod was opened at the University of Alberta on May 30, 2025. (Cameron Wiebe/CTV News Edmonton) The University of Alberta has unveiled a new initiative aimed at helping parents on campus. A new lactation pod opened on Friday at the Students' Union Building. The Mamava pod, which is unlocked using a mobile app, is a private room where students and staff can breastfeed or pump comfortably in private. 'This really represents an opportunity for us to ensure that we are demonstrating that we have spaces available for all members of our community,' said Kevin Friese, assistant dean of student health and wellness. 'We recognize the diversity of our campus population, and that diversity includes students with dependents and students who parent.' Friese said the average student age has risen over the past 15 years, and many mature and many graduate students have families. University of Alberta lactation station Parents visit the new lactation pod at the University of Alberta on May 30, 2025. (Cameron Wiebe/CTV News Edmonton) Students and staff are able to breastfeed or pump anywhere on campus, he said, but the pod is available for those who want to do so in private. The pod was paid for by donations, and the university said it adds to other family-friendly campus features, such as the Rutherford Library Family Corner, where students can study while their children play, and other breastfeeding, lactation and changing table locations on campus. 'Small actions like this, we know are so important to making sure that our student parents feel welcome and that we can accommodate not just them, but also their kiddos,' Friese said.
Medscape
23-05-2025
- Health
- Medscape
Lactation Can Trigger Menopause-Like Symptoms
Many breastfeeding mothers experience menopause-like symptoms of the postpartum condition recently designated genitourinary syndrome of lactation (GSL) in a systematic review reported in Obstetrics & Gynecology . The term was proposed in 2024 after interdisciplinary discussions among obstetricians, gynecologists, and urologists and following recognition of the genitourinary syndrome of menopause (GSM). Though common, this lactation-associated syndrome is a blind spot in postpartum care — underrecognized and undertreated, according to the review's lead author, Sara Perelmuter, MPhil, an MD candidate at Weill Cornell Medical College in New York City, and colleagues. They found a strong association between lactation and a spectrum of symptoms encompassing vaginal atrophy and dryness, urinary issues, dyspareunia, and sexual dysfunction. Sara Perelmuter, MPhil Pooled analysis revealed that vaginal atrophy was prevalent in almost two thirds of postpartum lactating individuals, with breastfeeding women being 2.34 times more likely to experience atrophy than their non-breastfeeding counterparts. The impetus for this review came from the increasing recognition of GSM. 'Yet silence still existed around postpartum lactating individuals who are essentially going through the same physiological experience of a lack of estrogens and androgens,' Perelmuter told Medscape Medical News . 'I was constantly frustrated by how many postpartum patients — especially lactating individuals — experienced debilitating vaginal and urinary symptoms, yet no one named it, asked about it, and very few providers treated it.' This is a physiologic, hormonal, and wholly real condition affecting millions, and it was time it had a name and clinical recognition, she added. Despite its high prevalence, consistent screening at postpartum visits and treatment guidelines are not available. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, for example, has issued no guidance on GSL. The authors urged clinicians to prioritize awareness, screening, and personalized care to address these underrecognized symptoms and improve quality of life of lactating mothers. Mechanisms During postpartum lactation, high levels of prolactin inhibit estrogen and androgen secretion. 'If you're not lactating, your hormones are able to rebalance faster, whereas if you're lactating, the hormonal shifts are more dramatic due to sustained suppression of estrogen and androgen,' Perelmuter said, noting that exclusively lactating individuals reported a higher burden of symptom severity in all domains. The Review US and international investigators examined 65 eligible studies, of which almost 80% were of high quality. Among the specific findings in postpartum lactating individuals: The prevalence of vaginal atrophy was 63.9% (95% CI, 55.3%-71.6%) and that of dryness was 53.6% (95% CI, 33.6%-72.5%). Meta-analyses for dyspareunia at 3, 6, and 12 months revealed pooled prevalence estimates of 60.0% (95% CI, 45.1%-73.3%), 39.7% (95% CI, 28.9%-51.5%), and 28.5% (95% CI, 26.3%-30.9%), respectively. Pooled odds ratios at these timepoints were 2.33 (95% CI, 1.92-2.83), 2.24 (95% CI, 1.62-3.10), and 1.45 (95% CI, 1.36-1.56), respectively. The pooled prevalence of sexual dysfunction was 73.5% (95% CI, 59.1%-84.2%). The mean Female Sexual Function Index score was 21.5 ± 1.83, indicating significant dysfunction. 'Honestly, we were shocked by how widespread and underrecognized these symptoms are,' Perelmuter said. 'GSL is a hormonal mirror of GSM, but it's happening during what we culturally frame as a joyful and healthy time — early motherhood — but which is also defined by a massive lifestyle shift.' The investigators were also struck by the finding that more than 70% never seek or receive care. 'These symptoms are not a niche problem. They're systemic, frequent, and deeply impactful. The data validated what many of us have seen in clinic but felt powerless to name.' If your postpartum patient is lactating and reporting dryness, pain, or sexual dysfunction, offer treatment, she advised. 'A simple question, a brief explanation, and an offer of vaginal estrogen or pelvic floor therapy can be life-changing. It's time we bring this into mainstream training for primary care, Ob/Gyns, midwives, lactation consultants, and even pediatricians. Our patients are already experiencing it — we just need to catch up.' Irwin Goldstein, MD Commenting on GSL but not involved in the review, Irwin Goldstein, MD, director of San Diego Sexual Medicine and a clinical professor of urology at University of California San Diego, also stressed the urgent need to raise awareness in the medical community and the public. While it's 'normal' to have low levels of reproductive hormones in both menopause and GSL, this normal state 'leads to unwanted and bothersome and distressing symptoms, which, if appreciated, can be treated,' he told Medscape Medical News . 'The safest hormonal treatment would be intravaginal dehydroepiandrosterone. Its mechanism is intracrinologic [within cells], and it does not enter the bloodstream.' For Perelmuter, GSL is part of a larger pattern in which women's pain — especially postpartum — is being ignored and normalized. 'We need to reframe postpartum care as a time of active healing, not passive endurance,' she said. 'This study is just the beginning. Let's build a future where every lactating person has their symptoms taken seriously, their options explained clearly, and their bodies respected fully.'
