Jane’s story
Over 2 pregnancies, Jane lost 5 inches in height due to the rare condition, Pregnancy-and-Lactation Osteoporosis.
I first felt pain in my back in July 2019, when my first baby was a month old. It just got worse and worse, and I was in absolute agony. Doctors and physios all told me it was due to breastfeeding. I lost 3 inches in height, which lots of medical staff said was shocking, but no one helped me.
I then I had a second baby in January 2022, and had what I was told was sciatica during the pregnancy, and then the same agonising pain again soon after the birth. I had now lost 5 inches in height.
This time my mum really pushed me to get answers and finally a female doctor took me seriously and referred me for an X-ray.
The X-ray showed multiple spinal fractures (I later had an MRI which confirmed multiple fractures in 10 vertebrae, including all 5 lower vertebrae) and so I got sent for a bone density scan. This revealed my spine level was -4.1 and I had severe osteoporosis.
My official diagnosis has now been confirmed as the rare condition Pregnancy-and-Lactation Osteoporosis. I am taking a daily injection of Teriparatide for 2 years in the hopes of improving my bone density and reducing my chances of re-fracturing, then I will have a yearly bisphosphonate infusion to maintain any gains.
Due to my height loss, I have severe kyphosis, which has caused my ribs to sit inside my hips and makes my stomach stick so far out I look pregnant. I can’t walk very far and have to sit down often.
I feel so upset about the constant pain, but also about how I now look and the fact that I’ll never regain my height or figure. I am scared to lift or bend, or attempt many exercises. This rare condition has impacted my whole life, and my children’s lives.
I am so, so thankful to have found via Facebook a support group of woman who have all experienced the same diagnosis. We all help and support each other and I honestly don’t know what I would have done without them!
