If vaginal dryness is a significant problem for you as it is for many nursing mothers, due to the effects of the hormones that stimulate milk production you might benefit from the use of a vaginal estriol cream. These creams are usually used by postmenopausal women, and must be prescribed by a physician and obtained from a compounding pharmacist. The dosage recommended by natural hormone expert Dr. John Lee is 2 milligrams every two to three days. Do try a few different nonhormonal lubricants before you ask your doctor for estriol cream. While you are nursing, you should stay away from other supplemental hormones, including dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) and melatonin. Herbal remedies can help you sleep as well as melatonin can, and if progesterone cream doesn’t work to improve long-lasting postpartum depression, wait until you have finished nursing to try DHEA and use it with the guidance of a health-care professional.
