premarin cream....should i? what is this?

[tzs]

my ob gave me premarin cream at my 6 week appt.to help "heal the vaginal area" or something. i am new to this...is this standard? for some reason it freaks me out. i don't know if it's the fact that it's hormones, or that it's a menopause product, or that it seems like a total "man thing" to do (to make sure my husband gets sex???)
i usually have NO problem taking meds and i'm going on the pill so it's not like i won't put artificial hormones in me. will this stuff help? or is it just a waste of time?

[PartDeux]

I'm a total skulker here (congratulations everyone! I'm so happy to have read about so many lovely babies!)

I saw your thread and thought I'd answer (I'm a women's health NP).

I'm guessing your OB is giving you the Premarin cream (estrogen derived from horse urine. If that worries you, you can ask for Estrace cream) because breastfeeding can often cause some vaginal dryness - your hormones are a little occupied with other things. I've never heard of using it postpartum, but I suppose it makes some sense. I don't think I'd use it personally unless you're having some issues. Unless your vaginal tissues are very thin, as in menopause, very little of the estrogen should go systemic.

Incidentally, it won't help with libido, just lubrication. As you are presumably not menopausal, you'd likely do just as well with a vaginal moisturizer like Replens.

[djinneyah]

crashing...congrats, BTW!

i just wanted to add my 2 cents about premarin. it is derived from pregnant mare urine. please know that these horses are not treated well, constantly impregnated, and the foals resulting from the pregnancies are slaughtered, as are the mares once they get to the point where they can no longer serve their purpose.

http://www.uan.org/index.cfm?navid=16

if you choose hormone replacement therapy, please choose something that doesn't profit off of animals being mistreated and killed.

[2boyzmama]

Why not just use good ol' KY?

[hipmummy]

I would no use it. For all the PP's reasons. There are many great lubes out there you do not need to go the drug route. Breatfeeding women had sex for thousands of years before premarin. And using it while breastfeeding is sort of off label as it is ment for menopause.

[tzs]

yeah, that make sense, if you are using a ton of lube anyway then why mess with this stuff?
and i appreciate the animal cruelty angle. actually, i keep a strict kosher so i'm not sure i'd want to put horse products in me unless it was really medically necessary....it just hadn't occurred to me where it had come from.

[GoBecGo]

The manufacture processes of premarin are really horrible, the mares are stalled in tiny stalls with huge "nappy" type arrangements on to collect their urine for up to 5months at a time. They don't get to graze or move and their foals are removed at birth at slaughtered for the pet food industry, they are re-inseminated 9days after birth so they are continuously pregnant. There are less cruel estrogen creams and perfectly good lubricants you can use instead.

[schoolmom07]

Originally Posted by djinneyah

crashing...congrats, BTW!

i just wanted to add my 2 cents about premarin. it is derived from pregnant mare urine. please know that these horses are not treated well, constantly impregnated, and the foals resulting from the pregnancies are slaughtered, as are the mares once they get to the point where they can no longer serve their purpose.

http://www.uan.org/index.cfm?navid=16

if you choose hormone replacement therapy, please choose something that doesn't profit off of animals being mistreated and killed.

WTH? I have never heard of this! For one, I don't want to use anything near my vaginal area that is made from urine of anything! Second, to then mistreat and kill animals providing the "therapy" is just proof that we humans are so cruel, negligent, inhumane creatures and we call them animals! Who is really the animal in this instance?