Is there anything other than pregnancy that can cause lactation?

Question

I have only been sexually active with my current boyfriend for one month. Before that, I have not had sex in three years. Tonight, however, I noticed that there is a milky discharge from one of my nipples.

1. Is it possible for lactation to occur in only one breast?
2. Is there anything other than pregnancy that can cause lactation? (i.e. during foreplay, my boyfriend sucks on my breasts... can this stimulation cause it?)
3. How early in pregnancy does lactation start?

I have not had any other blatant symptoms of pregnancy, and I have an appointment with a free clinic to take a test there, but I wanted to know beforehand if there is any hope.

I am on birth control; I take the shot, Depo-Provera. My boyfriend and I do not use condoms because he cannot keep it up with them (no lie, sad but true).
I also have a very messed up reproductive system. I had some cysts on my ovaries when I was a child, so until I got on birth control, my periods were irregular- too long, too heavy, too short, too light... you get it.
Just to clarify that it was not completely unprotected, but also missed periods would not be a way to tell.
Also, my regular doctor has said that it is highly unlikely that I will ever be able to conceive

Answer 1

Lactation could happen even if you are not pregnant. I've known of women who breastfeed their adopted babies so in that case they never got pregnant. They breastfeed with the help of milk inducing medicenes. But these types of medecines play with the hormones -Prolactin is a very good cause of it. if Prolactin hormone is too much in the body it might lead to a fluid flowing out of the nipples. Its not good if that is the case because it might lead to infertility also and as you are saying that your doctor has told you that you can never be pregnant I want to say that no doctor can tell you if you'll ever have a child or not. its all in God's hands. But if your prolactin is high then it can be corrected with medicenes. See a good reprodutive endocrinologist for fertility meds.

Answer 2

Lactation Without Pregnancy Causes

Answer 3

Hormone imbalances might cause lactation. Routine suction would cause a woman to lactate too. This is how wet nurses lactate without giving birth. But I doubt foreplay sucking is enough to get you to lactate. I think the amount you are lactating (if you are indeed lactating) would make a big difference between "It's normal and there is nothing to worry about" and "Come in so we do some tests".

Hope an Ob/Gyn chimes in here.

Answer 4

This Site Might Help You.

RE:
Is there anything other than pregnancy that can cause lactation?
I have only been sexually active with my current boyfriend for one month. Before that, I have not had sex in three years. Tonight, however, I noticed that there is a milky discharge from one of my nipples.

1. Is it possible for lactation to occur in only one breast?
2. Is there anything other...

Answer 5

Women can lactate if they're stimulated REALLY often. Adoptive mothers of newborns sometimes use a kind of bottle with a really thin tube that is attached to their nipples so the baby can stimulate them while eating. The Milk League say you can get to have milk in a month or two, so I don't think this is your case.
Now, in pregnancy, you don't usually have "milky discharges" until you're at least half way along.
Just go ahead and take the test and remember if you have unprotected sex there's always a chance...

Answer 6

there are other things that can make you lactate it would take your bf nursing every 4 hours for a month to cause lactation but some times a woman wants a baby so much that her body will begin to fake pregnancy and you can lactate that way and you body my just be producing so many hormones that they just need an escape. you should call your dr and ask

Answer 7

1. yes, possible
2. yes, there are many drugs which can possibly cause spontaneous lactation. believe it or not, Tagamet can cause it.
3. Lactation does not usually start until after you give birth. Even if you miscarry, you usually do not lactate unless you were 15 weeks or further along. I had no milk until 3 days after my son was born.
Hope this helps.

Answer 8

Lactation During Sex

Answer 9

This book is a must read for any woman trying to get pregnant. I was devastated and so was my husband after being told by my fertility specialist at age 38 that I had no option but to consider adoption or donor eggs (according to my doctor I was out of eggs and gave me 4% chance of getting pregnant and a 2% chance of carrying a baby to full term). After much research and dozens of hours reading infertility related articles and posts online, I have found this book! I never believed in anything alternative to western medicine and thought all the other stuff like Chinese medicine was a hoax. But I was soon glad to be wrong as I followed step by step guidelines. After one month of trying I became pregnant and had a beautiful healthy boy. Nine months after that I did everything in the book again and after 2 months of trying I got pregnant again and gave birth to another perfect little boy. I would recommend anyone with an open mind to read this book. It just might be the answer to your prayers.

Answer 10

You could be pregnant but I doubt it. When I first became sexually active I would sometimes have a discharge and it was nothing. But I do know that everytime I have my annual exam my doctor always tells me that if I see a discharge to come in as soon as possible to find out what the problem is.