Osteoporosis doesn't just affect older women. While it's more commonly diagnosed later in life, younger women can get osteoporosis or osteopenia, which is a precursor, earlier in life, right around when they might be having a family. "Estrogen is a very important hormone for our bones and when we lose estrogen, we lose bone," says Landa.
"Women with osteoporosis already have lower estrogen levels making their bones that are weak and fragile [more] prone to fractures or breaks," Dr. Sherry Ross, MD, OBGYN and author of She-ology: The Definitive Guide to Women's Intimate Health. Period., tells POPSUGAR. "Prolonged breastfeeding makes your estrogen levels low, putting those with osteoporosis at risk for worsening bone loss."