To all my breastfeeding mom friends out there, does breastfeeding alone make you more tired, even if you're doing everything else "right"?
I am:
-getting 8-10 hours of sleep per night (don't judge, I've been exhausted!), and I haven't been getting up in the night for almost 2 months now
-running, but only moderately (15 miles per week, max)
-eating a healthy, balanced diet
-eating enough (I've been gaining about a pound per month, so I'm definitely getting enough to feed us both)
-eating very little sugar and not much in the way of processed foods
-eating about 5 mini-meals per day, every few hours throughout the day
I've had all my blood levels checked. I'm not anemic or deficient in any vitamins. My thyroid levels are fine. My white blood cell count was normal (indicating I probably don't have some kind of underlying virus or something). I'm not abnormally sad or angry, so I'm pretty sure I'm not depressed. I've been there before, and this doesn't feel like that.
But I am exhausted all the time! Much more so, in fact, than when I was getting up in the night with Hyrum. I feel slightly dazed and almost a little dizzy most of the time. My schedule is somewhat demanding, but with Evelyn in school in the mornings, it's probably actually less intense than when I was pregnant and we were spending most of the day out and about. And I'm definitely more tired now than I was then (with the exception of the great cough that might have been pertussis, which wiped me out for a few weeks in February). The only thing I can think of is that maybe breastfeeding is just making me tired. Could it be so? What do you think, internet?
6 comments:
Breastfeeding makes me so tired. I can really feel the energy being drained out of me right after feeding. That said, it sounds like you're doing everything you can (and then some!) so maybe it's more than just the breastfeeding. I hope you feel better soon! And thanks for all the posts. Love reading them even though I almost never comment.
When you find the answer please let me know because I am exhausted too. Seriously, if i don't nap with cade several times a week I feel like I'm going to dye of fatigue. Could it be breast feeding? Hmmm, interesting question?
How much water do you drink? When you mentioned the dazed and dizziness, dehydration came to mind. Nothing will zap your energy faster than even being slightly dehydrated, especially when nursing, and with all that exercise. You might want to try drinking 2-3 liters of water a day and see if that makes any difference. (I drink Dr. Pepper, otherwise, I'd probably die of exhaustion too!) Good luck, hope you figure it out.
Any chance it's allergies? I have seasonal allergies and they wipe me out!
have you checked your blood sugar levels?i had gest diabetes with millie and when my sugar levels were spiked i couldn't keep my eyes open. more fatigued than in my 1st tri.
Not enough sugar-free Popsicles.
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