adverse effects of breastfeeding in mum?

[Cornberry]

I have been EBF my little girl for 7 months now and since the second month I have been suffering from extreme reflux causing me intense discomfort and difficulty swallowing along with many other symptoms. I've lost almost 30kg since her birth largely due to not managing to eat properly and having to eat very slowly, and trying eliminating sugar, dairy, wheat etc. All to no avail. I have had so many medical investigations that have led to nothing that I'm getting very depressed about it. I have failed to identify a pattern, except that I had a slight period of improvement around the time my period reappeared at 4 months. I had another period 6 weeks later and no more since. I'm wondering if the hormones from BF are interfering with my stomach muscles or something? Would be very interested to know if anyone else has suffered with reflux or similar while BF. I don't want to stop BF just yet but if this is the cause it's definitely best for us both :(

[tiktok]

Sounds a difficult situation, cornberry, and def worth investigating, as you are doing.

I don't think I have ever heard of BF affecting digestion or the digestive tract in the way you describe. There's no reason why it would.

You can't have lost 30 kg, though? About 5 stone? Unless you wanted to, and we're very overweight to start with. If you were a normal weight then a loss of 30 kg would be very serious.

Hope you get to the bottom of it soon.

[AlleyCatandRastaMouse]

I had absolutely awful pain from gallstones while BF (might it be that) and over 1.5 years later I have never had a single other flare up. I definitely think there can be a link as another on of my BF friends was in the same boat.

[Cornberry]

after my baby was born i weighed 87 kg, I know weigh 59 so yes a lot of weight. I put on a lot of pregnancy weight, about 20kg, but am now way below my pre-pregnancy weight. I have had lots of blood tests, I guess they would show up gallstones?

[scotsgirl64]

have you had an endoscopy/abdominal u/s?...thats an awful lot of weight to have lost...i think you need to go back to GP

[AlleyCatandRastaMouse]

I had a scan to show up gallstones but yes in some circumstances if your liver results were a little off the might show up in blood work but probably not always. I BF for 2.5 years and had been given an appointment to discuss getting my gallbladder out but as I say once I finished BF the flare ups stopped completely so I decided, with the doctor, to take a wait and see approach and never ended up going for surgery.

[Haggisfish]

Anecdotally, I think bf caused the relaxin hormone to relax my muscles and sphincters, such as the one to my stomach. I suffered horrendous indigestion as well, but it was well controlled by omeprazole. Are you on any antacid medication?

[scotsgirl64]

have you tried Gaviscon?...can be bought over counter and safe to take while bf....hormones can affect relaxation of gastric /oesophageal sphincter....i do not think you should need to exclude dairy/wheat/sugar...you need all the calories you can get...

[vichill]

I have awful cramps and indigestion around the time my body is trying in vain to have a period (have yet to return-dd 10m). i have read a surge in progesterone upsets the digestive system by making it sluggish. This was always a symptom of my pmt but since breastfeeding and the whole cocktail of hormones now at play it seems more exaggerated. I dont know if progesterone levels are abnormally high when competing with prolactin/oxytocin?

[Cornberry]

gaviscon, omeprazole, tried them all. the only thing i found helped a little was eating much less and less fat and sugar. it's so soon to say if the wheat and dairy are making a difference. My internet searches led my to suspect candida overgrowth was giving me reflux but I was told my a doc that isn't a "medically accepted diagnosis"... I will be devastated if i stop BF and it turns out that wasn't the cause, and I'll still be suffering and my LO won't be BF anymore. But i'm having so much triable with it I'm staring got think it's worth trying.

[tiktok]

I didn't realise you were including your pregnancy weight gain in the 30 kg loss, OP, sorry.

[Cornberry]

sok! yes, had endoscopy, nothing significant found. no U/S though. maybe I should ask for one...