Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To ask if you lost your appetite after birth of your baby??

42 replies

ethelfleda · 04/11/2017 19:09

Hi Everyone.

Had our PFB on Monday - a boy and enjoying being a mum so far!
But the strangest thing is that I have completely lost my appetite. I keep getting dizzy, lighthearted episodes where the only thing that'll make me feel better are those glucose tablets and I have to keep forcing myself to eat. I'm sat here now with my dinner and I feel so weak but finding it incredibly difficult to bring myself to eat it.
I am eating every day but having to force myself to eat little and often so I don't feel like I'm going to pass out. I'm breastfeeding so I know I need to keep my calorie intake up. Is this normal??
Just to add I have a high metabolism and normally have a very healthy appetite.

OP posts:
EdmundCleverClogs · 04/11/2017 20:24

Yes, I think it was due to blood loss (within normal range but quite a bit) and low iron. It left me feeling weak, dizzy and without appetite for at least the first week but was definitely back to normal (and then some due to breastfeeding) within the first month.

JessiCake · 04/11/2017 20:27

Yep, I did and I have the appetite of an ox usually.

I put it down to adrenaline. Also if I had the choice between eating and sleep back then I chose sleep. So I missed a lot of meals. Sleep was my preference.

On the plus side, I lost baby weight very quickly!

Appetite came back but it certainly took longer than a few days. Weeks, actually.

Congrats!

GrumpyGoose · 04/11/2017 20:27

I did for about 5 weeks! Wasn’t a side effect of meds or anything 😕 know of quite a few others who found the same too!

Original poster
ethelfleda · 04/11/2017 20:32

Thing is, as a pp said I haven't got the weight to lose! So quite worrying really. I'm going to grab some complan milkshakes and supplement my small meals with that as well I think. Luckily I have plenty of milk coming in regardless!

OP posts:
ZZZZ1111 · 04/11/2017 20:40

I did, think because I was mega tired and stressed by feeding issues. It came back once bf started to improve!

Jenala · 04/11/2017 20:42

Yes I lost it to start with both times. Felt shaky but not hungry. I then craved sugar like mad for a couple of weeks. Then everything went back to normal.

xhannahx · 04/11/2017 21:10

Yep, took a few weeks to come back, lost all my baby weight which was a nice plus :)

Bananamanfan · 04/11/2017 21:12

Yes very much so with my pfb for a few weeks, less so with dcs 2 & 3. Congratulations on your baby. Flowers

ktkaye · 04/11/2017 21:18

I had this too. It was lot to do with adrenaline and being both anxious and exhausted I think. I made myself so much worse (anxiety wise) by not eating. Forcing myself to have plenty of protein really helped. That said, it’s very early doors for you and not necessarily indicative of anything except the newness and excitement of it all! Little and often, as you are doing. And assuming no dairy issues try milkshakes if you don’t fancy solids. Blend in a banana x

Me264 · 04/11/2017 21:30

This happened to me too, same as everyone else has said, combination of exhausting traumatic labour, big blood loss, and high anxiety in the first few weeks of DS's life. I had no appetite at all and when DH forced me to eat all food just tasted like cardboard in my mouth. It gradually eased after a few weeks. The plus side was I lost all my baby weight very quickly - was back in my jeans within a week.

whiteviolet · 04/11/2017 21:36

I totally lost my appetite for about 3 weeks which was the strangest feeling in the world as I love eating and am quite greedy normally Blush I wasn’t on any meds but was in hospital about 10 days so maybe it was the nasty hospital food that put me off! The upside was I was back in all my pre pregnancy clothes when I got home from hospital. The downside was I think my lack of appetite contributed to my exhaustion. If it hasn’t righted itself in a few weeks maybe speak to your midwife again? Congrats on your baby Flowers

mogulfield · 04/11/2017 21:38

I Had this! For about 5 days after birth and then was suddenly fine. No depression as I was actually pretty happy and sleeping well etc!
My mother in law served me huge portions as I ‘needed to keep my strength up’ but I just couldn’t face it. Try not to worry it looks common from this thread so I’m sure it will come back Smile

tinypop4 · 04/11/2017 21:40

I did. Didn't realise it at the time but I was actually very anxious with learning my way around a new baby, and a bit shocked that I had a little human! That anxious feeling got in the way of my appetite for 3-4 weeks while I came to accept I was a Mum and she was going to be around forever!

oldbirdy · 04/11/2017 21:42

Just a mention; I can't take it on tablets, they make me feel...off...sort of mildly nauseous, spaced out feeling. I took spatone (iron fortified water) or floradix instead. Might be worth investigating?

AndhowcouldIeverrefuse · 04/11/2017 21:42

Not at all! I had hyperemesis and after giving birth it was amazing to be able to eat normally and not be sick constantly. Interesting to read other people's experiences, I had no idea this loss of appetite was so common!

Urubu · 04/11/2017 21:54

Same here, I was just too busy to think about eating.
I lost all my pregnancy weight quickly though, 35kgs, twin pregnancy, in 9-12months.

LonnyVonnyWilsonFrickett · 04/11/2017 22:04

I too was on iron tablets and I'm convinced it was them that made me lose my appetite. Especially as the midwife encouraged me to take them with orange juice. By the time I'd had tablets and juice, I felt that I'd had my meal.

Do make sure you're keeping your fluids up. And congratulations on PFB, I feel we need a photo...

New posts on this thread. Refresh page