Body feels broken 7 months post partum. Am I alone in this?

[ThinkingIsAllowed]

Posting here for traffic.

My DS was born 7 months ago. For the first 6 months he didn't sleep well so I put my feelings of exhaustion and achy body down to that. For the last month or so he's been sleeping much better (thank god!) but my body still feels...broken.

For example, I can spend 30 minutes doing chores around the house (e.g. putting washing on, hanging washing out), and when I sit down I feel knackered, like I used to feel after walking for hours. My stamina is massively reduced, and I'm stiff when I get up after sitting down for a while. My skin is saggier and I'm a size bigger than I was before.

Basically I feel like pregnancy and giving birth has aged my body massively, and I'm only 33.

Am I alone in this? Can I make it better?

No, you’re not alone.

I had my first three children in my 20’s and I recovered quickly, back to normal. I had our fourth baby at 35 and it took over a year to feel like myself again, however I still feel older, as though that pregnancy aged me significantly. I get tired easily and my bones ache. Though she’s now 2 and I’m still breastfeeding her, so I’m not sure if that contributes.

I would say however, maybe get checked out by your GP eg full blood counts etc, just for piece of mind that everything is okay.

Ask your gp to check your thyroid. Pregnancy is notorious for interfering with it.

I developed an underactive thyroid after my first pregnancy, the GP said it's quite common. It could be worth getting bloods taken to check for that, or anaemia?

I felt exactly the same at about 5 months. My GP did a load of tests. Came back I was anaemic and had been since giving birth. The hospital didn't bother telling me or giving me the iron tablets I should have been prescribed.

I have babies at 26 and 29 bounced back more or less straight away. Baby 3 came along the year I turned 40 and it took a good 9/10months before I felt normal again. Did go on pregnacare multi vitamins for a while which helped loads. Like you've described it was more than just being sleep deprived.

I felt broken after my fourth and I was 38. It has taken 2 years after my last child to feel ‘better’. Where my knees don’t ache and creak, the fatigue has subsided, my skin feels and looks brighter. My hair finally got its bounce back. My strength is coming back, flexibility and fitness but that’s an ongoing improvement and I am having to work hard at it. I think I felt at my most rubbish from 8-14 months post partum with each DC.

I'd ask GP to check your thyroid function. I have hypothyroidism, only discovered 18 months after giving birth but I felt so so so much better once on medication. it was only discovered as I had bloods done for investigations into extremely heavy periods.

I had my last at 37 and yes I feel broke. Like I’ve been in a washing machine and spat out. She’s 12 months and I’ve just been to the GP last week and they’re doing bloods.

Me too. 32yo at birth, took 14 months to start feeling I could do chores without exhausting myself. I slept like the dead, would wake up same position I fell asleep in, like I’d passed out rather than had restful sleep. During pregnancy I slept 18hrs a day in third trimester. It just totally took it out of me. Started to feel normal a month after I stopped breastfeeding.

Agree with PP

Dont let them fob you off. My iron is always borderline and I feel awful when it's even at the lower end of normal, I'm really sensitive to it

@lochmaree

I'd ask GP to check your thyroid function. I have hypothyroidism, only discovered 18 months after giving birth but I felt so so so much better once on medication. it was only discovered as I had bloods done for investigations into extremely heavy periods.

Oh really? My periods have been ridiculously heavy postpartum and I get awful headaches. Thought it was just part of it.

I did not feel like this. Could it be diet-related?

Iron!!

Giving birth to my second baby just changed me. My body has never been the same since. It was 7 years ago and I'm used to it now but he did break me in a way that my first did not.

Ok, I'll be honest, I don't recognise this at all. I had my two at 27 and 29 and was back at work within 6 months (no choice then)

I felt fine and was doing the school run, at baby groups, nights out but just had a baby to sort out in between. Not being smug, just putting across the other point that you shouldn't be washed out for 7 months after having a baby 😞

Thank you everyone for your comments, it's so helpful to hear from other people.

I will look into thyroid issues. I'd have never thought about that!

I'm not breastfeeding anymore so it's definitely not that. My diet is not great though - way too much sugar.

@MrsJBaptiste I'm glad you didn't feel like this (genuinely!). The thing is, I am doing pretty much all the things I did before, like going to work, chores, seeing friends etc. That's what made me notice the difference, because doing those things is much harder work than it used to be and I don't know why!

@BakeOffRewatch my periods have been longer but lighter than before (they used to be really awful). So it's definitely not a given that post-partum periods will be heavy

I had my one and only DD at 34 and felt absolutely broken physically after. I was unfit, hormone issues, joint problems etc.
I have got better, even though I've gained weight and am a decade older now.
I think it took a good 18moths before I didn't feel irreparable!

Just to add, I was on medication for rosacea (skin condition) pre-baby, which worked quite well. Post-baby the same medication is having much less effect. I do not understand this at all!

@SheilaWilcox did you do anything in particular that helped?

I found vit D made a difference after GP did blood tests and found I was deficient.
My skin was bloody awful for a while - hormonal acne etc. I switched to an oil-free moisturiser.
I've always just assumed it was because I was a slighter older first time mum - Although before I got pregnant I never thought 34 was old. I just noticed I was at the older end of most baby groups.
My mental health and self care was pretty poor in the early days. I've found walking and swimming helped way more than more vigorous exercise which just seemed to wipe me out for days after. I have to 'pace' myself more these days.

I was 25 when I gave birth and it’s taken my body nearly 2 years to feel okay ish. Although I’m under physio and we think this is due to my hypermobility

Yes, I think some of us have bodies that just get completely broken by pregnancy and childbirth.

I had NO IDEA before I got pregnant and if I'm honest, it would have made me re-think having a child.
I think it should be taught in schools to put girls off unprotected sex!!!

Postpartum thyroiditis. Get checked, pretty common.