Uncontrollable shaking early in breastfeeding?

[JeanGabin]

AIBU to think this may be more common than is recorded?
When I was breastfeeding in early days (I think 1-2 weeks post partum) I had a couple of episodes within 2-3 days lasting 1-2 hours where I felt perishingly cold and was shivering uncontrollably. I may have had a blocked duct, possibly even mastitis though it wasn't obvious, the first time I couldn't get warm despite toasty clothes, sitting pressed against the radiator etc.
Second time I got in a hot bath which helped me feel warmer at least!
I've always wondered if it was stress related but it felt like how people describe rigors. Has anyone else had similar but not got more unwell / needed antibiotics?

I'm so glad I've read this thread. I had it twice after having my baby. The first time was in bed when I was six days post partum and I shook uncontrollably with my teeth chattering. The second time was within a few days of that (but can't remember how long after) and was standing in the kitchen. I remember shaking uncontrollably in the same way and falling into my partner.

@destieos that's exactly it - I could hear my teeth chattering too. No morphine though
Greengage - interesting theory - I've never had it since and have most a lot of weight in the past year but maybe others have?
User, how interesting - maybe not bf related after all, though guess you must have been pretty unwell in ITU!

Angela, sounds just the same! Did you have any other symptoms (blocked ducts, mastitis, urinary symptoms etc)?

Not a human, but I’ve had it in a lactating bitch before?! I worried it was eclampsia and had bloods done, but no…. It resolved itself but she shook for about three hours and shivered all that time.

So far, sounds like not uncommon but not necessarily a common factor except early post natal period.
So glad (I'm a way) other people have experienced this. Would really like to understand why it happens and/or failing that,how often it happens.

I definitely shook my milk in
each time. Spent the whole night sweating and shivering. My HV thought I was bonkers when I mentioned it. Yet it happened with both children so I assumed it was hormones.

Know someone that this happened to after taking progesterone only pill. Her stomach was even vibrating - it was very odd. After two days she stopped the pill as the shaking got too much. And it stopped.

Yes, I had a urine infection

Yep, I have a 4 week old and had this last weekend. Never experienced it with my first DC but this started (I think) with wearing a nursing bra that was slightly too tight. Felt uncomfortable and then later that day, all
of a sudden felt freezing cold, had a temp of 39 and the shakes big time. I googled furiously, ended up drinking my body weight in orange juice and swallowing chopped up garlic cloves and I was better within a few hours…

@JeanGabin I don't remember exactly what drugs they gave me, but my teeth were chattering like mad on the operating table after the epidural went in, so I assumed it was related. Now you mention it though, I wasn't cold in the theatre, but was freezing and unable to get warm during the home episodes. Interesting that so many women have had it post-childbirth. I don't think I had any boob issues at the time, he was so tiny and barely eating anything, that got painful later!

Rudsyfarmer - same here, I felt like it must be stress or something even though it felt completely alien / out of my control. I get some things are stress (my morning sickness lingered till I had norovirus both pregnancies then cleared up afterwards!) but this "felt" very physical

Is it let down? I used to feel literally like I had flu at the beginning of feeds.

Take your temperature and go to the docs if you need to.

@Grossgirl garlic
Definitely sounds quite common and I'd say needs further research desti.
Ncn, I guess a urine infection would explain it- I wonder whether there's a non infective cause too?
Progesterones an interesting thought Zanda.

Hibernation, that's so I tersti g - suggests not just a human experience!

I had something like this and assumed it was (very) low blood sugars? I fed twins and for the first few weeks would shake and feel cold when I got up for night feeds (not in the day but I then I was basically eating constantly during the day in the same period). I used to have cake a 3am! Also litres of water. I felt that it was just such a shock to my body that it made sense. I don't remember how long it lasted (DTs are 13 now!) but definitely passed after a couple of weeks.

Yes. I certainly had this with DC2. As someone else I treated as mastitis and it cleared up on its own. I was about 8 days postpartum I think when it happened. Freezing cold, shivering uncontrollably despite piles of duvet and blankets and a roaring fire. Chattering teeth.

No nothing like that at all. I had a c section so at the time was terrified I had an infection but had no other symptoms like fever or anything. My milk came in on about day 4, and I was having to triple feed as my baby had difficulty latching (which turned out to be tongue tie which was missed until she was about two weeks.) Definitely not a blocked duct or mastisis. I've had a block duct a few times since and it's felt nothing like those shaking episodes. I mentioned it to the midwife who was totally dismissive and said it was one of those things.

Declutter, this was suite different. I was invalidated for at least an hour, teeth literally chattering and huddled next to the radiator / wrapped up in blankets. Do remember the "let down" feeling though

I get this every time I have a fever. It’s awful. Absolutely freezing uncontrollable shaking but a very high temp.

*incapcitated!!!

Boooot, wonder if I (and everyone else) had an infection...I'd wondered if it was milk related but maybe not..

The first time I remember having it was when I had a viral illness when I was a teenager. My lower back often completely seizes up too and I can’t move! I had it when in labour with my first baby and the midwife’s put loads of fans on me to cool me down. I was in agony because I was so so cold but my body temp was 41.

I suspect the hot bath was not the right thing to do, Boooot, but I didn't feel as cold and I think I might have punched anyone trying to cool me down!

Ooh I kind of had similar for my first DC but they were shorter episodes of shivers, say up to 30 mins where I couldn't get warm at all. This was in April and It was sunny. I made Dh put the heating on and blankets etc. i slept in full clothes socks, hoodie etc. probably melted poor newborn DC.
It didn't happen for DC2 and the only thing I put it down to at the time is that I lost a lot of blood with DC1, classed as a haemorrhage and I had very low iron as a result, also was pumped full of antibiotics too just after birth so maybe I was recovering from an infection? I was very out of it for about a month but the shivery episodes had stopped by then. Though reading some of the responses, I did breastfeed so maybe it was the beginning of mastitis, I'm not sure!

I had this with my first. I'd never experienced night sweats before giving birth to her, but it suddenly started happening then (still does very occasionally now). And feeling so cold, even though I could tell that it was actually warm under my duvet. I was very anaemic (despite not technically having a pph) and also got terrible mastitis almost as soon as my milk came in with dc1. With subsequent two babies I have lost more blood but not been anaemic or had mastitis, and haven't suffered from the shivering either.