Breastfeeding and aching joints??

[mumB]

I have been breastfeeding for 6 months and my joints, especially in my hands are really stiff and achy. It is worse in the morning. The doctor has done blood tests to rule out arthritis. It is apparently a "breastfeeding thing" (due to hormones) that I guess I just have to put up with. Does anyone else suffer with this or have any cures?

How do you feel now? I only strictly BF and since her birth my joints and bones hurt. I have a hard time starting my day. First my feet hurt, my legs now my knees. I'm trying to be positive but it's hard.

Mine tends to come and go. I notice at night when I lay down my hands hurt, but the pain in other parts of my body seem to come and go. I don’t appear to be deficient in anything. I’ve had a lot of labs done, and I take high quality supplements and prenatals. At this point I truly do believe it is breastfeeding/hormone related. My dd is almost 9 months. Although I made it two years with my other 2, I may just do a year with this one. I would suggest tracking it on paper or in an app and see if it comes and goes, and if it’s brought on by changes in your baby’s nursing.

So glad I found this thread! My son is 14 months almost and I am breastfeeding. I wake up to such incredibly stiff joints in fingers that I can’t bend them!!! I remember having all sorts of weird things when I was breast-feeding my first child. For example my hands would get super super numb every morning. So I’m sure it’s just a breast-feeding thing, hormone related. Also I lift weights and I think that causes a strain on my fingers but the hormones make it much worse. This will likely get resolved after breastfeeding I am guessing. At least I feel this way having read all of your posts. 😊

Hi jmsharp 13, my symptoms are exactly like yours, did it get back to normal after breastfeeding? Can you share ?

Interested in this too as had aches in my hands but also a swollen top finger joint. Hoping it is just breastfeeding hormones but going to the doctor to see.

I had this from when my DS was newborn up until he was about 3 or 4 months and he was BF. The pain kinda bounced around for me - like for a few days I would have achy knuckles and then it'd stop for a wee while but then I'd have achy knees for a few days or hips etc. So strange. It did eventually stop without my intervening at all. Our bodies are weird!

I had this and yes it went after I stopped BF. I asked my consultant about it and she said when you're BF your body is in a sort of menopausal state (due to repression of oestrogen etc) and that's why your joints can ache.

So glad to hear it went away IcedTeaPlease. Mine is bouncing around very quickly. So I fed my baby at 4 and by 7 I've another knuckle on the other hand with the same dull sore feeling. Trying not to panic about rheumatoid arthritis! Hoping it's just the hormones you mentioned TopoTip. 😬😬😬🙏

@Iona3419 I was also worried about rheumatoid arthritis and I went for blood tests at my GP to check for it. There was nothing (phew).

I'm speaking to the Dr this morning so hopefully will get a blood test out of it. Just hate worrying. I've got 3 kids at home and its the summer holidays, I shouldn't have time to worry! 😂

Calcium deficiency? Breastfeeding saps all calcium from you xx

I was told it takes about 3 months after you stop breastfeeding for the relaxin to go and your joints to feel normal.

DS1 I breastfed to 8 months and was worried I’d never feel normal again. I felt a lot better by his first birthday, so the 3 month rule seems right.

Almost 9 months in with DS2 and hobbling around like an old lady again. Looking forward to stopping (aiming to get to a year this time) and feel normal again!

That's really interesting! The things having babies does to us😂The Dr didn't have an idea about what it could be but said it didn't sound like rheumatoid arthritis which cheered me up somewhat. Got a blood test booked to check anyway. @FizzingWhizzbee123 I'm 5 months in with my third. It certainly is a journey isn't it? I do find it amazing when you get to that point of feeling yourself again and you look back and realise how long it's been - especially when you include pregnancy!

@Iona3419 indeed! It’s all far more intense than my pre-baby self could ever have imagined. You think once you pop the baby out, it’s all over but nope! I’ve given up trying to get to the door for couriers now, I’m just too slow currently.

I can’t wait to have my boobs back. I leak terribly even now which means I need to wear a bra and pads 24/7, it’s horrible. I can’t sleep on my front because I get blocked ducts. I can’t wait for the first night I can sleep, braless, on my front and not wake up in a puddle of milk! The hot weather hasn’t been fun with sweaty soggy pads either 😩 sorry, oversharing….. 😆

😂😂Over share away! The heat last week😥lordy, it was a bit claustrophobic feeding a hot sticky baby when I was just dripping sitting still 😂 Argh you poor thing, blocked ducts sound painful. I'm fortunate that I don't leak too badly. I was more leaky with my first then with the next two my body seemed to remember and regulate itself. I am a bridesmaid in September though but not brave enough to go without the breastpads just yet!

Hey mommas! So at about 3 months I got knee pain and thought it was bc of my bad back, for super full of anxiety over things I googled, it then went to my one pointer finger, occasional wrist, ankles..just kind of moves around. Never leaves the pointer finger. No swelling just sore. Been tested for a million diff types of arthritis including RA and all negative. Do you ladies think it’s hormone related? I see a lot of people like me on here. Doctors don’t know and just brush me off. My little guy is 5 months old and exclusively breastfed. Help!!! What did u guys do for relief?

I’m breastfeeding 6-8 times a day and my baby is 10 months old but relies on me for fluids as doesn’t like to drink water. I’ve noticed really stiff fingers in the last 2-3 months that I can’t bend or straighten where they join to the palm of the hand (and then they suddenly pop up with enough force) as well as swollen painful joints of the knuckles (not necessarily the same ones I can’t straighten/bend)

I’m really worried it’s rheumatoid arthritis or some other inflammatory arthritis. Hopefully it’s all due to breastfeeding. Anyone else had the same and it went away?

I have a baby 1month old and I'm breastfeeding her but after 28 days my joints get started to hurt now , I have had the same history with my first born and it went off in second pregnency but now after baby it's getting start again ,what you people say does breastfeeding has any role in causing joint pain.

I have started the joint pain after giving birth to my baby she is 30 days now does breastfeed has any role in causing joint pain?