Tiredness etc caused by breastfeeding, that goes when you stop - if you had this, how long did you feed for?

[BertieBotts]

I'm breastfeeding DS who is 3.4 now. He typically feeds at bedtime and that is it, very occasionally first thing in the morning or during the day at another time.

I've also been feeling fairly lethargic, finding it hard to focus on things, memory shit, exhausted a lot of the time etc. Now, I know this can be caused by various things but one thing which does come up a fair bit is that some people say that breastfeeding made them feel like this, and that when they stopped, it went away.

So I was just wondering, really, if this was something which happens if you breastfeed for a longer time or if it is more localised to women who breastfeed for a year or less, or even if it's related to speed of stopping e.g. if feeds were cut down over a period of weeks or if it was longer e.g. months/years. Does anyone have any experience? It's honestly been so long now that I just assumed everyone felt like this or that it was due to sleep deprivation etc, although DS has slept through the night for a year or so now. It's only been fairly recently that I realised it was abnormal and in true being-crap-at-looking after myself fashion, I keep forgetting to mention it to my GP.

I've answered on the other thread. :)

Have you considered whether you might be anemic?

Are you fairly consistently tired all the time, or do you have energy crashes and real spells of exhaustion? When I had low iron levels, I felt rubbish all the time, whereas my tiredness due to sugar sensitivity was much more up-and-down (although consistently getting worse over time IYSWIM).

I could well be anaemic. I was after childbirth and was on iron tablets for a bit but never got checked to see if I needed the prescription repeating.

It tends to be up and down, but the fuzziness and lack of memory is probably more consistent. But my diet has been either complete crap, or carb heavy for the last few years, so the sugar thing makes a lot of sense to me.

I am a bit rubbish at remembering hydration. I had a kidney infection a few months ago and was in hospital with it and the nurses kept commenting on my dry lips - I hadn't realised that was a sign, had just thought it was normal for me. So I tend to drink when I notice my lips are dry, now.

I think I want to try improving my diet first and then add the multivitamin on to that if it's not completely helping. Just because (again) I'm rubbish at remembering to take things - I have 3 alarms to remind me to take my pill and I don't like the idea of artificial vitamins if I can get them from food.

I will be a bit disappointed in the depletion theory if it turns out to be true because I'd always thought that breastfeeding didn't deplete you much at all! It's a bit like being let down by and old and trustworthy friend

Yes the depletion thing rings a bell - I'm sure it's the case with calcium (comes from our bones?). Your milk will alway be fine unless youre severely malnourished but the components have to come from somewhere.

So get eating properly!!!

Yes the depletion thing rings a bell - I'm sure it's the case with calcium (comes from our bones?). Your milk will alway be fine unless youre severely malnourished but the components have to come from somewhere.

So get eating properly!!!

OK. Calcium is slightly depleted from the body while breastfeeding but bounces back with a vengeance afterwards which is why mums who breastfeed have good protection from osteoporosis.

Breastmilk will take from your body, of course, but for the amount you're feeding, virtually nothing. Certainly nothing to make you feel unwell. LOADS of people assume it does but in fact the biology doesn't support this.

Some things to consider would be:

• anaemia
• general diet
• thyroid function
• sleep
• hydration
• pregnancy? Although as you say it's been going on for a while

You've already identified some of these as not being something you focus on as much as you might, so doing that first would be a good plan I would think. You and me both . And a trip to the GP for a blood screen may throw up some answers.