Emotions linked to BF - hormonal or not??

[MrDarcysShirt]

I am EBF my 6 month old and I don't know if this is normal but I constantly feel really emotional in relation to my LO / babies / the thought of future children.. It sounds quite weird but I just don't know if it's hormonal and will therefore stop when I stop BF (no plan to yet) or whether this is some sort of permanent change resulting from motherhood??

I constantly feel just brimming with love for the little monkey (of course this I assume is normal!) and I want to be with him all the time. I have left him for a few hours with family in the evenings a couple of times but to be honest I don't really have the urge to go out much (not that I ever really did) - though maybe that's just because I'm tired! I feel tearful (with happiness during the day often!) and anything on TV (hospital dramas and the like) which has any pregnancy / birth storyline reduces me to tears.

It all sounds so lame - none of it is a problem except I am beginning to wonder whether if it is a permanent change I will be able to bring myself to go back to work. I have a year off so still a while to go but my job in the city is very full on and if I am brutally honest, right now I have no desire to go back because I just want to stay home with my LO and have some more! I am conscious of the fact I might not feel like this forever and I would like to be doing something to exercise my mind / contribute to the family finances but the thought of leaving at 8am and getting back (if I am lucky) ten minutes before LO goes off to bed is heart breaking.

Did other people have these feelings? Did they stop / abate when BF stopped??

Welcome to motherhood. I still feel this way and my DD is 18 months old, and I hope it doesn't change - although I'd like to be able to stop all the crying at silly things. I get teary when I see other babies.

I have not returned to work, so can't help on that emotional front, but I would imagine it gets a bit easier, the longer you work (although I'm sure someone with experience of this will let you know).

I have exactly the same thoughts re. me, my DS who is 6mo, being with him, going back to work after a year off..... Right now, I dread the thought of going back to work and try not to think about it. I feel bad that spring has started because it means I am closer to going back (obviously.. But it's the reminder of time passing so quickly). I do wonder if it's just where my head is at the moment or whether these feelings will pass over time.

I felt like this after the birth of DD1. Adverts would have me in tears and I couldn't watch emotional or scary films. A real rollercoaster! She's now 4yrs old and my emotions did settle as she got older (I bf until 14mths). But the joyous love stuff hasn't gone. I just look at her sometimes and my heart swells! Have now got 3wk old DD2 and similar feelings are flooding me. I think the whole pregnancy, birth and parent journey stirs things up in a way we can't imagine!

Oh, I also cry every time I watch one born every minute and for some reason, watch too many of those delivery and hospital shows on sky. Anything involving kiddies will make me tear up....!
I also work in the city and have a full on job.... Are you me??? Just kidding.

Another teary eyed lass here too. Dd is 7 months (FFS sake where has 7 months gone!?) and I can well up just looking at her. Love love love breastfeeding her and that closeness it brings.

Tv programs, adverts, books, my dp making me a cuppa , can set me off too. But it's like they're happy tears. Must have lots of of oxytocin hormone still in us!

The thought of work is horrible and puts a nasty anxious feeling in the pit of my stomach. Luckily dp has said we can manage if I return part time but would be lovely to be a SAHM and I was all about career/working pre dd.

Glad it's not just me then! I really don't feel like I want to go back - I can't bear the thought of leaving him - and I also would feel bad for my husband to have the pressure of being the sole breadwinner. Plus I would like to be doing something - running my own business or something perhaps.. Maybe I just need to think of an alternative.