Is doing this amount of damage to my body worth it to bf ?

[aamia]

So far, despite taking vitamin tablets I have some weird deficiency that stops of absorbing water properly, my nails are so soft they just peel if I knock them against anything, totally exhausted most of the time and who knows what else to come when the 4 month growth spurt hits. thing is that my baby is ever so healthy and happy bf and not terribly keen on bottles. plus I hated the hassle of bottles when he was a tongue tied newborn. my body will heal and get healthy again afterwards right?

Sorry for typos on phone.

Could your Dr offer anything?

How can you be sure it's breastfeeding causing this? Have you had a blood test for anaemia?

Exhaustion could easily be down to just having a small baby to look after- it's knackering however you feed them. Are you getting much practical support so that you can rest?

Sorry to hear you are feeling so bad. Having a baby can be totally exhausting, however you feed them. I know plenty of mothers who bottle feed who are also rundown and exhausted

If you have access to a decent diet, then breastfeeding in itself is unlikely to cause you to be malnourished. What exactly has the doctor siad? What is the deficiency that prevents you from absorbing enough water - are you dehydrated? Are you having proper treatment for this problem?

Are you getting enough rest? Can anyone help ou so you can rest more?

Hi,
I'm pretty sure it's linked to the bf. Growth spurts exacerbate the symptoms hugely and it settles a bit when he goes back to feeding normally.

I have damage to my gut that affects how well I absorb minerals etc from my food, and although it's healed a lot now, have to eat really healthily even when it's just me, in order to stay ok. I've been offered a referral to a dietician in the new year, not that I can eat much healthier than I am really. Worth a try but not holding out much hope.

The flaky nails thing could be anaemia, it's worth asking for a blood test. Hope the dietician can help you. It might be worth talking to a breastfeeding counsellor about this. Pregnancy can cause massive changes to the body, it's very unusual for breastfeeding to be the cause of this kind of tiredness, even with underlying health problems.

Try liquid vitamins, they are much better. The body cannot absorb vitamins from pills easily (will only adsorb about 5% of what is in the pill), you just end up with expensive poo.

if you are finding it affects you more during growth spurts then eat and drink more as a first step.

you can have the same diet but just mire of it.
when dd has growth spurts i eat almost twice as much.
and i agree about a supplement- you can get specific supplements for bfing mothers

Thanks for the liquid vitamin idea. I currently take pregnacare breastfeeding tablets. Will google for the liquid equivalent