is it normal to be ill ALL the time because of BF or is it just the sheer exhaustion?

[sophus]

Hi

Can anyone offer any help/support or anything really. I have a 5 1/2 month old DS, who i intend to BF until his 1st birthday as i don't want him to have formual. But I am just ill all the time, currently on my third cold since christmas and they are really bad colds, i am riddled with eczema - all down my arms, all over one breast. I just feel that BF is ridding me of any immune system i ever had. I am usually never ill and this continual spate of feeling like utter rubbish is really getting me down. Is it BF or is it due to the sheer and utter exhaustion that goes with being a new mother?
thanks in anticipation S

Hi sophus, I was like that with my dd and she was formula fed, so I don't think it's necessarily because you're bfing. I am similarily run-down after the birth of my ds who is 6 weeks and am bfing him. So have experienced both types of feeding and have same knackeredness/constant illness!! I really think it is just the exhaustion of having babies! Are you looking after yourself, eating well etc?

yikes how awful for you. are you getting enough rest? winter is always very bad for skin too.

must say that i have had fewer illnesses and felt more healthy while bfing. as i understand it we are constantly making new antibodies to pass on and repel illness in the child, so we have extra boost to our immune systems rather than the opposite.

Sophus - SNAP! I have had 6 colds since DD2 (also BF) was born in September. I never usually suffer with colds more than once a year. What I am putting it down to is that I am not eating as well as I should be (fruit etc) and I used to exercise a lot and I am not doing any at the moment. A few weeks ago I decided to try to eat better and since then have felt more healthy and have not been ill. Not sure if this is much help! Maybe take a Multivitamin and see if that helps.

Hope you feel better soon.

Hi,

You poor thing. I have a 9 month old and had a similar time Oct-Jan with endless colds/fluey symptoms. There were so many I dont think I had any well days without the next one starting to sniff with the latest cold. Oh, yes and that Norovirus/vomiting thing at Christmas.

Whenever I had something my LO got it and vice versa.

I started taking Pregnacare again and stoped doing a number of classes/outings and took time out to recover. Both I think helped.

You are near starting to wean and that made a big difference to me-not being the sole provider of food!Anyway dont think its BF per say but the constant feeds with probably no time off for good behaviour!

I also found having a "babymoon" every now and again when we both stayed in bed with toys/drinks and breastfed whenever helped a lot.

If I had family locally it is worth getting someone to look after LO, you staying in bed/bath/anywhere to relax. And them bringing them up to you when feeding time!

It does get better, well it did for me- havent had a cold for about 2 weeks!!!!

PS bagan to wonder if I had something wrong as had so many/felt soooooo knackered

Fingers crossed for things improving

Sorry- log essay!

hi
thanks for your replies - i think the lack of exercise may be a factor - i used to exercise a lot, and now i just push a buggy all day! i eat very well, only organic home cooked food - and i take a pregnacare tablet every day. I did put on a lot of weight whilst pregnant and haven't been able to shift it, so general health isn't as good as it could be. And i lost my mum when DS was 5 weeks old so stress has been a big factor for me. But just so fed up with being ill all the time. The last cold took three weeks to shift. i was well for a week, took DS swimming and withing an hour of being home was ill again, and it's getting worse by the hour. I just can't afford to have another sleepless night just because i'm bunged up - i'm so sleep deprived and i need to try and catch up a bit.
sorry for the whining but i am just so depressed about this - and worried. How can i be an effective mum like this?

Like Fishie I felt like my immune system was stronger while BFing. I noticed this to such a degree that I mentioned it to a few BFing friends who seemed to feel the samle.

However, since I stopped (when DD was 14 months) I have been iller than before motherhood. Thus I think it is probably exhaustion and contact with other young children that has made me catch so many viruses.

Hope you feel better soon.

going into new environments means you meet more bugs, thus it is pretty common to fall ill when starting a new job or moving house (as well disruption). so having a baby is a very extreme form of this, we go to all sorts of places and do loads of new things. and raise a baby. amazing we aren't all dead on our feet

sophus, are you getting all the right vitamins and nutrients you need, and is your iron level OK? When my iron levels are low I get really run down.

also, could the eczema be hormone related?

It's worth getting checked out by your GP incase there is some background cause for any of this.

I did start to feel more human again around the six month mark though, although I wasn't as exhausted as you sound