Realy bad joint pains and stiffness, and getting worse, related to breast feeding?

[redtabby]

Hi
I am breastfeeding my five month old DS (absolutely love it), and over the past two months I have had increasingly bad joint pains and stiffness, all over, especially worse in the mornings or when I have to get out of bed in the night. I look like a hundred year old woman when I get up in the morning and hobble, bent over and groaning, to the bathroom. I have read about people getting joint pains postpartum, and when bresatfeeding, but has anyone had experience of it going on so long, and actually getting worse?

The pains began in my hips and knees and now are pretty much everywhere, including my fingers and wrists.

I am no spring chicken (aged 46, first baby) but have never had these pains before in my life.

No advice, but I'm so glad I'm not the only one! My baby is three months old and I have really sore hands and feet - to the point where I'm convinced I have arthritis!

I'm in my thirties, btw.

I had that with dd (1st child, now 4.5). I was 37 at the time. could barely walk in the morning, or if I had been sitting down for a while. hips and knees mostly. Started about a month after she was born (once the hideous night sweats finished!) and carried on for about 3-4 months. Went to GP and got blood tests done for inflammation etc, and eventually it just stopped. Think I might have taken some natural supplement for joints (glucosamine?) as well. Never really managed to bf dd as she refused point blank, but I did express for 4+ months. Never had a great supply. Perhaps it was related to b-feeding then?

Didn't happen with ds, and I b-fed him more and for longer.

How long are you planning to b-feed then?

I'm planning to breastfeed for as long as possible, for all the good health and emotional reasons for him, as well as the selfish reason that I just love it. I would love to carry on for at least two years if I can. I have already gone back to work, so a lot of pumping at work goes on at the moment, but it is all worth it when I get home and get the little sausage latched on and RELAX...better by far thn the gin and tonic I used to favour after a long day!

I was just hoping that I would not have these pains forever...I was never the fittest person, but I'm now like a real old crone, and I have to sleep all cushioned around with various pillows or my hips wake me up with the pain (DH complains about all the pillows poking into him!) When I wake up to grab DS from his little basket in the night, (he comes into the bed about halfway through the night for a feed and usually stays there the rest of the night) I grunt and groan with the pain and stiffness. Makes one feel really OLD.

I had the same sort of thing when i was feeding DS a lot, especialy when we were co-sleeping. It was mainly my neck, back and and my wrists and hands which were affected, not only with pain but with pins and needles and weakness aswell. I went to the Dr, had a battery of tests which were all fine and then and i ended up going to a chiropractor and that did help but the main differece was stopping co sleeping, stopping lugging DS arond in the car seat and it got much better as i stopped feeding as much. Ds is 10 months now and it's all gone but i am still feeding. I htink it is something to do with the ligaments being more stretchy.

I am only 29 but i felt like i was about 129 !

I, and quite a few people in the Bf group that I go to have had this to some degree or the other. Pregnancy hormones allow all your ligaments to stretch so the baby can get out of your pelvis, and post partum it all has to go back and tighten up again. BF hormones can delay this and aches and pains come towards weaning time. For me my grip became pathetic and got pins and needles in my hands, along with when i got out of bed in the morninig by feet and ankles would feel as if i had been wearing heels for hours on end and by back would be stiff, I'd hobble to the cot like and old woman. It does pass but can take a few months (my DS is 9 months and its much better then it was). If it doesn't improve or is really uncomfortable then get it looked at.

ooh forgot to say one thing that did help a lot was doing post natal yoga, was nice and gentle and DD and DS both loved it cos they got to do baby yoga. It didn't cure it but gave everything a nice good stretch.

Ooh redtabby, when I started reading your post I was thinking I get this too but then I am getting old. Then I see that we are in the same boat - first baby at 46. Was glad to see that other younger people have suffered with this too - there's hope for us yet!

I have to say though, my DS is now 20 mo and although the pain in my wrists has eased my back and hips and general all over stiffness have not. The first thing DS wants me to do every morning is to lift him up to look out of the window and I really struggle.

Actually, I'm sure my problems are old age

Well, although I am of course not happy to hear about others' suffering, I am pleased to hear I am not the only one (IYKWIM). I began to think well, this is old age and I'll be like this forever. My dear sweet DH (who is over seven years younger than me)told me that I am NOT old and it must be something else!

I was at the GP today, having had a whole bunch of blood tests, all came back totally normal. It must be the postpartum thing. I am determined to carry on bfeeding so will just grin and bear the aches and pains.

Hey Goldie, hello, glad to hear there is another here in the small club of had-first-baby-over-45! (I didn't plan it that way, have been trying to get it right since I was 40, lots of problems, eventually got my little miraculous baby).

Hi Redtabby, I wouldn't have planned it this way either in an ideal world but definitely better late than never I say! Makes all these aches and pains worth it to see his little face every morning

No, my thyroid is just fine (have been on thyroid hormone for years and am checked regularly, recent test totally fine).

Definitely better late than never, he is just the absolute delight of our life!

It's best to go to your doctor as it could well be something fleeting, or it could be something else. At the very least they could suggest or prescribe something to help you - it's not easy dealing with a baby and sore joints.

I had similar symptoms and was diagnosed with rhuematoid arthritis at 32 after finishing breastfeeding my DD.

I don't want to scare you, and I'm not suggesting it's what you have - I was tested for a number of things before they came to that conclusion - but it's worth seeing the doctor, even if just to be reassured

Hi redtabby, I'm really sorry to hear how much pain you are in. Hopefully it is the postpartum thing, but there is a chance it may be rheumatoid arthritis. I had this, after having DS (at 29) I breastfed him for six months, the pain just didn't go away, joint pain as you describe, taking ten minutes to get out of bed, stiff, swollen elbows, knees, ankles. I went to the GP and at first they didn't know what it was () but after a few tests I was referred to Rheumatology, where the consultant confirmed it was RA. He advised treatment, but said that if I wanted more children, to get on with it! So basically I had to stop breastfeeding, had some steroid injections and was able to move again, and conceived DD straight away. After she was born (I was 30), it all came back, and after only six weeks, I was back to the consultant where I began treatment. At first I had to trial 'traditional' drugs, but they were just not effective, so after about six months (still suffering!) I was finally put on Humira which is a relatively new drug, injected once a fortnight, and NOW! I am perfectly normal! Yoga, pilates and swimming help too. I think the consultant pushed it through so I could get this drug, as he could see how young (!) I was, two babies, and how much pain I was in.
The theory is that your immunity drops when you are pregnant, so after giving birth (beyond the usual pain and discomfort) when your immune system kicks back in, instead of going back to normal levels, it becomes really overactive, and this is RA.

I really hope this isn't what you have, but if it checks out, then there is hope even so.

Good luck

Cakey, sorry to hear about your arthritis too. Hope you're not in pain.

Thnaks for the concern, no it is not RA, as tested for this along with a huge battery of other autoimmune tests when I was suffering recurrent miscarriages, and have just been tested again, and it was negative.

Thanks Annie, I've been a lot luckier than you by the sounds of it. I was diagnosed quickly and responded to one of the traditional treatments - sulfasalazine - straight away - just in time to go back to work part-time after my maternity leave [boo]. I've just come off it so that I can get ready to TTC DC2, and am a bit achy but nothing like I was. You can take it while you're pregnant though so it's always an option if I start getting worse again.

Sorry to hijack your thread Redtabby - hope this is only a temporary thing for you. And congrats on your DC

Yes, I am in a lot of pain ATM and DS is 12 weeks, exclusively breast-fed and massive. I am getting to the point where I'm afraid to carry him downstairs because I'm so unsteady on my feet. In the mornings my feet are curled up, and my knees (which have always been weak) bring tears to my eyes

Thanks for this thread, I was just starting to worry that it might be arthritis but this thread's reminded me that I was exactly the same with DD and it settled down a couple of months after stopping BF at 9 months.

Oh good redtabby, I'm glad that's ruled out. Hope it gets better soon then.

Cakey, glad you are not feeling it. Good luck with TTC. I guess when you do get pregnant though, it will go away by itself, as it did with my 2nd, so you shouldn't have to take anything. Hopefully!!

Redtabby, glad to hear that RA's been ruled out as well. And thanks again Annie. Take care both of you