Been pretty much constantly ill since birth of DD 7mths ago... any ideas?

[Fidgetsmum]

DD born just under 7 months ago. Pregnancy was fine (usual cr*ppy stuff at the end of not sleeping, weeing all the time, a bit of oedema) but the majority of pregnancy sailed through. Labour was fine (really, it was fine) but DD stuck. Birth was not brilliant, with failed ventouse and forceps and 3rd degree tear which took 4 to 5 months to stop being very painful. Lost a reasonable amount of blood at the birth too. Also had thrush and two infections in the stitches post birth. But since her birth, outside of the above, I have pretty much been ill most of the time. I kept a diary as before DD birth, I was rarely ill at all. It works out that every 3 weeks or so I have succombed to something. Some things last a day or two, others last weeks which has meant no let up. 3 Colds, 2 flu (with temperature/fever and unable to function etc), tonsillitus, 2 wks of diarrhoea (bug?), one night of vomiting (eaten something?). You get the gist. I fully bf (also with solids now) but I just keep getting ill and it's starting to get me down. I know the birth was traumatic, but really, I should be better by now and surely my body should be able to fight off bugs etc a bit better than it currently is? Has anyone else suffered from a rubbish body for 7 months after birth where they had been strong as an ox before? Thanks from a frustrated mum who just wants to have some of her energy back to spend good quality time with her DD. DD sleeps and eats fine so I can't blame her.

Poor you

What's your diet like? Are you sleeping OK? Do you get out and get some exercise daily (walking with the buggy, for example)?

Remember it does take a fair amount of time for your body to recover and the first year with a young baby IME is hard.

It might be something as simple as anaemia
You can buy iron and vitamin tonics from Boots to give you aboost

Or it might just be adjusting the lifestyle of having a baby. Maybe you don't sleep as much as you used to. Or if you go to loads of groups your dd will be picking up germs left right and centre and passing them on to you, how is her health?

You can always ask the nurse at your gp's surgery for a blood test

You poor thing, I totally sypathise.

I have had a series of colds and illnesses since November, but now the weather is getting better, so am I.

I think we allow ourselves to get worn down.

We need to eat a proper balanced diet and get some exercise every day. I also take Boots own New Mum vitimins.

Good Luck

Hi Fidget.
I had a spell of about 6 mths where I seemed to constantly be ill. This was when ds was about 1 year. i got more colds than he did! I got a few blood tests done to check for aneamia, thyroid, liver function, the usual suspects, but was fine. I see now that I was incredibly run down .It was very tough though as you don't get to recover when yo uhave a baby, so you are very susceptable. It would be best to go and have a word with your GP, just to get checked out. Otherwise, can you get any help? Maybe Gran or Aunt or a friend could take dd for an afternoon every week, if feeds allow? It took me till ds was about 9 mths before I realised this, lol!

it could be that your body has been through so much that it is so worn down and unable to fight infection or colds and bugs

i was so tired when ds was born and i was also very ill picking everything up going

also found stress makes me run down and ive also been through a bout of picking up all sorts my dp said he'd never known someone so ill

but also started losing my hair went to doctors who found my iron stores were non existant so maybe you could be aneamic also worth just speaking to gp for reassurance

as when aneamic tired all the time from tiredness cant beat colds etc hope you feel better soon

Are you getting out and meeting other Mum's etc, did you used to mix with children/other parents with young children much? I just know for the first year of my eldest I had so many bugs and illnesses it was untrue, I had dc2 with a different partner (his first dc though) again he was really ill for the first year.

I think you are probably run down and perhaps coming into contact with different types of people than you were before that are exposing you to more viruses etc.

Thanks for all your messages. I eat really well (bit of a 'good life' one on that front with no processed foods and lots of balance in the diet). But so many of you mentioned being run down and picking bugs up that I think it must just be that. I am going to go to the docs this week to ask for tests to make sure it's nothing else but I have put myself back on Floradix (was told to have it just after the birth after losing blood) in the meantime. Although my DD sleeps well, I looked at my time, and realised that I often don't go to bed before midnight, busy doing all the things I don't get done in the daytime. So I guess that won't be helping either. Thank you for your points though. Feel a lot less like there's no light at the end of the tunnel.

Sounds like not enough sleep to me........

Does anyone else find themselves 'catching up on the rest of things' at night? I haven't found a way to stop myself yet!

My baby is now 10 months old and it's only in the last five weeks that I've started feeling like my old self. I have heard it said "Nine months up and nine months down"

Could you afford to have a weekly massage?

Oh, that sounds like a lovely idea. I could afford the money (as I would happily forego something else). Right. That's a plan. It's only an hour a week so not too bad. And I needed to hear that it might just take a little longer... had begun to think that this was it for the rest of my life! Thank you everyone.

Fidget - Try the massage. I think it really helps. I really hope you start to feel more like your old self very soon.

Thanks Swedes, and everyone else.