6 Months Postpartum - when did you feel yourself?

[StephP47]

I was wondering after having a baby when you had good energy levels/felt yourself or if anyone has any ideas why I could be feeling this way?

My son is almost 6 months but I can't help but feel tired most of the time even after a full night sleep.

I have been exercising and actively losing weight healthily (I've lost a stone over the last few months) and my son is a fairly good sleeper (he usually does around 10-11 hours at night, I do sometimes get disrupted sleep due to loud movements he does but otherwise cant complain) and he is quite an easy going baby so I have no reason to feel tired all the time. I find as soon as the afternoon hits I could easily take a nap and I'm knackered. I've even had a blood test done and my thyroid checked to make sure everything is good and that came back normal.

He even stays with his nan once a week so I do get some time to myself and with my partner.

So why should i still be feeling tired and fatigued? Anyone have similar issues and will this just get better with time?

Are you sure it's a post partum thing and not lockdown fatigue? I only say that because my daughter is nearly 2 and I have no energy, nap in the day etc. But I know I didn't feel this tired when she was 6 months old. I was doing things that energised me, like work, socialising, hobbies etc. Now those things are gone and I'm basically hibernating.

Having said that, being a parent of small children is mentally and physically draining at the best of times. Lockdown has just made it a whole lot worse ime.

Sorry, probably not the response you were hoping for!

To be fair it totally could be, that did cross my mind. I dont remember feeling this fatigued (other than the early stages) when I was pregnant in lockdown and i was working from home and growing a baby haha so who knows!

Three years. She was three before I felt I had my body and my mind back. Sorry, that's probably not what you wanted to hear.

No worries, thanks for your honesty!

I was reading your op and wondering if I should be honest or not - it was 3 for me too. It was as dramatic as a fog lifting.

To be honest it's just re assuring to know that it's normal for me to be feeling this way sometimes I feel like there must be something wrong with me but now I know it can take time I know what to expect!

Physically I looked brilliant at 3 months post partum - helped by being 24

I was internally destroyed until he was 3 years old though. Exhausted. I was back at work full time from he was 4 months

Currently pregnant at 31 and I have THE FEAR

I'm also 6 months pp and starting to feel ok but alsp extremely tired. I do have a 23 month old too so That's obviously not helping but even when she's at the CM and I just have DD2 I'm exhausted....she's also a good sleeper and easy going but I'm exhausted. I don't remember ever feeling like this at 6 months with DD1 and she was seriously hard work! So it could well be lockdown fatigue....the summer is coming and that can only be a good thing. We had our babies at a terrible time, middle of a pandemic, locked down with a long winter looming. Here's hoping for brighter things

I didn't feel back to normal at 2.5 yrs, got pregnant again and now am feeling ok with DC2 being 15 months.

It's hard work and takes a while to adjust, be gentle on yourself.

My DD just turned 1 and I feel kinda stupid for all the times before I had her when I said I was ‘exhausted’ because I clearly didn’t know what exhaustion was!

Thanks all appreciate your feedback! I go back to work soon and lockdown is lifting soon and so hopefully a bit more normality might help but if not I will just be gentle on myself and not stress about it!

I really found I had to keep up with post partum vitamins or I felt really shit. Have you had your thyroid checked?

DC3 is 4 months and I feel like shit. Am old now though!

Worth asking GP for a blood test and get vit D and iron level checked and your Thyroid

I've just had my third. She's 14 weeks now and I've got as much energy as I had before. My body isn't back to normal yet, but getting there. I drink quite a lot of coffee though 😂

As other PP have said I'd get checked for iron, I lost a lot of blood during delivery and it took months to get my levels back up. I got pregnant again not long after first baby but my friends say they started feeling better after 1 year

Thanks I had all of that checked and all came back normal!

Felt exhausted from about 6 weeks pregnant till DS started sleeping through at 18 months then started to have more energy. Different story with DD, barely any tiredness in pregnancy until right at the end and felt better after a few months.

That said, I was up with both of them last night and feel like death warmed up this morning. Pass us a coffee.

I felt my body was strong again after 7 months post partum (after c-section). Since then I've had weeks when I feel great and weeks when I feel so fatigued (DD is 18mo now). I would say take naps and make sure you are drinking enough water throughout the day and continue to eat healthy. Multi vitamins all the way! If you still don't feel great go back to your GP!

Sorry to hear you are feeling tired! I’m also 6 month post part and feel really tired. At end of each day I physically ache like I’ve done a strength work out from carrying her, all the walking to get her to nap and trying to run around doing the housework before she kicks off. And I feel mentally knackered too from talking/singing/reading to her etc to placate or distract her as she isn’t one for being left to her own devices for more than 10 mins at a time (that’s if I’m v lucky!). Anyway thank you for the honesty in your post and to the others who responded. I actually really needed this today. Especially after reading that post on the AiBU section today about maternity leave where so many of the posters described It as being a jolly or talked about finding it easy etc. It made me feel really shit for finding it hard so it helps to know I’m not alone

@StephP47 hi! Im currently 3 werks postpartum! Feeling soo tired and rubbish :( feel dizzy im so exhausted! Had bloods checked and all ok. Have you found anything that has helped ? X

To be honest 3 weeks is soo soon after giving birth I wouldn't even worry about it, lots of rest, drink lots of water, make sure your fuelling yourself as best you can. I found after around 3 months postpartum I started to introduce exercise, did little home workouts and more walking etc, this helped pick up my energy levels but I only did this because my son was sleeping a good 8 hours at night, if he wasn't I definately wouldn't have and just focused on rest. To be honest I'm back at work now and found my energy levels are so much better I think just being stuck at home doing the same old thing is what made me tired.