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Postnatal health

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Can very frequent breastfeeding make you down?

1 reply

Xanadu44 · 26/08/2017 18:09

I am a first time mum to a very hungry 9 week old DD. She sleeps 9-6 through the night which is amazing and has done for a few weeks now. I am sleeping when she does pretty much so haven't been feeling very sleep deprived recently. I have been feeling down but as I don't always feel like this I was wondering if it was PND or if there was any correlation between breastfeeding a LOT and feeling down/tired. On days where she's not wanting feeding all the time
I feel a lot more normal. I keep feeling insatiably hungry too which I think is a symptom of all the BFing but I just wondered if anyone else had felt down due to constant BFing? Or do you think it could be PND?? On these "down" days I feel very overwhelmed (VERY) and don't enjoy those days at all and struggle to be positive on those days. I just don't think it's PND because it's not a constant feeling of being down. I have definitely bonded with my baby but just a few days a week - especially when she feeds constantly - I feel down, sad, negative, overwhelmed and just not myself at all.

OP posts:
FATEdestiny · 26/08/2017 18:25

I'm sorry you're feeling rubbish some days. It would certainly do no harm to talk to your health visitor or doctor about how you are feeling, there is no shame in wanting a medical opinion on your mental health.

For what its worth, I have a 'thing' about needing my personal space. I can easily get touched out and want to be left alone, or at least given some personal space for a while.

It may be relevant to note that of my four children, the most successful long term breastfeeder was one who took big feeds, quickly and less frequently. I moved to mix-feeding sooner with my children who were (or became) overtly time demanding in needing to be fed.

I also would have never done the whole cosleeping, feeding to sleep attachment parenting type thing, for similar reasons. There is nothing wrong with being the type of person/parent who is better when you have some degree of physical independence from baby.

Maybe you can get over this feeling on the basis that the increased feeding is 'just a phase' (it is, and it will pass). Having a light at the end of the tunnel and knowing you wont always be doing this is the thing that helps some people.

Maybe the overwhelming need for personal space at times when you are denied it will be the thing that tips you over into PND? That in itself isn't terrible - you can get PND medication that you can take while breastfeeding. Or you can move to mix feeding or formula.

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