I ache all the time is this due to breastfeeding?

[vimtolover]

Ds will be 9 weeks on Sunday and BF is going well, I usually get up once or twice a night since 3 weeks old. I have just realised that what I thought was stiffness due to walking a long way is actually constant aching and stiffness regardless. Is this because I am breast feeding? I did have an emergency c section but feel okay from that now. The pain is in my back, legs, hips, shoulders etc...

Do you have mastitis? Apart from the breat tenderness, symptoms for me were the same as any other infection. Aching all over is the big one for me, besides fever, every time.

hmm i have never heard of it in connection with breastfeeding before.

is there something in particular that makes you think it could be the breastfeeding causing it?

I have caught a mild virus at the min which has those symptoms. Could that be it? There are lots of germs out there at the mo...

Hmm, don't think so. Don't have mastitis either. Perhaps I am just old ha ha.

I got backache due to my feeding position and massive norks. Could it be that?

I also recently had a virus that made me ache head to toe, I also thought I was just old and knackered til it turned into tonsillitis...

I had a lot of dull aches and joint pain for a few months post-partum. Blood tests inconclusive, I put it down to 'non-specific knackered new mother ache'

I had this last time. Think is to do with hormones lignin and relaxin. All my joints ached for months especially in mornings before I got moving. Was a pain.

I think it might be to do with your post pregnancy hormones. I ached a lot for the first few weeks but my pain was mostly in my back. You might feel ok but it takes a while for your body to recover from pregnancy. I don't think it is from bf in particular just generally from sitting in one position with feeding (however its done) and cuddling a sleeping baby.

Good excuse to get a massage I found!

are you BFing in a comfy position? That'd be the only reason I could see for it making you ache.

I ached for months, I think it stopped after 5 months. I had joint pain, my fingers, wrists and knees felt like those of an 80 year old. Anyway, it just stopped without me really noticing that it had. I'm convinced it was down to being post-partum, particularly breast feeding. A quick search online suggested lots of people have similar problems but there seems to be no medical advice on it, if it's even recognised.

A friend of mine had these symptoms - and feeling exhausted. So bad she ended up in hospital. Turned out she had a type of birth triggered arthritis. It's an ongoing problem for her which was exacerbated by breastfeeding.

I have the same thing, think it must be relaxin and hormones, I guess it makes sense. Try to be kind to yourself and just take it as easy as you can with a new born (slight impossibility there).
I've stopped trying to figure out what it is anymore. Hope it goes soon.

I've had this problem when breastfeeding each of my children. I successfully eliminated it by taking Linseed Oil (I took it in capsule form from Biocare). The baby is probably zapping all the oils from your body. I found this also helped the very dry skin on my hands that I have while breastfeeding. Hope this works for you too if you still have the problem.

I had the eternal aches too, following a CS and breastfeeding twins. I put it down to the relaxin hormones, exacerbated by inactivity.

In addition, I fed in a totally stupid position for months on end, every feed, for two babies. That really messed up my back.

When I saw a chiropractor about my back at just over 4 months post partum, he said the hormones are only just beginning to die down at that point, and that if I'd have gone to him any earlier he wouldn't have treated me other than using gentle massage.

Obviously all this is going on alongside you being more tired than you've ever been. And being tired makes me ache anyway.

I found things improved greatly after my first chiropractor appointment realigned my neck/back/hips and I started to get out more. I really think the increased exercise helped to strengthen my muscles again and hold the skeleton in place and so reduce the aches and pains.

I don't have any advice other than not to bf in crazy unsupported positions and try to walk (stand straight!) when you can. If you can get someone to look after the baby while you swim, I think that'd help a lot.

I hope you feels less achy soon.

Very common and more common when breastfeeding. Something to do with the relaxin during pregnancy loosening up joints and ligaments and in bfing mothers it takes longer for you to go back to normal. So your joints (particularly knees and shoulders/wrists/fingers) are looser, more prone to stiffness and achiness, particularly with the positions you adopt while feeding. My GP told me about it ages ago. Said it's usually pretty bad around 3 to 4 months.

Keep an eye on it and it should pass.

yes I had this - it turns out I was v v v deficient in vitamin D. The adult form of rickets. Still have it now, 3.5 yrs on even tho no longer bf-ing. I take vit d and calcium supplements.

Get your vitamin d checked. Pregnant and bf mothers more likely to be deficient and current guidelines are to supplement.
I had similar symptoms to you, got my levels checked and was deficient. I have been taking treatment dose vit d for a week and the difference is shocking.

I had this for the few few months of bf. It was my knees that really hurt. It's completely gone now. I've been bf for 7 months.

I ached for ages and ages, I was FF but as soon as my twins went in their own room it eased. I think it was because I never really slept properly when they were in our room always keeping an ear out so tensing up.