Is breastfeeding making me ill? for 7 months?

[Ellie130891]

My LO is 7 months old.
When she was around 1-2 weeks old ( you know how the first few weeks merge into one? i cant remember exactly when ) well i got awful stomach pains when feeding her but thinking they were normal didnt take it to the dr.
Since then for the last 7 months my condition has worsened. Constant stomach pains, empty feeling, extreme unbearable nausea, dizziness, acid reflux, losing weight etc etc. I have just had 4 referrals to hospital consultants for nxt month with them thinking I have gastritis, after an endoscopy.


But ive been thinking...Could it all be breastfeeding? Hormones etc and whatever that awful pain was in the first week?
It was so bad I couldnt stand up straight for 3 days. I look back and wished id gone to the dr but didnt thinking it was those feeding pains you first get.


Anyone else felt physically ill from BF for months? The nausea is just unbearable now and i have emetophobia which makes it 100 times worse

Any help would be much appreciated
xxx

 

[MelanieAnn]

I wonder?

I have heard many women complain of afterpains, which is the contraction of the uterus. These are often worse during/after feeds as the hormone oxytocin is involved in orgasm, milk ejection, and uterine contraction.

Also some women complain of being nauseous when feeding which appears to be related to hunger - when these women eat more, their symptoms dissipate.

And there is something called dysmorphic milk ejection reflex which is seriously under researched. https://www.d-mer.org/

 

[Ellie130891]

wow thanks!!

 

[Luzelle]

I don't have any advice, but the read the article, and its really good and interesting. Good luck and I hope you get some answers soon.

 

[Ellie130891]

me too its a miserable life atm

babies gone off her solids eats about a jar a day and a bit of toast n is waking every hour. no sign of teeth and is happy enough in herself so god knows whats wrong with her but im a zombie!

 

[gills8752]

I'm not suffering as bad as you but whenever I feed lo I have always felt a little sick like I'm going to be sick. Even if before I latch her on I'm starving and cxould eat a cow, as soon as she's latched i feel the totally opposite. Its kinda similar to you. I havent bothered doing anything about it though, its not bad enough to cause any concern with me and I think its just the body mechanism for making you sit and feed her and not stop to go get food lol.
My lo is 11 months now and it hasnt stopped so I'd keep investigating in your case!

 

[lisacm79]

Hi Ellie,
I can really sympathise with you, I also have emetophobia and have been feeling really poorly since my second daughter was born 10 months ago - I am still breast feeding too and have wondered the same as you, I suggested it to my GP and she just told me that It was about time I stopped anyway!! I havent stopped as I fed my first daughter for 13 months and wanted to do the same again.
Since her birth I have been feeling constantly sick, headachy, the empty feeling you mentioned, feeling really hot sometimes, then other times a bit shivery and I have lost weight too although I eat like a horse because it seems to suppress the nausea (whilst i'm eating anyway!) I have kept pestering the doctors about it anyway and now they are checking my vitamin levels and I am also going to see a gastroenterologist at the end of the month. Personally now i'm not convinced it is the feeding - i think the dr just thought i was mad at first but as i have kept going back and back again she is starting to take me seriously and look at whats really going on. Sometimes I think that giving birth can maybe bring other problems that may be going on to the forefront as birth and breastfeeding do put a strain on the body to some extent dont they.
How are you getting on now? are you still feeling the same? Its hard being a parent with emetophobia isnt it!

Hope you are getting some answers as to why you are feeling so rough xxx

 

[Ellie130891]

Oh youre an angel!!!

I went to the gastro clinic they think i have IBS!!!! my dr also said it was about time i stopped but i havent as my LO wont take any other form of milk!!!!
Im getting worse im on dompeidone which helps the nausea slightly but im now so dizzy when i leave the house i cant physically go out anymore except when clinging on to my OH. id love to carry on BF im honestly not sure if its making things worse but if it did surely no one would do it!!!!!
i wish it was just a fear of being sick now but its so much worse the dizzines even started inside the house and i often feel faint and weak.

my weight is still dropping they say if i lose anymore they wanna do an MRI of my stomach ive gone from 8st10 before the pregnancy to 9 and a half when i was pregnant to 7st3 now
xxxx

 

[MelanieAnn]

You poor, poor thing. It sounds like you're really ill. That also sounds like significant weight loss to me.

It might not be the breastfeeding that's responsible, but as you say, the GI issues, and the weight loss, and the sickness/dizziness. Is there any way you can eat more? Some mums find that they feel sick when they start breastfeeding, and if they eat more then the symptom disappears. I know that sounds ridiculously simplistic.

Are you sleeping enough? Being a new mum and sleep deprivation are always linked. But if you could sleep more....

I know how ridiculously simplistic it's going to sound, but could you maybe devote a month to really healthy eating - keeping healthy snacks available all the time, making sure you drink a glass of water every hour - getting good exercise in the open air every day, and sitting in the sunshine as much as you can - and sleeping?

Food, sleep, and exercise in the open air - it really does make a difference. To us as much as our children. It might not be enough by itself, but it's so easy to overlook.

 

[Ellie130891]

i eat like a horse atm lol and all homemade healthy things!!!
i even get up twice a night for a sandwich im so hungry all the time
im sleeping whenever the baby does she still wakes every 2 hours!!!! so its hard.
i cant go outside anymore...well i can i tried walking across a car park to a shop today and had to turn back i felt very weak and as though i was being pushed backwards

im thinking maybe this is M.E? im not sure. im so ill i feel awful
the nausea is a little better thanks to the domperidone.

yesterday i sat down and literally thought i was going to die. i felt so weak and thin and awful i thought my heart was going to stop and that would be it.

but here i am another day later!!!
xxx

 

[kerrie24]

My friend has been having the exact same symptoms as you since she had her baby 4 months ago,weight loss,sickness,dizzy and bad stomach pain. She got rushed in thinking it was her appendix last week and they found she has gall stones.
Apparently being pregnant can make it worse hence why it started just after baby being born.You could ask them to check as the symptoms match up and it took 3 different doctors to find out what was wrong with my friend x

 

[Ellie130891]

theyve just done an ultrasound of my gall bladder stomach and spleen and i get results the end of this month so hopefully thats something else that will give answers

im so dizzy i tried walking across a car park today and had to get back in the car i felt so small and weak and dizzy its horrible

 

[2016]

Poor you!

I keep feeling weak/dizzy/faint and nauseous with tummy pains. Also have constant arthritic pain is my feet since LO was born. Thought it was just exhaustion.
I am constantly hungry but no weight loss for me I'm afraid...

Let us know if you get any answers. Out of interest, isn't the Domperidone boosting your supply? They give that to boost supply sometimes...although I know it's good for digestive issues as LO gets it for reflux...

 

[MelanieAnn]

I really, really hope that the tests come back with a clear result for you.

Part of the problem can be that with 9 months pregnancy, and then new motherhood, it's so so easy to not identify/treat genuine medical problems, many of which aren't related to having a baby. It sounds like something is seriously wrong. Does your GP realise just how serious this is? Do you have support at home? Is someone looking after you? Just because you're a mum doesn't mean that you won't get sick, and it sounds like you really need (and deserve!) TLC at the moment.

Melanie

 

[Ellie130891]

my OH has been truly amazing but my parents wont speak to me since we got together 3 yrs ago and moved in together 18 months ago.

yeah ive been referred to:
gastro-constant nausea....labelled now as IBS done ultrasound waiting for results
ear nose and throat-chronic dizziness only when outside cant go out alone have to hold onto partner....getting worse done MRI which came back normal
gynae-was sore from the birth for ages and sex is incredibly painful feels as tho its burning etc....labelled now as severe vaginismus need counselling waiting appt

so ive been all over really they dont know what it is with me

started about a week after LO was born
I was already exhausted as u are with a 1 week old but BF one day I got terrible pains and needed to push again got that urge to push but ignored it as my hv said its just afterpains. looking back i wished id gone to the hospital


its just gotten steadily worse im afraid


the domperidone make my supply better and its already good so im constantly lumpy!!
xxx

 

[sophxx]

hi hun ive have m.e and what your discribing is exactly how i feel after having my lo i couldmt breast fed as i dint produce any milk but my bust is still sore it burns my tummy is awful my glands are contstanly swolleen im constanly hungry and nmy hormones are all over the place i get hot flushes as well as feeling woozy and of balance pm me if you need to chat ive also had lots of tests x

 

[Ellie130891]

awww ty hun i shall pm u tomorrow bit hard atm to type v well as im bf lol!!!!

i might take it to the drs only reason i havent is ive bad experience with drs in the past suggesting things that might b wrong with me and them laughing at me so ive been a bit scared!!! i just want answers now 9 months is a long time to feel so ill pregnancy was bad enough i thought but id give anything just to feel sick now

 

[Lucy2204]

Hello I know this was super long ago but did you find out what was wrong hun xx

 

[Lucy2204]

Hello I know this was super long ago but did you find out what was wrong hun xx

 

[TTCBean]

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