During pregnancy, your body exerts lots of energy to not only survive but also to keep the child healthy. It is obvious to feel tired and exhausted during those months and in the postpartum period. If you think breastfeeding will make you tired, the answer is yes. It is natural to feel tired during breastfeeding, however, only in the postpartum period. After three or four months, your body will gain enough recovery, and you won’t feel tired while feeding your baby. Why does breastfeeding make you tired? Breastfeeding not only provides a soothing sensation, but also causes the release of Oxytocin in the mother’s brain. When oxytocin is released, it might make you feel tired and calm.
There is no proper way to counter this fatigue; the only thing you can do is to get rest and eat properly. Nearly 90% of women go through this period after giving birth, and for some, it takes much longer to recover. During that time, some decide to breastfeed their child, while some rely on feeding formula milk to their babies. While fatigue is inevitable, that doesn’t mean you should suffer through it. There are ways you can follow to feel less tired while breastfeeding, and resting is one of the best solutions.
Causes of Postpartum Fatigue
There isn’t a single cause for this, so be ready to find many reasons for your postpartum fatigue. While this sounds scary, you can easily overcome it with some simple measures. The biggest cause of this problem is the lack of sleep, restlessness can make you tired, and your body will ache a lot. It is understandable since women tend to get less rest during pregnancy as things get irritating with each passing day.
Another reason for fatigue is your age as youngsters tend to recover much quicker. Your labor length and perineal pain are also responsible for this situation. Women breastfeeding their children are more prone to experience fatigue; they should rest as soon as they get a chance. The first two months are crucial; taking care of your health should be your priority.
On the other hand, if you rest and eat well yet feel tired, the problem could be something else. Your body goes through lots of changes after delivery, so seeing some issues that were never there is not surprising. If you feel like you are taking care of yourself and the fatigue won’t go away, here are some other reasons for your postpartum fatigue.
- Anemia
- Excessive blood loss
- Hypothyroidism (underactive thyroid gland)
- Using prescription pain medication
- Postpartum depression
You can ask your doctor for a thorough check-up and if any of these problems persist, make sure to ask your doctor for a proper remedy. These conditions might require heavy medicines, but they are necessary to tackle your fatigue. Moreover, there is no need to try homemade solutions to overcome tiredness since you have no idea why the root cause of postpartum fatigue.
How to Fight Postpartum Fatigue
The best way to fight postpartum fatigue is to seek rest and comfort. However, this works when you are tired because of restlessness. If your body is undergoing changes like quickly losing weight or recovering internally, you’ll need more than just rest to get rid of fatigue. Here are some sets you can take to get rid of postpartum fatigue.
- Eat Well and Stay Hydrated
Drinking plenty of water always nourishes the body and keeps it active, so one thing you can do to eliminate fatigue is to drink plenty of liquids. Adding some medicines to the drink would be better for quicker recovery, but water alone would also suffice. Moreover, a strict diet schedule for a month is mandatory; you need your body to recover as soon as possible, and a good diet can be really helpful.
- Take Your Medication on Time
You’ll get medicines from the doctor to help you recover quickly. Most people don’t take them on time leading to severe fatigue. Taking medicines on time always brings the best results, so we highly suggest that you follow the routine given by your doctor and heal as quickly as possible. As your body starts healing, you’ll feel less tired during and after breastfeeding.
- Stay Active
Now that doesn’t mean you should start exercising a lot, but a little bit of walk and activity is enough to stay active. You’ll feel a lot better but ensure that you won’t feel any pain as you walk; otherwise, resing is the best option for you. A little activity will boost your mood and your energy levels, get rid of tiredness, and won’t let you feel lazy.
- Get Frequent Naps
Most medicines you get will make you sleepy because some women find it hard to sleep during the postpartum period. If you are among them, getting short naps would be on your list as they can help you recover quickly. However, ensure not to sleep more than 30-40 minutes every time you nap to have a long sleep at night.
- Limit Your Visitors
Regardless of your condition, you’ll have to move yourself to greet and meet the visitors. While this might not be a problem for someone having children, the first-time mother can get tired because of frequent visits. It is better to limit people from visiting you until you are able to walk properly. That would save you from a lot of tension which is helpful in reducing fatigue.
When to Call Your Doctor
People get tensed if anything happens to a mother in recovery time; thus, they call the doctor every time. Instead of calling your doctor for every minor issue, get help from mothers around you. They have been through the same stage and can help you unless you feel severe pain or other extreme reactions. Moreover, never hesitate to let someone else handle your child while you take rest. Getting help is another way to relieve stress from your mind.
Final Words
Does breastfeeding make you tired? It does, and if you don’t take precautions, you will stay tired, which gets painful and irritating. We shared some causes for the tiredness and some remedies you can apply and spend your postpartum time in peace. Call your doctor once a week and let them know about your progress.
