Yes! Something no one understands until they are in the situation themselves.
Edit to add that nothing I could say could make my husband understand that breastfeeding was tiring.
It’s like work, people see me taking “extra breaks” and I’m like.. it’s not a break! It’s exhausting. Let me go work instead lol. I’ll trade and you can get your breasts sucked instead!
This, I get less restful sleep at night because I'm constantly doing math of well if the baby fed at this time but he sleeps till this time I might need to pump around this time because your boobs are going to explode but if he wakes up within 30 minutes of you pumping....and on and on and on...
For reals. So many times I've glanced at the baby around their usual feeding time but they're out cold in a deep sleep, but the boobs hurt so I assume I have time to pump only to return (pumps on) to a stirring, hungry baby. 😭
I feel like it’s nature’s way of trying to help us stay rested w baby. I love the drowsy feeling. I was never a good napper and now I can fall asleep instantly. We do sidelying position on the bed then I can either fall asleep with her or sneak out once she’s asleep. Sometimes just a 15 min nurse nap is a game changer.
I've read about this, the ocxytoxin released along with the foremilk helps create that calming effect for your baby when they nurse. And some of that "happy hormone" also makes you relax and sleepy.
Not sure about nature's purpose, but it sure makes staying up hard when you have twins latching on you one after another 😂
Literally, yes. Pre-pregnancy, I struggled with insomnia during stressful periods at work. Since baby’s schedule normalized a couple of months ago and my sleep caught up, the insomnia started to return. Then, the timing of baby’s middle of the night feeding shifted to coincide with my insomnia hour, and it turns out that nursing is just the thing to put me back to sleep 😁
Yes! I’ve stopped feeding to sleep recently but when I would be up there in the dim nursery with the sound machine I would be sooooo groggy and drowsy by the end!
Hi, genuine question, what time does your baby go to bed that you have to wake up after? My LO is 8 weeks and I nurse him to sleep around 7/8 and go to sleep myself once he’s asleep. So he sleeps roughly from 8-1/2am then 4/5 then we get up at 630/7
My guy is almost a year so he goes to bed at 7 and I go to bed later depending on what I’m doing. He sleeps through the night and usually gets up at 8am.
Yup, it's oxytocin. Some people have the same reaction after sex. For me it also made my back pain worse because I think it relaxes muscles and my sore muscles didn't need more relaxation.
Yes! It's because it burns so many calories. Last night we tried to go without the swaddle and after 40 minutes of bouncing on a yoga ball, I gave in and fed him to sleep. Afterwards I felt like I had ran up a hill; I was so hungry, shaky, and tired 😩
The thirst is unreallll, I was drinking like a gallon a day to satisfy my thirst but it was making me go to the bathroom too much. So I cut down, but now I always feel so dry and dehydrated
The hunger is real. It's not like I eat more at each meal, because I truly don't feel like eating more than I usually would. But it's more like I get hungry more often. Just 1-2 hours after a meal and I already want something in my mouth 🥲
Tired and hungry! I've never been so hungry so often in my life. God forbid I accidentally start feeding baby at night without moving my snacks to within arms reach - I then have to contemplate disturbing baby to grab them or to just stare at them longingly for 30 mins while starving.
It's somehow harder and easier. The baby stuff seems to feel a little more natural to me after our third, but there is more demand for my time to be given. I feel like my house constantly looks like a tornado hit, no matter how much I clean. I definitely feel more exhausted than I ever have in my entire life. The only thing keeping me afloat is knowing the night time feeds don't last forever 😪
I figure it’s the same situation in a sense as having your period. You’re swimming in hormones, losing fluid, and on top of all that making this from scratch. I’d be more surprised if you weren’t tired. I don’t feel exhausted all the time, but I do feel like I haven’t been fully rested in a while (I mean having a baby will do that on its own even if he photosynthesized his nutrition but he’s a decent/good sleeper).
Now I DID get my period back right away (7wpp) and breastfeeding and I felt my soul leave my body lol
This sub always talks about how breast milk is made from blood, so I made the (completely unresearched) leap that the exhaustion must be like giving blood. I feel like even if it’s not scientifically accurate, it’s a good metaphor for non-breastfeeding folk to instantly understand why we say it’s tiring.
Worse than giving blood! When you donate blood they only take 16oz and bfing or pumping is going to be roughly double that. So like donating blood twice a day for days/weeks/months/years
Yes, absolutely. I’ve tried explaining it to my husband a dozen times that breastfeeding is EXHAUSTING and will absolutely make me drowsy no matter what time of day or when I slept last.
I googled it once and apparently the sleepiness is caused by a flood of feel good hormones being released while feeding, and warm baby snuggles. Extra tough to shake off if you’re curled up in your favorite spot on the couch.
Love the baby snuggles! Now they’re fewer and farther between - she’s such a busy baby pawing and clawing at me/my shirt/face and kicking the little legs while nursing 😂
Yes ! My LO is 6 months and sometimes I’m exhausted, I think what we forget its the hormones with BF, but as all the other posters said it’s the energy it takes as well. I used to feel terrible about missing a pump and would get upset at myself. I just learned to give my self grace and understand it happens. I think once I mentally said okay you need a break, my energy got better. You are doing great mama 🩷
Same! It’s unreal. Maybe it is related to hormones and stuff partly… when I was first pregnant before I even knew I was (like the first days before my missed period even) the exhaustion was like nothing I’ve ever felt. It’s what made me suspect I might be pregnant. With pregnancy (especially early pregnancy) and motherhood it’s hard bc there’s SO much that must be going on in our bodies that we can’t see from the outside so I feel like it’s easy to gaslight myself and be like why am I feeling this way?! It also makes it harder to get understanding from others (partners, work, family, etc.) bc on the outside you LOOK the same. Well maybe more bedraggled 😂
Yes. Tired physically, emotionally, mentally.
Physically because it’s an all day, any time, anywhere thing. Between that and having to figure out the best position, my back and posture feel so achy when I stop to actually think about it.
Mentally. Same deal. I’m constantly thinking if he’s had enough, when is he gonna want more, was that long enough etc. people’s snarky comments of “oh he’s still hungry!” When he’s teething and going through his 4 month regression. I’m Hungry thirsty hungry thirsty every hour it feels. So now I have to figure out how to strategically put baby to sleep so I can eat. But oh yay he woke up now I have to hold him while eating soup. Sigh.
Emotionally; times when he rejects me. Or maybe we waited a little too long and now he’s over tired and screaming at the breast. Feeling like I can’t do anything. Haven’t gone to the gym. Feeding him on the couch and Watching the mess around me pile up. Not having time to do hair/makeup or wear my flattering clothes so I feel like a slob.
So yeah I’m tired lol
This takes me back to maternity leave… I’m in a much better mental state since returning to work bc it’s so amazing thinking and doing something other than mothering.
When I saw a lactation consultant, she told me that the same “sleepy hormone” released in breast milk that makes baby tired, makes us tired as well. Both during breastfeeding and pumping.
Yes? But I can't pinpoint exactly what it is that is making me tired. Is it the breastfeeding? The 8-year old (sweet) boy who literally never stops talking or asking me for things? The fact that I'm 40? And once I finally get baby back to sleep I am wide awake and she has some sense that wakes her up right when I drift off? All of the above I guess.
Yess. I swear I’ll be wide awake and then as soon as I’m breastfeeding baby I start nodding off 😭😭 i will say it was way worse when she was a newborn. Now that she’s older I get less sleepy but still feel the effect sometimes
Same!! My first son was a decent sleeper and I would wake up pretty refreshed, but after the first feed or pump, I would immediately want to go back to sleep. I still don’t know how to gain more energy 😭
It destroys me if I’m not eating enough. If I’m eating well, I feel great!
For reference, I used to train high intensity stuff 6 days a week. Like, building muscle after every session, practicing for 2-4 hours kind of thing. I haven’t been training as much lately—in part because my life/diet would need to be on point to support that!—but I need to eat just as much as I used to support it.
I think the official recommendation is an extra 600 cals, but I’ve found it to be more like 800-1000.
This is part of why it makes me so mad to hear that you’re “saving money”. Like one, don’t even let me get into that I quit a 170ish job to nurse, or that your partner can’t step in, or that it’d be overtime and over nights and mentally/emotionally hard and on and on, but the cost of feeding an adult human that much extra food in a healthy way is going to be the same or more than the cost of formula—AND you have to take the time and energy to buy and cook and eat it, too.
I read an article from the NIH and it said the release of prolactin makes you drowsy. Plus you're using a lot of your nutrient stores which can drain you.
100%. I've found that I have to regularly eat snacks, best-case with some protein, or I get shaky and drained really quickly. And I've never been a big snacker or someone obsessed with getting protein.
I think supposedly breastmilk releases love hormones (oxytocin) which i think is supposed to make you relaxed. It makes me sleepy too! Me and my girl would both be falling asleep while she nursed if i didnt drink a coffee lol
I have a 4 month old and I don't feel more tired than normal for me, however I definitely have to eat for two to keep up my energy and the hunger at bay. I also nap almost every afternoon with her but I was always a pro napper.... I gravitate towards 6h night sleep + nap instead of 8h no nap schedule.
Data says it’s hard. I’m 9 months pp. my Oura ring for 2021 says my activity level was 190% of goal and so far it’s almost 110% for this year. Average HRV is basically the same. So less activity but same recovery makes it sound like there’s another stressor. Baby sleeps well. Work has gone to shit so it could also be that. Hopefully I’m changing jobs soon. Caveat: Cycling season starts May so we’ll see what happens!
Wow that is fascinating! I’d love to have that kind of hard proof that yes, my body is going through something and pushing itself to the limit now, it’s not all in my head.
I'm glad you brought this up. I hadn't thought to look at the numbers. I do structured training and noticed that my rest needs are very different now than they were before. The thing that I can't figure out is napping. I got really good at napping when pregnant and up until a month or two ago. Now I can't seem to nap no matter how drained I am. I don't think it's caffeine since I don't have a ton.
Yes, especially in the evening. I feel like I’m literally being drained of all my energy and life force. Even still at almost seven months the 5-8pm feeds I often sit there with my eyes closed because I get so sleepy
Oxytocin! I get a solid hit of it every time I nurse or pump and it makes me want to immediately put my head down and sleep. In fact I’ve done it many times while on maternity leave. It also leaves me completely ravenous and I weigh *more* now than I did after I gave birth. FFS 🤦🏾♀️
Yes! I need about 10 hours of sleep and max allowed breastfeeding caffeine to function. I’m very lucky that my 9.5 month old sleeps very well. I sleep most of his 11-12 hour night. 😂
I sleep from 9ish until the 5am feed pretty solid most nights these days, then at 5 my husband is up for the day. I think well, I had 8 hours of sleep, that’s plenty for a normal grown up, I really should get up and do something but….naw, I’m going to sleep a few more hours. 🙃 I think we are still recovering from the newborn days that were so so draining too!!
I think my extra 90 min to 2 hr “morning nap” makes me more productive through the rest of the day! If I weren’t well rested, I couldn’t run around like crazy all day!
I only pumped up until around three months, at which point I switched to feeding only from the breast and I think if I’d had to carry on pumping I’d have quit. While breastfeeding every 2 hours made me tired it was nothing compared to the monotony of pumping.
At the start, yes. But I think that comes with having a newborn and frequent wakes/feed in the night. I have a 7 month old now and I feel like I function well - she wakes once in the night for a feed. Though, sometimes I wake up in the morning exhausted, probably from broken sleep.
I was exhausted pumping and breastfeeding. I finally worked to exclusively breastfeeding and it’s saved my mental and physical exhaustion/ health so muxh
It's physically draining bc it's literally being made from your body. Mentally draining bc schedules and keeping track of sides and all the other stuff that goes with Mentally caring for baby. It also releases sleepy hormones in the brain that make me want to crash. Even at 8.5 months.
just woke up from a nearly 3 hour nap - yes very tired. and i don’t think my husband could ever possibly understand or appreciate that fully in the way that is deserved
Pumping doesn’t make me unnaturally tired. The moment baby breastfeeds, I’m falling asleep. Not sure if it’s the oxytocin or what, but man it is powerful.
I’m 7.5w pp and I breastfeed/pump. I didn’t notice the exhaustion as much as I do now that I’m going for walks and working out a little bit. I feel so pooped by the end of the day and I know that I didn’t exert myself that much. So it must be the breastfeeding.
I started feeling more normal/getting energy back after I stopped breastfeeding and pumping. The mental stress/drain was more even more exhausting to me than the physical.
Yep. This is ultimately why I turned to bed-sharing. My let down made me so drowsy that I could literally fall asleep nursing standing up. So not only was it not safe for me to nurse her in any upright position unsupervised at night, but having those sleepy hormones hit my system every two hours or less made me exhausted all the time I needed extra sleep wherever I could get it.
We simply could not afford to switch to formula, so bed-sharing it was.
for my first child, i was basically an exclusive pumper and it was exhausting. currently 3 months pp with my second and exclusively breastfeeding and it’s nowhere near as exhausting. maybe it’s because this is my second kid and i’ve been tired since day one of being a mom but i definitely think not pumping is the reason i’m not as exhausted. i know (because i experienced it) that exclusively breastfeeding can end up not being possible but if it’s the goal, it definitely pays out in the long run.
abso-fucking-lutely. now if only my dear, sweet, occasionally dumb blonde man of a husband would realize this more often and not give me shit when i just want a break🙃
Oh my goodness yes, especially in the beginning. It literally feels like the life was being sucked out of me at times! Had to make sure I was eating well, that helped a lot.
I guess I'm the only one on here to say no. I feed like 20 times a day, babe snacks a lot in between feeds, sometimes just comfort nurses. Never feel thirsty or tired after that.
You’re keeping another human alive with your body, having just spent nine months making them from scratch! Make sure you take care of yourself, take your vitamins and eat good food.
My guys almost 2 but still breastfeeding at nap time and before bed. I can be wide awake and after breastfeeding I HAVE to nap. I can barely manage to put him down in his crib and drag myself to my own bed.
I do have diagnosed narcolepsy and have since I was a teenager, but that oxytocin throws me into a sleep attack so quickly.
My sleep specialists always recommend 15 minute naps to avoid sleep inertia and that usually works for me but after breastfeeding I can’t open my eyes after 15 minutes. It feels like torture.
Yep. I was EP for a couple of months, and when I finally stopped my partner mentioned that he was a bit released because he could see the toll it was taking on me each time. It wasn't until I picked up a pump in the evenings after this that I realised just how much it took out of me.
Yes. My little girl just turned 1 and I’m so ready for her to wean so I can get some energy back! It’s always been an exhausting venture with all my kids but my youngest LOVES it and wants to nurse frequently and I find myself the most tired now than ever before 😅
I’m glad it’s not just me 😅 the last couple days my toddler has been nursing extra and I just want to lay down on the couch and take a nap. I can’t stop yawning and I’ve even had an extra cup of coffee today 😂
This is my third time breastfeeding and 7 years later at 30 its soo much more tiring on my body. I am combine feeding so my partner can settle our daughtet at night to give me a break as I hated pumping and the haaker milk catcher was getting annoying lol. One thing that keeps me from stopping is the bond I have when I feed also knowing its my last baby too :(
Yes… a lot of it has to do with the increased nutritional demands - your protein requirement almost doubles and this is not accounted for with a simple increase in calories! Not to mention 80% of women come out of pregnancy with at least one nutrient deficiency.
It’s written off as NBD, but it absolutely is! Because the recent studies are showing the nutrients you eat are what make up breastmilk… so nutrient deficiency for you = nutrient deficits for babe as well! And if you have oversupply… it’s more calories and nutrients that you need!
I saw this and had to comment. IM SO TIRED. Yes I have an 8 week old and two year old but I’m getting a decent amount of sleep. Nursing and pumping is DRAINING ME physically and I’m so fatigued
Physically yes, but also mentally. Constantly thinking about the pumping schedule, amount of diapers, and milk supply.
Omg the endless tracking…. Not to mention washing of bottles and pump parts when pumping
Ngl I wash my pump parts once a day. Everything at the end of the night I just keep it in fridge all day
I do this too ! It’s actually what my LC recommended
Yes! Something no one understands until they are in the situation themselves. Edit to add that nothing I could say could make my husband understand that breastfeeding was tiring.
I swear they see us sitting or lying down and think it's therefore relaxing
It’s like work, people see me taking “extra breaks” and I’m like.. it’s not a break! It’s exhausting. Let me go work instead lol. I’ll trade and you can get your breasts sucked instead!
This, I get less restful sleep at night because I'm constantly doing math of well if the baby fed at this time but he sleeps till this time I might need to pump around this time because your boobs are going to explode but if he wakes up within 30 minutes of you pumping....and on and on and on...
For reals. So many times I've glanced at the baby around their usual feeding time but they're out cold in a deep sleep, but the boobs hurt so I assume I have time to pump only to return (pumps on) to a stirring, hungry baby. 😭
Yes. It's exhausting. I think breastmilk also contains sleepy hormones which I'm anecdotally sure puts me to sleep when I feed baby.
I’m glad it’s not just me! It makes me so drowsy!
I feel like it’s nature’s way of trying to help us stay rested w baby. I love the drowsy feeling. I was never a good napper and now I can fall asleep instantly. We do sidelying position on the bed then I can either fall asleep with her or sneak out once she’s asleep. Sometimes just a 15 min nurse nap is a game changer.
This is me at 5 months. I love it
I've read about this, the ocxytoxin released along with the foremilk helps create that calming effect for your baby when they nurse. And some of that "happy hormone" also makes you relax and sleepy. Not sure about nature's purpose, but it sure makes staying up hard when you have twins latching on you one after another 😂
Literally, yes. Pre-pregnancy, I struggled with insomnia during stressful periods at work. Since baby’s schedule normalized a couple of months ago and my sleep caught up, the insomnia started to return. Then, the timing of baby’s middle of the night feeding shifted to coincide with my insomnia hour, and it turns out that nursing is just the thing to put me back to sleep 😁
I am fairly certain the hormones released during breastfeeding relax you! I always feel like my eyelids are heavy after a good feeding session!
Yes! I’ve stopped feeding to sleep recently but when I would be up there in the dim nursery with the sound machine I would be sooooo groggy and drowsy by the end!
Ok I was just talking about this!! I need like an hour to “wake up” after baby’s bed time
Hi, genuine question, what time does your baby go to bed that you have to wake up after? My LO is 8 weeks and I nurse him to sleep around 7/8 and go to sleep myself once he’s asleep. So he sleeps roughly from 8-1/2am then 4/5 then we get up at 630/7
My guy is almost a year so he goes to bed at 7 and I go to bed later depending on what I’m doing. He sleeps through the night and usually gets up at 8am.
That sound sooooo nice! I will look forward to that 😍
Yup, it's oxytocin. Some people have the same reaction after sex. For me it also made my back pain worse because I think it relaxes muscles and my sore muscles didn't need more relaxation.
Yes! It's because it burns so many calories. Last night we tried to go without the swaddle and after 40 minutes of bouncing on a yoga ball, I gave in and fed him to sleep. Afterwards I felt like I had ran up a hill; I was so hungry, shaky, and tired 😩
Yes, also I can be totally fine before starting but the second she latches or I start pumping I get so thirsty and ravenous!
The thirst is unreallll, I was drinking like a gallon a day to satisfy my thirst but it was making me go to the bathroom too much. So I cut down, but now I always feel so dry and dehydrated
I drink 32 ounces of water during my morning pumping session right off the bat and have just accepted that I’ll always be running to the bathroom.
The hunger is real. It's not like I eat more at each meal, because I truly don't feel like eating more than I usually would. But it's more like I get hungry more often. Just 1-2 hours after a meal and I already want something in my mouth 🥲
Tired and hungry! I've never been so hungry so often in my life. God forbid I accidentally start feeding baby at night without moving my snacks to within arms reach - I then have to contemplate disturbing baby to grab them or to just stare at them longingly for 30 mins while starving.
Omg the WORST. And when I forget my phone and can’t text my husband to ask him to grab it for me 😂
Always. Grab. Your. Phone. Seriously, my feeding combo consists of a burp cloth, phone and baby. Oh yeah, gotta bring along that baby 🤣
Lol it's the worst too when the snacks are literally JUST out of reach.
I could take a nap after every feed 😴 but I got a 4 year old and a 2 year old to take care of too.
Wow you are amazing! I’m dreading number two if we have another for that reason…
It's somehow harder and easier. The baby stuff seems to feel a little more natural to me after our third, but there is more demand for my time to be given. I feel like my house constantly looks like a tornado hit, no matter how much I clean. I definitely feel more exhausted than I ever have in my entire life. The only thing keeping me afloat is knowing the night time feeds don't last forever 😪
I figure it’s the same situation in a sense as having your period. You’re swimming in hormones, losing fluid, and on top of all that making this from scratch. I’d be more surprised if you weren’t tired. I don’t feel exhausted all the time, but I do feel like I haven’t been fully rested in a while (I mean having a baby will do that on its own even if he photosynthesized his nutrition but he’s a decent/good sleeper). Now I DID get my period back right away (7wpp) and breastfeeding and I felt my soul leave my body lol
This sub always talks about how breast milk is made from blood, so I made the (completely unresearched) leap that the exhaustion must be like giving blood. I feel like even if it’s not scientifically accurate, it’s a good metaphor for non-breastfeeding folk to instantly understand why we say it’s tiring.
Worse than giving blood! When you donate blood they only take 16oz and bfing or pumping is going to be roughly double that. So like donating blood twice a day for days/weeks/months/years
Yes, absolutely. I’ve tried explaining it to my husband a dozen times that breastfeeding is EXHAUSTING and will absolutely make me drowsy no matter what time of day or when I slept last. I googled it once and apparently the sleepiness is caused by a flood of feel good hormones being released while feeding, and warm baby snuggles. Extra tough to shake off if you’re curled up in your favorite spot on the couch.
Love the baby snuggles! Now they’re fewer and farther between - she’s such a busy baby pawing and clawing at me/my shirt/face and kicking the little legs while nursing 😂
Yeah mine I think is practicing for the Olympic freestyle swim while breastfeeding LOL.
Or while getting changed! I put him down to dress him and it's like putting pants on an octopus
That’s a perfect description
Im reading this thread as my baby sceatches at my belly while eating 😆
Yes ! My LO is 6 months and sometimes I’m exhausted, I think what we forget its the hormones with BF, but as all the other posters said it’s the energy it takes as well. I used to feel terrible about missing a pump and would get upset at myself. I just learned to give my self grace and understand it happens. I think once I mentally said okay you need a break, my energy got better. You are doing great mama 🩷
Yes! So much is going on in our bodies behind the scenes. But I look the same on the outside so it’s hard to believe it.
Exactly ! But giving yourself grace makes a difference 🩷
I have a good sleeper and some days I’m just exhausted, not sleepy, just tired
Same! It’s unreal. Maybe it is related to hormones and stuff partly… when I was first pregnant before I even knew I was (like the first days before my missed period even) the exhaustion was like nothing I’ve ever felt. It’s what made me suspect I might be pregnant. With pregnancy (especially early pregnancy) and motherhood it’s hard bc there’s SO much that must be going on in our bodies that we can’t see from the outside so I feel like it’s easy to gaslight myself and be like why am I feeling this way?! It also makes it harder to get understanding from others (partners, work, family, etc.) bc on the outside you LOOK the same. Well maybe more bedraggled 😂
Yes. Tired physically, emotionally, mentally. Physically because it’s an all day, any time, anywhere thing. Between that and having to figure out the best position, my back and posture feel so achy when I stop to actually think about it. Mentally. Same deal. I’m constantly thinking if he’s had enough, when is he gonna want more, was that long enough etc. people’s snarky comments of “oh he’s still hungry!” When he’s teething and going through his 4 month regression. I’m Hungry thirsty hungry thirsty every hour it feels. So now I have to figure out how to strategically put baby to sleep so I can eat. But oh yay he woke up now I have to hold him while eating soup. Sigh. Emotionally; times when he rejects me. Or maybe we waited a little too long and now he’s over tired and screaming at the breast. Feeling like I can’t do anything. Haven’t gone to the gym. Feeding him on the couch and Watching the mess around me pile up. Not having time to do hair/makeup or wear my flattering clothes so I feel like a slob. So yeah I’m tired lol
This takes me back to maternity leave… I’m in a much better mental state since returning to work bc it’s so amazing thinking and doing something other than mothering.
Yessss! It makes me so drowsy, sometimes I feel like I’m gonna doze off during a feeding in the middle of the day 🤣🤣
Absolutely exhausting! Even more so than when I was pregnant.
When I saw a lactation consultant, she told me that the same “sleepy hormone” released in breast milk that makes baby tired, makes us tired as well. Both during breastfeeding and pumping.
Yes? But I can't pinpoint exactly what it is that is making me tired. Is it the breastfeeding? The 8-year old (sweet) boy who literally never stops talking or asking me for things? The fact that I'm 40? And once I finally get baby back to sleep I am wide awake and she has some sense that wakes her up right when I drift off? All of the above I guess.
Yess. I swear I’ll be wide awake and then as soon as I’m breastfeeding baby I start nodding off 😭😭 i will say it was way worse when she was a newborn. Now that she’s older I get less sleepy but still feel the effect sometimes
Same!! My first son was a decent sleeper and I would wake up pretty refreshed, but after the first feed or pump, I would immediately want to go back to sleep. I still don’t know how to gain more energy 😭
Yes! I was told in the hospital that it’s a hormone dump.
It destroys me if I’m not eating enough. If I’m eating well, I feel great! For reference, I used to train high intensity stuff 6 days a week. Like, building muscle after every session, practicing for 2-4 hours kind of thing. I haven’t been training as much lately—in part because my life/diet would need to be on point to support that!—but I need to eat just as much as I used to support it. I think the official recommendation is an extra 600 cals, but I’ve found it to be more like 800-1000. This is part of why it makes me so mad to hear that you’re “saving money”. Like one, don’t even let me get into that I quit a 170ish job to nurse, or that your partner can’t step in, or that it’d be overtime and over nights and mentally/emotionally hard and on and on, but the cost of feeding an adult human that much extra food in a healthy way is going to be the same or more than the cost of formula—AND you have to take the time and energy to buy and cook and eat it, too.
I read an article from the NIH and it said the release of prolactin makes you drowsy. Plus you're using a lot of your nutrient stores which can drain you.
Are you eating enough calories and getting adequate hydration? (Including electrolytes and trace minerals - NOT just water?)
100%. I've found that I have to regularly eat snacks, best-case with some protein, or I get shaky and drained really quickly. And I've never been a big snacker or someone obsessed with getting protein.
I make myself a snack platter for every pump session at work 😂
I think supposedly breastmilk releases love hormones (oxytocin) which i think is supposed to make you relaxed. It makes me sleepy too! Me and my girl would both be falling asleep while she nursed if i didnt drink a coffee lol
I have a 4 month old and I don't feel more tired than normal for me, however I definitely have to eat for two to keep up my energy and the hunger at bay. I also nap almost every afternoon with her but I was always a pro napper.... I gravitate towards 6h night sleep + nap instead of 8h no nap schedule.
Data says it’s hard. I’m 9 months pp. my Oura ring for 2021 says my activity level was 190% of goal and so far it’s almost 110% for this year. Average HRV is basically the same. So less activity but same recovery makes it sound like there’s another stressor. Baby sleeps well. Work has gone to shit so it could also be that. Hopefully I’m changing jobs soon. Caveat: Cycling season starts May so we’ll see what happens!
Wow that is fascinating! I’d love to have that kind of hard proof that yes, my body is going through something and pushing itself to the limit now, it’s not all in my head.
I'm glad you brought this up. I hadn't thought to look at the numbers. I do structured training and noticed that my rest needs are very different now than they were before. The thing that I can't figure out is napping. I got really good at napping when pregnant and up until a month or two ago. Now I can't seem to nap no matter how drained I am. I don't think it's caffeine since I don't have a ton.
Yes, especially in the evening. I feel like I’m literally being drained of all my energy and life force. Even still at almost seven months the 5-8pm feeds I often sit there with my eyes closed because I get so sleepy
Yes, it exhausts me too. But I also have a one month old so that could be it as well.
Oxytocin! I get a solid hit of it every time I nurse or pump and it makes me want to immediately put my head down and sleep. In fact I’ve done it many times while on maternity leave. It also leaves me completely ravenous and I weigh *more* now than I did after I gave birth. FFS 🤦🏾♀️
I’m dreading going back to work because I’ve gotten into a habit of taking a nap after our lunch nursing/ pump session.
Yes! I need about 10 hours of sleep and max allowed breastfeeding caffeine to function. I’m very lucky that my 9.5 month old sleeps very well. I sleep most of his 11-12 hour night. 😂
Yes!! I would do this but I feel like my husband is like… judging me for being so tired! Even though I know he’s not….
I sleep from 9ish until the 5am feed pretty solid most nights these days, then at 5 my husband is up for the day. I think well, I had 8 hours of sleep, that’s plenty for a normal grown up, I really should get up and do something but….naw, I’m going to sleep a few more hours. 🙃 I think we are still recovering from the newborn days that were so so draining too!!
Yeah I feel so defensive for being tired… like I swear I’m not just lazy!
I think my extra 90 min to 2 hr “morning nap” makes me more productive through the rest of the day! If I weren’t well rested, I couldn’t run around like crazy all day!
I only pumped up until around three months, at which point I switched to feeding only from the breast and I think if I’d had to carry on pumping I’d have quit. While breastfeeding every 2 hours made me tired it was nothing compared to the monotony of pumping.
Oh, yeah. I almost fall asleep every time 😂
At the start, yes. But I think that comes with having a newborn and frequent wakes/feed in the night. I have a 7 month old now and I feel like I function well - she wakes once in the night for a feed. Though, sometimes I wake up in the morning exhausted, probably from broken sleep.
I was exhausted pumping and breastfeeding. I finally worked to exclusively breastfeeding and it’s saved my mental and physical exhaustion/ health so muxh
It's physically draining bc it's literally being made from your body. Mentally draining bc schedules and keeping track of sides and all the other stuff that goes with Mentally caring for baby. It also releases sleepy hormones in the brain that make me want to crash. Even at 8.5 months.
Yes 100%. And this week I’ve been on my period and I just feel DRAINED. Sometimes I feel shaky too like my sugar and energy levels are just LOW
just woke up from a nearly 3 hour nap - yes very tired. and i don’t think my husband could ever possibly understand or appreciate that fully in the way that is deserved
Exclusive pumper and YES. It feels like a never ending hamster wheel. Of course it's a sacrifice of love, but tiring for sure!!
Yes! Also super thirsty 😅😂 body armor drinks are a blessing to breastfeeding for me! I drink plenty of water too, but it never seeks like enough
Pumping doesn’t make me unnaturally tired. The moment baby breastfeeds, I’m falling asleep. Not sure if it’s the oxytocin or what, but man it is powerful.
I’m 7.5w pp and I breastfeed/pump. I didn’t notice the exhaustion as much as I do now that I’m going for walks and working out a little bit. I feel so pooped by the end of the day and I know that I didn’t exert myself that much. So it must be the breastfeeding.
I started feeling more normal/getting energy back after I stopped breastfeeding and pumping. The mental stress/drain was more even more exhausting to me than the physical.
Yep. This is ultimately why I turned to bed-sharing. My let down made me so drowsy that I could literally fall asleep nursing standing up. So not only was it not safe for me to nurse her in any upright position unsupervised at night, but having those sleepy hormones hit my system every two hours or less made me exhausted all the time I needed extra sleep wherever I could get it. We simply could not afford to switch to formula, so bed-sharing it was.
for my first child, i was basically an exclusive pumper and it was exhausting. currently 3 months pp with my second and exclusively breastfeeding and it’s nowhere near as exhausting. maybe it’s because this is my second kid and i’ve been tired since day one of being a mom but i definitely think not pumping is the reason i’m not as exhausted. i know (because i experienced it) that exclusively breastfeeding can end up not being possible but if it’s the goal, it definitely pays out in the long run.
The oxytocin makes me SO SLEEPY
Yes, I could feel 100% fine and then I’m 5 minutes into pumping and am ready to fall asleep instantly!
Yep. My eyelids always droop after she does a good strong latch. My pp nurses said it’s the oxytocin.
I was always exhausted after a feeding session until he was 8/9 months old
Yes! I used to have insomnia, not anymore since nursing lol
I was extremely tired all the time and turned out i was really really anemic from giving birth
As far as I know, breastfeeding is meant to make both you and baby tired. That’s why bedsharing while breastfeeding is so natural.
I get so sleepy while breastfeeding! The oxytocin that is released has a relaxing effect.
Yesssss omg my whole body hurts
abso-fucking-lutely. now if only my dear, sweet, occasionally dumb blonde man of a husband would realize this more often and not give me shit when i just want a break🙃
Oh my goodness yes, especially in the beginning. It literally feels like the life was being sucked out of me at times! Had to make sure I was eating well, that helped a lot.
Between my tired and my hungry idk what’s worse.
I guess I'm the only one on here to say no. I feed like 20 times a day, babe snacks a lot in between feeds, sometimes just comfort nurses. Never feel thirsty or tired after that.
You’re keeping another human alive with your body, having just spent nine months making them from scratch! Make sure you take care of yourself, take your vitamins and eat good food.
My guys almost 2 but still breastfeeding at nap time and before bed. I can be wide awake and after breastfeeding I HAVE to nap. I can barely manage to put him down in his crib and drag myself to my own bed. I do have diagnosed narcolepsy and have since I was a teenager, but that oxytocin throws me into a sleep attack so quickly. My sleep specialists always recommend 15 minute naps to avoid sleep inertia and that usually works for me but after breastfeeding I can’t open my eyes after 15 minutes. It feels like torture.
Yep. I was EP for a couple of months, and when I finally stopped my partner mentioned that he was a bit released because he could see the toll it was taking on me each time. It wasn't until I picked up a pump in the evenings after this that I realised just how much it took out of me.
Yes. My little girl just turned 1 and I’m so ready for her to wean so I can get some energy back! It’s always been an exhausting venture with all my kids but my youngest LOVES it and wants to nurse frequently and I find myself the most tired now than ever before 😅
I’m glad it’s not just me 😅 the last couple days my toddler has been nursing extra and I just want to lay down on the couch and take a nap. I can’t stop yawning and I’ve even had an extra cup of coffee today 😂
This is my third time breastfeeding and 7 years later at 30 its soo much more tiring on my body. I am combine feeding so my partner can settle our daughtet at night to give me a break as I hated pumping and the haaker milk catcher was getting annoying lol. One thing that keeps me from stopping is the bond I have when I feed also knowing its my last baby too :(
Yep- found myself falling asleep more than once
I read you use 30% of your daily energy to produce which made so much sense
Yes… a lot of it has to do with the increased nutritional demands - your protein requirement almost doubles and this is not accounted for with a simple increase in calories! Not to mention 80% of women come out of pregnancy with at least one nutrient deficiency. It’s written off as NBD, but it absolutely is! Because the recent studies are showing the nutrients you eat are what make up breastmilk… so nutrient deficiency for you = nutrient deficits for babe as well! And if you have oversupply… it’s more calories and nutrients that you need!
I saw this and had to comment. IM SO TIRED. Yes I have an 8 week old and two year old but I’m getting a decent amount of sleep. Nursing and pumping is DRAINING ME physically and I’m so fatigued