I'm sick and tired of being sick and tired!!

[Plady]

The question is, does bfing have anything to do with it?

For the past few months (since about August) I have been sick or about to get sick almost without end. I feel like I get a cold that makes me need to lie down and stay in bed about every 15 days if not more frequently and even when I'm not in bed feeling like #@*& I haven't felt really peppy enough to keep up my old workout schedule which I stuck to religiously for a full year before.

The only real change is that dd is now 26 months and still bfing like always. Is it possible that her nutritional needs (which my body will respond to first, right?) are getting too much for me to keep up with?

I am, as of this moment, cutting out coffee, alcohol and sugar to see if that will help. I will also try to get to sleep early enough as I have noticed that if I so much as stay up until 10:30 and have a glass of wine at the same time I can guarantee I'll have a cold coming on the next morning (so much for New Years!).

Anyway, I thought I'd put it out here in case other mom's have had this problem and if so how to deal with it without weaning if possible.

Thanks to all and here's to a Happy Healthy New Year for all of us!

[Mommymama]

Tired all the time

Well, I've been nursing dd for almost 3 1/2 yrs so far and I do feel that diet plays a huge part in the way I feel. Sugar consumption has a lot to do with it and I try to stick to organic sugar and other wholesome sweeteners. Refined sugar and refined flour make you feel tired since they completely deplete your body of minerals and vitamins to be processed and they cause your blood sugar levels to swing wildly. So cutting out refined sugar is a great first step. But that's only part of the equation. I feel like the consumption of organic raw foods and wholesome fats do help a lot too. I take cod liver oil (Carlson's lemon flavored) and wheatgrass juice almost everyday. I also juice organic vegetables and eat raw nuts, avocados, raw cream and butter and olive oil. I try to consume organic meats (turkey and chicken) and I try to avoid farm-raised fish, which contains elevated levels of mercury and PCBs. I give preference to wild alaskan salmon, which contains lower levels of contaminants. However, I believe I do consume way too much grains and I'm totally addicted to carbs so there's a big difference in my level of energy depending on how I eat. Good luck!

[Plady]

Well, for the past few days I have replaced my coffee with yerba mate and I've actually been taking my vitamins (with coffee I'd always put it off thinking the vitamins wouldn't absorb anyway but then I'd forget later) and I actually feel better!

I've also been getting to bed earlier (9:00 on New Year's Eve) and avoiding most sugar. But I'm amazed at how much healthier I feel already! I still think figuring out a way to do a bit of night weaning wouldn't be a bad idea but I'm feeling more optimistic.

Thanks for the input, I'd like to go organic but it hasn't really caught on in Mexico. If I tried to be strict I'd eat nothing but lettuce and chiles!

[phathui5]

I've personally found that my immune system seems stronger when I'm nursing. Even if the rest of my house gets sick now, I don't.

[StillForest]

Hi Plady,

I had to laugh as I read your OP. I could have written your post and your DD is only five days older than mine! I've been pondering the same questions. Wanted to let you know that you're not alone. I've started taking my prenatal vitamins again, lots of C, grapefruit seed extract, eating even more leafy greens and also trying to get back into my workout routine. Hard to do when one feels sick constantly.
I too have found that going to bed earlier has been key to feeling better.... but that eats into the only time of the day that I have for myself.

I'm relieved to know that I'm not alone but sorry that others are also having constant colds and feeling so exhausted. Hope that you're feeling better!

[MamaMonica]

You might want to get checked out for anemia- this can make you very tired and get colds easily.

I was very shaky and weak nursing my dd (who weaned at three) after about a year- I felt good before that. I think if your health/diet isn't really good, ebf can run you down. Some people seem hardier than others and thrive on nursing, where others get run down.

I am having the same issues now, but peg on my illness- which ebf is stressing.

[julie128]

That was me, too. These are the things that helped build my immune system back up: taking prenatal vitamins, taking additional zinc and calcium, getting regular chiropractic adjustments, getting enough sleep.
Good luck.