Weaning and depression...

[MujerMamaMismo]

This is really a bit of a straw poll to see who else has experienced this and if anyone knows of any research or info available?

6 months ago I nightweaned my DS and for the following months felt more tired and more depressed than I had in the 20months that I'd been waking every 45min-2hrs to feed. Eventually I started feeling ok again. Not long after that, I dropped DS's day feeds so he was (is) only breastfed in the morning when he wakes and at night, before bed. Again, the exhaustion and depression resurfaced.

Of course, i didn't really talk about how shitty I'd been feeling until it all got pretty bad a few weeks ago and it was only then that someone suggested the correlation between dropping feeds/changing hormone levels and my depression. Then yesterday at playgroup I mentioned it to one other woman who was feeling similarly and has also just fully weaned her 3 year old....And then suddenly almost all the women at playgroup who had weaned children were deeply engaged in a conversation about having experienced a similar thing to varying degrees.

I've asked around, I've asked lactation consultant friends, I've googled like crazy but there's nothing about this stuff out there?

Does anyone know more or have a similar experience?

[cking]

I think it’s plausible.

My experience was slightly different, since we were tandem nursing and DS is still nursing regularly.  But I weaned DD abruptly in Nov.  She was down to one feeding per day, in the morning, but she was taking quite a bit of milk then.  I was feeling a good bit of guilt at the time.  And then, two weeks later, my first PPAF arrived.  (Coincidence?  I generally had 12 day LP before pg, so I think it’s connected). I really felt a hormonal crash.  Plus arrival of winter, etc. 

So yes, I do think a change in feedings --> change in hormones --> depression, etc.

[Llyra]

I've never seen anything in the literature about it. But it happened to me, too. I think a big factor in it for me, though, was that I was unhappy with the timing of our weaning-- I weaned all of mine earlier than I really wanted to, because I have to go off my 6-mp while I'm nursing, and the drug I take instead to control my disease isn't safe for use for long periods. So I thought it was the regret that I felt. But when I think back, even when I nightweaned (which I was THRILLED to do), I experienced some blues, for a few weeks. I'm guessing there's a hormonal aspect to it.

Anyway, I wish I could be more help. But I thought it might help to know you're not the only one who experiences this.

[Nikole224]

I've heard in my birth community that this is pretty common, so be encouraged! The birth professionals (midwives, doulas, acupuncturists, etc) say weaning helps prevent depression/blues as it keeps the oxytocin flowing. Once weaned, those extra 'happy' hormones are no longer produced on a regular basis (ie: each time baby nurses). So they've recommended to keep breastfeeding, if mom and baby are okay with that, and to try again at a later time. 

[MujerMamaMismo]

Thanks Nikole. I'm feeling much better but have dropped the idea of weaning for a bit longer now.

[julie128]

This happened to me 2 of the 3 times I weaned.  The first time, I was pregnant, so I had some hormones going on there.  It's hormonal, and it will pass in a few weeks.  I would just keep telling myself that over and over and that got me through it.