weaning and hormone changes?

[redhdsunshine]

anybody else experience major hormonal changes after weaning? my 21 month son is down to one nursing a night, but is just sucking less than one minute a side, and is happily done. he seems to be okay with the arrangement--has been child led and gradual. but i have been experiencing some weird spells (thought i was prego for awhile)---headaches, lightheaded, nausea, feeling bad and other weird stuff...but got my period so am NOT prego. can't seem to find much of anything on the internet about this subject. anybody else had this happen? or know a good place to look? HELP!

[budamama]

nausea after weaning

Hello! I just found your post...from 2004!! You may not remember these feelings, but you talked about feeling nausea and headaches after weaning...and you had a hard time finding info about this???

Yeah, I'm THERE!! My daughter, 3 1/2 was down to maybe 30 seconds on only my left breast for months it seems...I sort of figured my right breast had dried up naturally and slowly...at any rate, last night was night 6 with no "bubbas" at all...She is officially weaned...but I have been feeling really nauseated, breast tender, headaches...all the early prego syptoms...For me, I suppose there's a chance I'm pregnant (I'll know in 5 days or so...an eternity!!!!) but....I just wondered what you experienced with all of this?? How long did it last? Were you indeed pregnant, or is this just some hormonal thing????

It was nice reading your post...always nice to hear from someone else, ya know? I look forward to hearing from you!

[purplemamaaz]

A few weeks ago DD went fron nursing 5-6 times a day to 2-3 times a day. She also started sleeping through the night about the same time (she used to nurse 1-2 times a night). I went through a hormonal hell. I bled/spotted for 17 days straight. I felt tired, irriatable, I had trouble sleeping. I thought I might be preggo although I've never spotted while pregnant. I was wondering what the heck was going on!!!! Then I thought maybe it was my body's reaction to the decrease in breastmilk production. I'm not 100% sure that's what it was but I think so. I'm not pregnant and there doesn't seem to be any other explanation.....

[gypsyhips26]

so I'm not the only one either? My DS has been gradually nursing less & less as well (probably down to 2-3X/day and I'm no longer pumping and I'm having all sorts of weird hormonal things going on as well (my skin is a mess, my hair is doing strange things,etc, etc....)

whew! I thought I was losing my mind there for a bit....

[julesmom]

I too had very strange physical, emotional issues when ds cut down on nursing. I chalked them up to hormonal changes. I experienced ocular migraines (silver streaks/orbs in vision), numbness and tingling in left arm/lips, nausea, lightheadedness, and general spells of feelings like I was emotionally spiraling out of control.

They have since passed, thank goodness. Powerful things...those hormones...

[naupakamama]

Yicks! me too! We have been actively trying to get pregnant and so I kept thinking that I was pregnant. Sick to my stomach, over tired, sleeping during the day, IRRITABLE, etc. My DD just turned 3 and still nurses many times, but they are usually very short and more for comfort then milk.

Interesting...

[tiggerpooh]

Budamama- were you pregnant or did it just end up being hormonal issues from weaning? I just weaned my 4 month old (early due to problems but very gradually) and I am feeling like I am pregnant: nausea, everything smells weird, lightheaded, discharge.... But I am not. I have taken 2 tests. I guess I am wondering, if you werent pregnant, how long did it take for you to start feeling normal or are you still not?

[Rippette]

Wow, I am so happy to see this post! I have had the same experience with my son cutting down on his nursing. It happen about a month ago that I was feeling sick to my stomach, tired and irritable etc. I thought I was pregnant, but found out that I wasn't. My son is 22 months, and is now just nursing just a few times a day (waking up, naptime, and going to bed). When all this happened he started to night wean. So, anyways... thanks for bringing this up! And I hope everyone starts feeling better!

[nursing2mom]

Hormone changes after weaning

I weaned my 2nd daughter very gradually, after 7.5 yrs of nursing (initially daughter one, then tandem, then only daughter 2.) We basically quit in August of 2008, although it was down to 1 time a day before that for awhile. Anyway, I'm 38 and have recently felt some hormone changes the last 2 months. Then this month, right at about ovulation time, I had/have very tender breasts, and fibrous lumps (sore!) Fibrous breast tissue runs in our family, but I never had the swelling and lumps before. I'm wondering if the nursing kept it at bay or something for 7.5 yrs? Anyway, I'm so glad to find this thread. I'm still trying to find out more info (definitely not pregnant) but it's so nice to hear that others have experienced changes, too. It just seemed weird to be 4-6 months after weaning.

[ChinaDoll]

Yes! My son just self-weaned (at 4.75 yrs) and since he tandemed with his sister, I'd been nursing for 6.5 years. I've had lots of the weird hormonal symptoms mentioned, and now am battling mastitis

Sorry you all are struggling with it, too. I would never have expected this with as slowly as my DS weaned, but I guess our bodies have just gotten so used to lactating, it's a major reset.

[Norasmomma]

I felt awful after weaning, but I also had migraines the entire time I nursed too. After weaning DD I got acne for the first time in my life, at 33. My skin has always been really nice and it turned so gross. After this babe is born I am going to start up my vitex and maca to re-balance my hormones. I want to never go through the last year again-it was awful.