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Parenting: Breastfeeding and depression...

600| Sat, 08 Dec 2007 15:24:00 GMT| itags.org Seeker| Comments (8)
I'm feeling so depressed, angry and powerless today. I felt the same way when breastfeeding my 1st DS. I just felt down all the time.
The first few weeks were great, and then downhill. I weaned him at 5 months because I felt so crappy. Not PPD, as far as I know, but constantly crying/frustrated/miserable type of stuff. I felt like a million dollars once I weaned him.

But I still feel so guilty about it.

So I'm breastfeeding DS2 now, and the last couple of weeks I have started to feel so awful again. I wake up in the morning and think, how am I going to get through this day? I have such anger at my kids, I feel like I actually hate them sometimes (even though I love them more than anything).

I really feel like this is connected to breastfeeding. I am fighting the urge to wean DS2 right now. I feel like it'll make everything easier for me and get me out of my black hole.

Does anyone know a way to get over this feeling? Has anyone felt this way?
Please help.

Keywords & Tags: breastfeeding, depression, parenting

URL: http://www.healthknowledge.org/parenting/31527/
 
«« Prev - Next »» 8 helpful answers below.
Oh Mama, hugs for you! Hang in there with the Breastfeeding if you can. But have you got support for the breastfeeding or is there something about it that makes you feel negative toward it? I mean are there ppl around you with neg attitudes towards your feeding that may be playing around in your mind? BFeeding can actually help you feel good cos of prolactin producing a calm state but liek you said you felt better after weaning so maybe it's something else?

Sorry I can help more ... I will see what I can find out about it and post back later.

itags.org Seeker | Mon, 10 Dec 2007 05:46:00 GMT |

I do have plenty of support - my mom, MIL, friends etc all think it's great. lots of my friends and SILs breastfeed as well. it's just weird. i don't hate it, but it just makes me feel rotten. i often get nauseous when nursing as well.
i've never been abused or had any real body image issues or anything so i don't think it's a psychological or emotional problem.
the first couple of weeks feel wonderful - other than the nausea - but then i start to get really depressed and i feel very isolated all the time. and it just seems connected to nursing.

itags.org Seeker | Mon, 10 Dec 2007 05:47:00 GMT |

Have you been taking good care of yourself? Are you eating well, getting enough to drink, sleeping at all? I find that if I severely neglect taking care of myself (especially eating), at times I may feel so physically spread-thin that nursing can seem like one more thing draining me... but it's not really the nursing, it's that I'm not taking care of my basic needs in other ways. If I force myself to eat a little, everything starts looking up.

itags.org Seeker | Mon, 10 Dec 2007 05:48:00 GMT |

i start to get really depressed and i feel very isolated all the time. and it just seems connected to nursing.
Could you work on being less isolated without weaning? You don't have to wean to be able to get out more, or to have more "me" time...

When you weaned DS1, what things changed besides the nursing? Did you have other people help out with taking care of him more? Did you go out once in a while without the baby? Did you feel more comfortable going out with the baby (if you had been uncomfortable NIP?) Which changes do you think made you feel so much better after weaning? Knowing that, you could work to make those same kinds of changes whithout actually weaning DS2.

If you need to, there's middle-groud solutions you could try that don't require you to give up nursing. For example, if you really need to just get out alone sometimes and leave DS with a sitter, you don't have to wean to achieve this, you could just leave a bottle of expressed milk or something and still keep your nursing relationship intact.

It's likely not the nursing that's a problem in itself... so instead, there's lots of other options to meet your needs better that you can try before considering weaning.

Good luck and I hope you start feeling better! :)

itags.org Seeker | Mon, 10 Dec 2007 05:49:00 GMT |

I always feel kind of blue when I'm nursing..My dr told me it was because your body is kind of in a menopausal state while nursing..No estrogen, etc...I'm really irritable, have hot flashes, mood swings etc..

But I think there are some natural solutions..I think valerian root is supposed to help with moodiness..

Honestly, I had to go on a very low dose of Zoloft for awhile because it was either that or give up nursing because I felt so bad..But I also have hypoglycemia issues and can't take my meds while nursing..So the dr said Zoloft might help..

Research all your options..A lot of it is probably going from one to two kids..I know that was a big adjustment for me..Good luck and big hugs!! I know I'm having a hard time too right now..But I'm determined to make nursing the LAST thing I give up..HTH!

itags.org Seeker | Mon, 10 Dec 2007 05:50:00 GMT |

Thanks mamas, for your thoughts. I'm not sure whether it's related to me neglecting myself or what! I mean, no, I don't have any time for myself, and since I've been eliminating problem foods from my diet I have been eating less too. That could be part of it. I just hate the postpartum rollercoaster. Today was a really good day. Yesterday was horrible. I'm a little scared of tomorrow! I will have to see how the next week goes and if things are still crazy, I might talk to my doc. Stacey, it's so good to know I'm not alone - but I wish you didn't feel this way!
This adjustment is hard. But tonight Lucas nursed so well and I felt so good about it, and that helps!
thanks so much mamas!

itags.org Seeker | Mon, 10 Dec 2007 05:51:00 GMT |

I'm feeling so depressed, angry and powerless today.... Not PPD, as far as I know, but constantly crying/frustrated/miserable type of stuff.

This sounds a lot like PPD to me...have you been evaluated for it just in case?

itags.org Seeker | Mon, 10 Dec 2007 05:52:00 GMT |

i haven't...i took the online quiz from the sticky in the ppd forum, and i know it said i should talk to my doc. (it wasn't in the critical range). but sometimes i just think, oh it's lack of sleep or whatever. i will talk to my dr when i go for my postpartum checkup, i think, just to be sure.
i

itags.org Seeker | Mon, 10 Dec 2007 05:53:00 GMT |

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