TL;DR: Breastfeeding is demanding and can significantly contribute to fatigue in new mothers due to hormonal changes, energy demands, and physical discomforts. Here’s a quick rundown of the blog’s key points:

• Hormonal Influence: Prolactin, released post-birth to aid milk production, can induce sleepiness.
• Energy Consumption: Producing milk uses about 25% of the body’s energy, more than the brain.
• Physical Challenges: Issues like sore nipples, pain from improper latching, and postpartum depression can intensify fatigue.
• Management Tips: Suggestions include getting adequate sleep, staying hydrated, eating nutritiously, and practicing self-care to mitigate tiredness.

Yes, breastfeeding can make you tired, and it’s totally normal to feel that way when you’re feeding and caring for a newborn. In fact, many new mothers ask: does breastfeeding make you tired, why does nursing make me sleepy, and why is breastfeeding so exhausting?

Below we’ll explore the reasons behind breastfeeding fatigue, what happens when you pump, and what you can do to ease the exhaustion of those early months.

Why Does Breastfeeding Make You Tired?

It really isn’t just the sleepless nights (though those play a big role). When you’re breastfeeding, your body is working hard in several ways that contribute to tiredness:

Hormones at Work: The Role of Prolactin

When you feed your baby, your body releases prolactin, which is a hormone that stimulates milk production. Studies show that prolactin also has a “calming” or even drowsy effect on the body.

Because prolactin levels rise after birth and in response to nursing, it can contribute to a feeling of sleepiness or low energy.

In short, when you wonder “why does nursing make me sleepy?”, part of the answer is that your body is sending you a biological signal to rest as it nourishes your baby.

The Physical Energy Demand

Feeding isn’t a passive activity. Producing breast milk uses a significant amount of your body’s energy. Some sources estimate that up to 25% of your energy expenditure comes from milk production.

To put that in perspective, the brain only uses 20%.

Breastfeeding is a demanding process! It requires a significant amount of energy to feed your baby. Other studies have even found that breastfeeding mothers burn upwards of an additional 500 calories per day to keep up with demand.

Understanding the energy demands of breastfeeding helps explain why many mothers experience fatigue. Your body is constantly working hard to nourish the baby in addition to recovering from giving birth.

Sleep Disruption + Postpartum Recovery

On top of hormones and energy use, there’s the fact that newborns wake often. Interrupted sleep, healing from childbirth, and adjusting to motherhood all add up. A disrupted sleep cycle can make the fatigue of breastfeeding feel even more extreme.

When you add these together, you get the phenomenon of extreme fatigue that breastfeeding mothers face, making them feel tired beyond regular tired.

Other Side Effects of Breastfeeding: Understanding Sleep-Related Symptoms

While every mother’s experience with breastfeeding is different, there are a handful of other side effects of breastfeeding that can make you feel exhausted or fatigued. Here are a handful of other symptoms you may experience on your breastfeeding journey , according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Chapped or Sore Nipples

During the first few weeks of breastfeeding, your nipples may be sore as you adjust to your baby latching and suckling. Similarly, they may become dry or chapped, which can be uncomfortable.

Postpartum Depression

These intense feelings of sadness, worry, and fatigue are believed to affect around one in seven women, according to research published by the National Library of Medicine. However, that number may be higher since many women may not realize they are experiencing more than the “baby blues” or don’t want to share their struggles.

Postpartum depression can leave you feeling discouraged and tired, making breastfeeding difficult.

Soreness and Pain

Breastfeeding can be a precious time for you and your baby to bond, but it can also be painful. Your breasts may feel tender and uncomfortable, and clogged milk ducts or an improper latch can hurt. Similarly, you may experience back, wrist, or chest pain as you adjust to new positions.

All of these side effects of breastfeeding can contribute to you feeling more exhausted, which can make feeding your little one difficult.

Does Pumping Make You Tired?

Yes, it can. Many assume that switching to pumping might reduce fatigue, but in many cases, the opposite happens. If you’re pumping instead of direct nursing (or in addition to nursing), you’re still dealing with many of the same demands:

• Your body still has to produce milk, so the energy demand remains high.
• The hormonal triggers (including prolactin) still apply.
• Cleaning, sterilizing, setting up the pump, expressing, and storing can take physical and mental effort.
• You might still be up for feedings, night wakings, or the same schedule.

4 Main Ways to Help Breastfeeding Fatigue

If breastfeeding is making you tired, there are some easy steps you can take to fight off the fatigue as a new mom. These simple changes can do wonders for your mind and body to make breastfeeding a positive experience for you and your baby.

Get Enough Sleep

While you might not get long continuous sleep stretches, aiming to make your sleep better and fitting in short naps helps.

• Nap when your baby naps, even if it’s 15-20 minutes; it still helps.
• Keep the environment dark, cool, and restful so sleep is more restorative.
• If possible, take turns overnight with your partner or have someone assist so you get a bit longer rest.

These boost your ability to recover between feedings.

Stay Hydrated

As a new mom, it’s more important than ever to make sure you stay hydrated. Since you’re providing your baby with fluids, you need more yourself! As a nursing mom, you should be drinking around three to four liters of water a day (more than usual) to keep your supply up.

Increasing your water intake can also help you feel refreshed and awake. While it can be tempting to reach for a coffee, you should consider limiting your caffeine intake since it can leave you dehydrated.

Eat a Nutritious Diet

Since your body is expending extra energy and producing milk, you’ll need extra nutrients. Prioritize:

• Lean protein (meat, eggs, dairy, beans)
• Whole grains
• Fruits & vegetables
• Healthy fats (nuts, seeds, fish low in mercury)

Some sources emphasize that poor nutrition can worsen fatigue, especially when combined with the demands of breastfeeding.

Make snacks easy to grab during nursing or in between pumping sessions.

Take Time for Yourself

Finally, we can’t forget to mention the importance of taking care of yourself! Self-care as a new mother isn’t selfish. In fact, taking care of your physical, mental, and emotional health is critical to ensuring you can also look after your baby.

Parents Magazine gives some great advice for new mothers looking for ways to keep themselves feeling their best. Most importantly, take time for yourself, do the things you love, and remember to connect with other moms and community support groups.

In-the-Moment Tips for Breastfeeding Moms

A few practical adjustments to your day-to-day can naturally infuse more energy into the breastfeeding journey. These tips to combat that all-too-familiar breastfeeding exhaustion:

• Grab a nutrient-rich snack
• Nap when baby naps
• Get out of bed when not napping or resting to stay active
• Ask for a break from someone in your support system
• Take a few rounds of deep breaths
• Listen to energizing music to boost your mood
• Stretch or move the body
• Drink green tea
• Change up nursing positions
• Call a friend to stay in a positive mindset
• Apply a cold compress to the face
• Apply nipple cream for comfort

Celebrate Your Breastfeeding Journey

Breastfeeding can be an exhausting experience, but also an incredibly rewarding one. A piece of breastmilk jewelry is a great way to commemorate the bond you’ve created with your baby. This unique piece of jewelry is something you’re sure to cherish for decades to come and will always remind you of the time spent breastfeeding your baby.

Choose from rings, bracelets, charms & beads, necklaces, earrings, and even matching sets!

Explore one-of-a-kind breast milk jewelry at KeepsakeMom today.