Breastfeeding and Headaches, HELP!?

Question

My baby is almost a month old and breastfeeding is going great, we both had it figured out within minutes of birth. However, I have noticed that I have this nagging headache, more days than not. I drink LOTS of water (I originally thought that was the problem), and I can't seem to figure out what I'm doing differently from one day to the next that's causing the headaches. Is it hormonal, some deficiency, or what?

Answer 1

Some women feel a lot better during breastfeeding if they eat at least 100g of protein per day (note 10g of chicken is not 10g of protein and protein is in a lot of things aside from meat).  Also be sure to salt your food to taste.

Also try eating small meals throughout the day as headaches can be caused by low blood sugar.

It certainly is not a bad idea to get your insulin, iron, and thyroid levels checked.

http://www.kellymom.com/bf/concerns/mom/...

A small percentage of moms report nausea during a breastfeeding session in the early weeks of breastfeeding . It goes away for most (but not all) moms by the end of the 6th-8th week. If nausea during breastfeeding begins when baby is older, consider the possibility of pregnancy.

Nausea that occurs with the milk let-down may be related to the release of oxytocin. Oxytocin is the hormone that causes the milk ejection reflex (MER or let-down), and it also helps make digestion more efficient and is associated with other gut hormones that can cause nausea. According to Dr. Ruth Lawrence (author of Breastfeeding: A guide for the medical professional), the nausea described has been compared to the nausea of pregnancy that comes in waves. Symptoms are similar to low blood sugar: nausea, headache, hunger, etc.  

Answer 2

I still suffering from headaches and my daughter is 10 weeks old. With my son, I suffered from hormonal headaches for 4 months. Extra water  did help, but It's very common that the hormones in your body after birth cause you to have mild to extreme headaches for quite a while. Until the hormone level gets back to normal, you'll experience them while they fluctuate day to day. Since you are breast feeding the only thing that you can take is tylenol unless you consult your physician. If the headaches get worse I would definitely contact your doctor to see what else you can do.

Good Luck and congrats on your little one.

Answer 3

my daughter is 2 months and i get headaches daily. i just thought is was cause she was a fussy baby and i also have a loud 3 yr boy. but i guess its normal....i breastfed as well.