If you're suffering from physical and emotional exhaustion in the weeks following delivery, it's to be expected. Here's what's behind postpartum fatigue and what you can do about it.
What causes postpartum fatigue?
The rigors of labor and delivery, combined with too little sleep and the stress of caring for a newborn, can pack a powerfully exhausting punch and cause postpartum fatigue.
What you need to know about postpartum fatigue
Every woman who has just given birth experiences postpartum exhaustion — even supermom types find themselves dragging.
For one thing, it's because you're still recovering from labor and delivery — and in case you forgot already, that was no walk in the park.
Second, the responsibilities and stresses that accompany having a new baby are round-the-clock reminders that you're now a mom facing a whole new set of challenges — on less sleep than you've ever had. If you have a case of the baby blues, that can also make you feel tired.
Third, you're no doubt carrying a heavier load than ever, literally, between your heavier-by-the-day baby and an ever-growing pile of gear. (Is there a record for how many different things can actually fit in a diaper bag?) Plus, if you're breastfeeding, you're burning even more energy to keep the milk factory in production. Add in the usual "stuff" of everyday life — birthday cards to write, car trouble, a stack of bills you need to pay — and it's a wonder you're even standing (if you are).
Does breastfeeding make you tired?
Yes, breastfeeding can make you tired. Milk production saps a lot of your body's energy and burns an extra 400 to 500 calories a day. And the demands of feeding a newborn every two to three hours around the clock can leave you feeling totally wiped out.
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What can you do about postpartum fatigue?
Thankfully, there are some things you can do to ease the sleepiness you feel since giving birth:
- Make your priorities, and stick with them. Something's gotta give right now. It won't be your baby or your own health — but it can be the laundry, home-cooked meals and any nonessential cleaning, which is pretty much all cleaning for now.
- Ask for help if you're not getting it. Ask your partner, if you have one, to help more with baby care and housework — and until you have more energy, your partner's share should be greater than yours. Don't nag or lash out — just let your other half know how physically drained you are and how taking some of the burden off you will help speed up your recovery. Now's also a good time to let your mom, your mother-in-law, your friends and your neighbors lend their helping hands too. Perhaps they can take the baby out for a stroll while you grab some shut-eye, or pick up your groceries, dry cleaning or that box of diapers you desperately need.
- Take every shortcut in the book. Tap into every resource that delivers, like grocery stores, or can otherwise make your life easier, like cleaning services.
- Sleep when the baby sleeps. Yes, you've heard it before, and it probably seems impossible to do — there are too many things to take care of when the baby finally gets to sleep — but even if you just lie down for 15 minutes during one of your baby's naps, you'll feel better when your little one gets up again.
- Check in with your doctor. If you think you might have the baby blues or even postpartum depression, seek help. If your fatigue seems excessive, check with your practitioner to make sure it doesn't have a hidden physiological cause.
- Take care of yourself. Yes, you're busy taking care of your baby, but don't forget to baby yourself too. Eat right, take naps when you can squeeze them in, exercise when you can (even if you're pushing a stroller in the process), drink plenty of water — you've lost a lot of fluid during delivery, and dehydration can lead to more fatigue — and most of all, enjoy your baby!
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