Peppermint, probiotic milk, ginger are some of the home remedies for nausea during breastfeeding.

Childbirth introduces you into a new phase of motherhood. Although it has its own challenges, most mothers are glad that the pregnancy phase and the numerous conditions associated with it finally get over. Perhaps, this can explain why most women are usually surprised when they start feeling nauseous like their pregnant selves, particularly while breastfeeding. However, they are confused whether it is the breastfeeding that is causing nausea or some other underlying reason. In this article, we will discuss nausea while breastfeeding in details. We will discuss the causes and the remedies for new mothers. Read on to find out everything that you need to know about nausea while breastfeeding.

All you Need to Know About Nausea while Breastfeeding

What causes nausea while nursing?

For mothers that have started nursing and are feeling nauseous while doing so, there are a few reasons why it might be happening.

Deficiency of iron

Certain women might have a tendency of suffering from low iron levels. In other cases, the process of delivery might have led to a substantial blood loss from the body. This could result in your body iron levels taking a massive heat and leading to the dizziness and nausea.

Presence of utis

Many women after their pregnancy tend to develop various urinary tract infections, given the absurd amount of changes that go about in that region. Though utis mostly make their presence felt when a woman urinates and has a burning sensation, a few of them could make you feel nauseous, too.

Postpartum depression

A well-documented condition, this usually dawns on the woman as the high of pregnancy starts to fade off. In certain cases, doctors do recommend taking anti-depressants that are safe, but they could have a side-effect of causing dizziness and nausea.

Hormonal fluctuations

Even after pregnancy, your body needs to cope with a ton of changes. The demand for breast milk can take quite a toll on the internal processes, as the body ramps up the hormone generation to produce as much breast milk as possible for the baby. These sudden changes in hormone levels could make you feel nauseous.

Lower calorie reserves

Another change that the body does in order to sustain the amount of breast milk that the baby requires, is to tap into the energy sources present within the body. Breastfeeding is a process that takes up quite some energy and the body will find that from any source possible, even when your calorie count is low. This results in your energy levels depleting and dizziness set in.

Insomnia and tiredness

The change from pregnancy to motherhood results in tremendous fatigue, which is further compounded by sleepless nights. These together put your body in alarm mode and the result can be a feeling of nausea.

Reduced blood sugar

The production of breast milk and the generation of energy are all demanding processes that take a lot from a woman. This needs to be supported by having meals on time so that the body has what it needs. Failure to do so can push the body’s energy resources to an extreme and result in nausea.

The result of dehydration

The entire chaos of taking care of your own body as well as the baby could make you forget to eat or even drink water on time. Breast milk takes up a lot of fluid from the body and if this is not replenished, your body could sound the alarm by getting dizzy.

The activity of oxytocin

Oxytocin is an important hormone that carries out numerous functions in a woman. One of the core ones that it undertakes is the very process of breastfeeding, helping regulate the flow of milk to the baby via the breasts. Since this hormone production is boosted, the other effect it has is on the digestive system, causing it to trigger certain processes, which could invariably also cause you to feel a sensation of nausea.

Possible pregnancy

Most nausea symptoms fade away in a matter of 8 weeks or so. But if your baby is quite old and you seem to experience nausea while you are breastfeeding, there might be a chance of you being pregnant if you’ve engaged in intercourse post delivery.

Home Remedies for Nausea During Breastfeeding

Medicines are best avoided to treat nausea especially when breastfeeding. Here are some quick remedies you can use.

Peppermint

Chew on some peppermint leaves as the juice helps your stomach relax and assists in food digestion as well.

Probiotic milk

This is not only refreshing to have but tastes pretty good, too. Having it on empty stomach every morning can help with nausea effectively.

Ginger

Ginger can be consumed either in the form of tea or other products as well as various ginger tablets that are available. The process of chewing is necessary though.

It can be quite stressful to feel nauseous even after childbirth, particularly when you are feeding your newborn. Instead of taking medicines, opt for natural remedies because they are often effective and without side effects. In case the nausea still persists, visit your doctor.

References

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/pmc4182010/

https://perioperativemedicinejournal.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s13741-017-0075-2