lightheaded?

kimberley wrote: is it normal to feel light headed? i am not sure if it is lack of sleep, constant nursing or maybe i am not eating enough but at least once a day a feel clammy and light headed. i am drinking tons of water, taking pre-nats and trying to eat decent so not sure what else to do? advice?

coasterqueen replied: I would always get nauseated and light headed in the first few months of nursing both my girls. I was told it was normal, but I don't have any written evidence to back that up.

I'd be sure to eat as well as you can and get as much sleep as you can. If it still continues I'd see your doc - might be a good thing to do anyways.

Some of my lightheadedness could come from my vertigo.

msoulz replied:
i have noticed the same thing - not sure if it is normal or not!

TeagansMom609 replied: Are you eating enough? Thats how I get when my blood sugar is low. Im sure lack of sleep has something to do with it.

Kirstenmumof3 replied: I felt this way with Claudia and I think it was a combination of lack of sleep and taking care of everyone else. Try to make sure that you are snacking a lot during the day, eat red meat and lots of green veggies. If it continues I would talk to your doctor you could have low blood pressure because of just haven given birth.

CantWait replied: I use to get lighthed frequently, especially when Anthony was going through growth spurts and nursing more. Eat and drink lots and grab a nap if you can.

redchief replied: Sounds like you're exhausted Kimberley. How much sleep are you averaging per night per week?

kimberley replied:
in a row? about 4hrs twice on a good night and 2-3hrs on a bad one. on the 2hr nights, i will usually sleep 2hrs two or three times between midnight and 8am. naps are out of the question because Jade no longer naps and the boys need me too.

i have been snacking and drinking more but it doesn't seem to help. i don't eat a lot of red meat but do get protein other ways and can't eat green veggies or kaleigh will have horrible gas. i have my 6wk pp visit next week so i will mention it then. thanks for the advice.

MommyToAshley replied: I would fall asleep nursing, but I never really felt lightheaded. It sounds to me like you are not eating enough. Your body will give all the nutrients to your BM first and you second... ahhh, the life of a Mom. But, we wouldn't have it any other way.

I hope you get some rest and start to feel better. Let us know what they say at your check up.

P.S. I think we are overdue for some pics (hint hint)

luvmykids replied:
All of the above in my case. Hang in there, I'm exhausted just hearing about you!

redchief replied: Kimberley, hon... You have to find a way to get more sleep. You can go through some nights short sleep, but to only average 3 1/2 to 4 hours per night. Your brain simply needs more downtime than you're giving it. Studies have shown that adults can get by on 6-7 hours sleep, but that will eventually catch up to you. You're two hours per night short of THAT. I'm worried that if you don't find some way to get adequate shut-eye, you're going to have more than simply some minor symptoms of exhaustion.

holley79 replied: Kimberly,

I have been having the same problem. I am guessing that it is lack of rest though. Annika has only been sleeping for about 15 minute spans during the day. At night she will sleep for about an hour then wakes up. I keep snacks next to my chair where I nurse her and always a huge glass of water. I have also been making myself drink a minimum of a gallon a day. (not to include juice) I have no clue what else to do either.

coasterqueen replied:
Ok Ed, if you can tell Kimberley HOW to get more sleep, maybe it would help me too. I get less than 6 hours of sleep a night and that's been going on for 3+ years now. I think my body has been in survival mode too long.

kimberley replied:
i was wondering the same thing.

my day is like this..

7-8am get up for boys, make breakie and lunches
8-9am get boys out the door clean, fed and clothed
9-1:30pm get lunch for dh and jade, run around doing every chore and errand possible before DH goes to work
1:30pm-4pm eat a meal, go pee, change a billion diapers, finish chores if i can, nurse girls hopefully to sleep
4-9pm make snack, do homework with boys, cook dinner, feed and bathe kids, put boys to bed, try in vain to get Jade or Kaleigh to sleep. nurse some more.
9pm-1am nurse babies, get dinner for dh & i, chat with dh when he gets home at midnight, pass out
anywhere from 2:30am-5am get up to change and feed Kaleigh
she is a morning baby so often she stays up for an hour or two. then i try to rest til i get up for the boys and do it all again

i think our bodies just adjust like Karen said in survival mode. i do try to sleep in on weekends but Kaleigh still gets up in the AM. dh puts jade to bed now and does get up the odd morning with the boys so i can at least just lie in bed even if i'm not sleeping.

redchief replied: I know how tough it is, especially with more than one child to get enough sleep in. Your situation is worse because your DH doesn't have regular work hours (I don't either but I didn't start shift work until after our youngest was two.

I don't see any DH involvement in the childcare area. I see a few hours during the day where he could take over while you catch up on some sleep.

When Lisa was BF'ing our babes, I would get up, get baby, check/change diaper as needed, bring babe to mom (in bed) for feeding. I would go back to sleep duing that time. When she was finished feeding, DW would wake me. I would hold, burp, recheck diaper until baby was back asleep. Sometimes that meant we'd only get 5 or 6 hours sleep each, but it was adequate and more equitable. I don't know how you all could apply that routine in your own lives, but that's how we spread out the overnight feedings so that Lisa could at least get a little more sleep.

Maddie&EthansMom replied: I agree that you need more sleep. Studies have shown that 6-7 hours of interrupted sleep is about equivalent to half that (3 hours) so really you aren't getting what's necessary to function.

You are definetly sleep deprived. Which I can relate to b/c I was for the first 15 months of Ethan's life. I thought I was losing my mind.

I hope you can work it out to get more sleep.

kimberley replied: Ed, i wish they were all like you! Lisa is a lucky lady

dh does try to help here and there but his level of patience is just not where it needs to be with 4 kids. he can only take them in small doses. because he works late, he has a hard time falling asleep right away so he rarely gets to bed before 1:30-2am and i just dont feel right waking him tho he tells me to. only if i am totally at my wits end will i get him up to at least hold Kaleigh. he leaves at 1:30pm so that really doesn't leave a lot of time for me to sleep unfortunately. i am sure in time Kaleigh and Jade will settle into a routine and that will make my life easier. once i can get Kaleigh to take a bottle successfully, you know i am renting a room and sleeping for 12 hours!

thanks again for the advice. i feel special that you all care

redchief replied: Of course I care. You're the only person I know who can consistently beat me in word games.

kimberley replied:
i recall it being pretty even and you being ridiculously tired i'd be lucky to be able to spell my name these days

redchief replied:
Not to take advantage of a situation, but what the heck... I challenge you to a game of.... ROFL

EvesMom replied: Dizzy spells can be caused by a lot of things, but one i didn't see in the replies. Could you be pregnant again?

kimberley replied: no way! that would be an immaculate conception

it still happens but i am just getting used to it. don't know what else to do docs are not concerned.

holley79 replied:
Sorry had with you on that one.

Sorry you are still getting light headed. I was having the same problem for a while. I figured it wasn't enough rest and not enough calories. I started drinking Slim Fast Optimum to increase calorie intake. Seemed to help.