# Can breastfeeding cause pain in the joints?



## Jezzy (Sep 20, 2006)

Hi I hope someone here can help me.

I have been having pain in my joints mostly the ankles but also starting in the knees and in 1 thumb. I have read somewhere that breastfeeding can cause this. It is really bad in the morning when I get up. Takes quite a few steps to loosen up my ankles.

Anyone know why? Is it something missing in my diet? I am a vegetarian Ovo lacto.

Is there anything I can do to stop it?

Tia!


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## Jezzy (Sep 20, 2006)

No one knows?


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## Collinsky (Jul 7, 2004)

I've never heard that, it will be interesting to hear what others say. I've noticed pain in my ankles/feet, shoulders, and hand. In the morning I have to wobble a little before my ankles aren't so stiff. I didn't connect it to bfing though?

My guess would be that it has to be some kind of nutrient deficit, if that's the case.


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## VijayOwens (Aug 26, 2006)

I have been having some joint pains lately too and have been having trouble sleeping because of it. I never thought of bf as being the culprit, but my dd is still nursing a little. More likely in my case it's wear and tear from years of being overweight.

I posted in another forum about certain supplements being helpful, as well as adding more anti-oxidant rich foods and beverages into my diet as well as supplements: omegas, glucosamine, etc. There are vegetarian sources for most of the things I take (though since I'm not vegetarian I do take cod liver oil as well).

PM me if you want a list of the brands and where to buy and how much to take. Because I am a distributor for one of the supplements I take I don't want to get in trouble for spamming if I post it here. But I'm really anti prescription meds if they can be avoided, and it was a pleasant surprise when dietary measures helped (not cured, but helped).

-Vijay


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## Jezzy (Sep 20, 2006)

Thank you mamas for answering.

*Collinsky* My problems are mostly only in the morning too.

*VijayOwens*I am here in germany so any vitamins that are sent over here will be conficated. Maybe you could send me a list anyway and i might be able to find something here??









I am going to call my mw and ask her. She hasn't been very helpfull with other problems though I cant imagine her being helpfull here







:


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## Jezzy (Sep 20, 2006)

So.... Just talked to my MW and she said that there IS a connection!!! She said it normally comes when you don't drink enough. She also told me to get some vitamin. sorry cant translate what it is in english and to drink at least 2 liters of water a day. She says that the mucous membranes tend to dry out and this is a sign of not drinking enough. Especially to mamas who nurse older toddlers. She said it takes a while for the body to start to show signs of not having enough liquids.

I thought that I was crazy trying to make a connection here and I wasn't!

Off to drink a bottle of water


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## prancie (Apr 18, 2007)

I think a lot of mamas suffer from postpartum joint pain, nursing or not. The medical establishment has very little to say about it. I have had joint pain for the past year, it comes and goes in intensity. I have found that exercise works best for pain reduction.

I have heard some say that it has to do with the hormone relaxin. But I don't know.


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## mags (May 4, 2004)

Interesting. I have had really bad joint pain, esp in my hands/wrist (may also be related to some leftover carpel tunnel that never went away after my last pregnancy), and other parts of my body since I had my babies. However, I always attributed it to the fact that I had my babies after the age of 30 and I'm just getting old, lol. My korean mil has been on my case ever since I had my babies to wear socks and cover up all my joints so I will not have any joint pain. She says that koreans feel that women who have babies are susceptible to joint problems and I used to think she was just being weird, but it sounds like there is indeed a link.


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