Thursday, April 23, 2009

Feeling rotten

My mom tells me that after you have a baby, your period is supposed to get easier.

So far, that has not been the case for me. I am currently fighting my third battle with AF since having Ruby and while this time is slightly less terrible than last month, I am a hurting woman.

I am so full of painful, achy cramps that I can hardly stand it. No over-the-counter meds have been working for me. Tylenol, Advil, Midol - nothing is working, even if I take larger than recommended doses.

And the tiredness, the lethargy! I feel like I am dragging around a piano. Everything is so difficult. I have ZERO energy. And my body aches - my legs and arms and back... ache, ache, ache!

And my appetite is all weird. I don't want to eat anything - seriously, this is NOT normal for me, I like to eat! So then I put off eating until I'm almost ready to faint because I don't feel like eating anything and also because I'm too lazy to make anything!

My daily walks that I've been going on? Pfft! The thought of going for a walk makes me want to cry!

And the flow? Heavy. WAY HEAVY. To the point that I thought something was wrong with me last month!

All my life I have not had too terrible of a time with AF. Not pleasant by any means - but I'd have maybe one day that I wouldn't feel great and that would be it. This shit is NOT what I'm used to.

I want it go away. I want it to go back to the way it was before.

Will it???

7 comments:

Emily said...

I'm sorry! I usually have pretty good periods, tending towards heavy, and I have had a few unbearable ones... I don't have an answer but just wanted to say I feel for you and hope it's over soon!

Somewhat Ordinary said...

I've never heard what your mom said before. I had M 13 months ago and got my first period about 4 or 5 months after he was born. I've noticed it has consistently gotten heavier each month. I figure at some point it has to hit a plateau of some sort, right? I've never had a very heavy period so this is starting to get ridiculous!

Sorry you are feeling so shitty!

Candi said...

aww! tara, i'm sorry. after what you've been through, the only thing af should be doing when she visits is clean your house and make dinner! i hope you feel better soon. i have the paragard iud, and it makes my af wayyyyy unpredictable, so i am switching to mirena because i heard it makes your flow lighter.

Jen said...

Feeling shitty and crampy is the worst, not to mention being so very tired while looking after your baby all day long! Before getting pregnant, I would have the most severe cramps during my period, due to my endo. They would be to the point where I would feel like I was going to black out, but would only be for the first day or two of my cycle. I have not seen AF yet since having Hudson so I can't compare... But, maybe go to the dr. and let them know what's happening to make sure? Unsure of what prescriptions you can take while breastfeeding, but I think anti-inflammatories may be a relief?

Hope you feel better and get some comfort!

Aurelia said...

While you are breastfeeding, your periods will be wonky, it just goes with the territory. (And your mom didn't breastfeed if I recall, so she might remember it different?) But it should get betterish soon.

About the tiredness with AF, are you still taking iron? You might feel a bit better if you add some vitamins.

Sarah @ BecomingSarah.com said...

I have absolutely no recommendations, as I've never had a difficult cycle and I've not had a post-pregnancy cycle either. So I'm just commenting a little encouragement, a little "Hope it gets better" spirit.

Alicia said...

AF got heavier and a day longer after I had Ellie. And I never used to get cramps, and now I do. And all of that is on birth control pills. I have no idea what my body would be like without them. The thought frightens me.

I ended up with a really low iron count after giving birth, and it's never gone back up. I've been on supplements for over 2 years now and will most likely have to take them for the rest of my life. I had some of your symptoms (tiredness, back ache, lethargy, etc.), and low iron was the culprit. Have you had bloodwork done?