Natural health: I'm breastfeeding and feel tired most of the time 

Advice on breastfeeding and tension headaches

Pregnancy, birth, and breastfeeding all require quite a deal of energy. Picture: iStock 

I'm breastfeeding my six-month-old baby and feel tired most of the time. He has started to sleep through the night, but it's making little or no difference. What would you recommend?

New babies can be equal parts joy and exhaustion. The lack of sleep often has a cumulative effect on energy levels and sense of wellbeing. 

It is good to hear your baby is no longer waking during the night. Hopefully, you are managing to get some quality sleep, which is easier said than done when you are keeping half an ear out to reassure yourself that your boy is in fact sound asleep himself. 

Pregnancy, birth, and breastfeeding all require quite a deal of energy.  It may be worth having your ferritin levels checked via a blood test. Ferritin is a protein in the blood serum responsible for iron storage. The normal range for ferritin is between 20-200ug/l, with levels below 40 considered to be on the low side of normal. Low ferritin is linked with iron deficiency since the body will use up stored iron when the blood levels are low. If you do have lower (but not alarmingly low) levels of ferritin, then Floravital is an excellent tonic to consider. It is similar to the classic iron tonic Floradix, but without the brewer's yeast, gluten and honey — making it a safe alternative for people who suffer from allergies and sensitivities.

Floravital is made using African mallow blossoms, chamomile flowers, fennel, spinach, juice concentrates (grape, pear, black currant, cherry, blackberry, carrot), and rosehip extract. This tonic formula has an iron absorption rate of 25%, compared to the average absorption rate of iron tablets at 2-10%, but without the unwanted side effect of constipation.

Take 15mls of Floravital twice daily until your ferritin levels are at least 25ug/L. Then take 10mls daily of Floravital until you feel you are no longer need it (usually quite evident in your energy and mood levels) and have your blood tested to check your progress. Floravital is widely available in health stores and pharmacies.

Staying well hydrated is also essential, but this tends to be something that takes care of itself whilst breastfeeding since the body requires more water to make milk. Most breastfeeding mothers find their thirst levels increase significantly, and tend to have a bottle of water close to hand while feeding their little one.

You don’t mention whether or not you have other children to care for as well, but this often compounds the feelings of fatigue —  particularly if you are balancing the needs of a toddler and a baby while trying to look after yourself. It can be a challenge to find the time to prepare healthy balanced meals, so it is a good idea to have some healthy and quick snacks available — such as raw vegetable sticks, fruit, dried fruits, seeds, and nuts. If you can manage to make a bowl of oatmeal or bircher muesli (with optional fruit and natural yogurt) at some point during the day, then this will help to soothe your nerves, supply nutrients, support healthy digestion, and keep your physical and mental energy levels up.

I've started to get tension headaches that can linger for hours. Other than drink lots of water, what else can I do?

You are already taking the first important step in keeping your hydration levels in check. This could be a situation where an osteopath, a chiropractor, and/or acupuncturist can help. You can choose a single modality or combine more than one for true complementary treatment.

Frequent and lingering tension headaches are often linked with slight misalignments in the spine, which impact the central nervous system and impede blood flow to organs and muscles. Chiropractic or osteopathy can help through subtle manipulation of bone and tissue to restore the flow of the circulatory and nervous systems. Acupuncture supports the balance of energy via pathways connected by thousands of key points.

NOTE: The information contained in this column is not a substitute for medical advice. Always consult a doctor.