What to Do About Nausea When Breastfeeding

A rare and unpleasant side effect of breastfeeding is nausea. This does not happen to most people, but in some cases, the Milk Ejection Reflex (MER) can cause nausea during breastfeeding. If you have been reading my articles for long enough, you’ll know that nausea is one of my biggest fears! If you had told me before I had children that breastfeeding might cause nausea, I would have had to think very hard about whether to do it. Luckily, this DID NOT happen to me! But when it does happen, it is usually temporary and can be managed well.

Causes of Breastfeeding-Related Nausea

Nausea that is truly caused by breastfeeding happens as a result of hormone surges. Your baby latches on and suckles for a certain amount of time before the Milk Ejection Reflex (MER) is triggered. The action of suckling triggers a release of hormones that are needed to create the milk letdown. Some people are just more sensitive to those hormones. It’s similar to morning sickness. Some people get it, others don’t.

This might be more intense if you also have some other things going on. People with new babies can sometimes neglect themselves a little… or a lot. Are you getting enough sleep? Are you getting enough water? Are your blood sugars stable? If you’re not sleeping, eating, or drinking well, you might experience nausea even when you’re not breastfeeding. But then add a big hormonal event like the MER, and that nausea might come on or get worse.

Be sure to consider any medications you are taking before you settle on a cause for your nausea. Some medications can cause nausea as a side effect. Also, it might be scary to consider this, but if there is any chance you could be pregnant, take a pregnancy test. Some people rely on breastfeeding as birth control. While it can definitely help, it is not a guaranteed birth control method.

How to Know If Breastfeeding Is the Cause

If you have nausea that is strictly caused by breastfeeding, it usually looks pretty similar from person to person.

• You don’t have any nausea before or after breastfeeding.
• You suddenly feel nauseated after your baby has been suckling for a little while, when your milk lets down (MER).
• The nausea usually lasts during breastfeeding and then wears off.
• After 6-8 weeks, the nausea stops as your body and hormones adjust.

If you have more persistent nausea, or if it continues for longer, consider that there might be something else going on.

Managing Nausea Triggered by Breastfeeding

If your nausea is present ONLY during breastfeeding, you might try some of the strategies for dealing with morning sickness.

• Wear acupressure or acustimulation bracelets while you’re nursing.
• Try having ginger tea or chews with you, so you can have some as the nausea comes on.
• Remind yourself that the nausea is temporary. It will likely pass as your body adjusts.

Taking Care of Yourself Can Help Reduce Nausea

Also, remember that it might be worse if you’re not taking good care of yourself. In many cases, improving your self-care can reduce nausea. Many people find that their symptoms are reduced when they do these things.

• Eat well-balanced small meals or snacks often. Be sure to keep your blood sugar levels stable by including protein, healthy fats, and complex carbohydrates into your meals. The balance can keep your levels stable and improve the way you feel. Making sure to eat often also helps.
• Reduce or eliminate simple carbohydrates. These are foods like breads, cookies, and anything with refined flour and sugar. These foods can cause blood sugar spikes and crashes which can make your symptoms worse.
• Stay hydrated. It can be hard to eat well and get enough to drink when you have a new baby, but it’s worth the effort. If drinking so much water is unappealing, try using electrolyte tablets or powders to give it a little flavor or tartness. Tea can be hydrating, although avoiding too much caffeine is important, so you might want to find herbal varieties and avoid adding too much sweetener.
• Get more sleep. Trust me, I know this is much harder to do than most people think. I have never heard someone say that it didn’t make a difference though. When people really put in the effort to get more rest, they ALWAYS notice significant improvements in so many areas of their lives. You’ll feel better mentally and physically, look better, have more energy, and most likely have less nausea.

If you’re breastfeeding, this symptom can definitely make it harder. Remember that it takes some time to adjust, but that it usually does get better pretty quickly. After a couple of months, you should be able to breastfeed a lot more comfortably.