Why breastfeeding mothers sweat while breastfeeding. Heavy sweating after childbirth Night sweats after childbirth

Despite the fact that pregnancy and childbirth are a natural phenomenon of nature, nevertheless, the woman's body as a whole undergoes a significant shake-up, trying to adapt to new conditions.

Significant changes occur in the hormonal background of a woman. The postpartum period “smoothes” and normalizes the hormonal balance, and the body returns to normal on its own. If this does not happen, the body gives a hormonal failure, when the main female hormones during this period - progesterone and estrogen - upset their balance.

Hormonal imbalance can cause hyperhidrosis - that is, increased sweating after childbirth.
Often sweating after childbirth is a common occurrence in women who have recently given birth, usually manifesting itself at night. In this way, the body flushes out excess fluid accumulated during pregnancy.

This process involves the urinary system, namely the kidneys, hence the frequent urge to urinate and swelling. All organs and systems act with a double load, trying to get rid of excess water.

Even if during pregnancy a woman did not have problems with excessive sweating, in frequent cases it can manifest itself after the birth of a child, intensifying in stressful situations and even with minor unrest.

There is an opinion that a sharp drop in the amount of the hormone estrogen in the postpartum period is associated with increased sweating. Human body temperature is regulated by the hypothalamus, a part of the brain. The hypothalamus misperceives the disruption of estrogen levels and gives the signal to generate elevated body temperature. The body, in turn, reacts to an increase in temperature by excessive sweating. This phenomenon is called hyperhidrosis. Night sweats after childbirth are most abundant, since in a calm state the body produces more heat.
The duration of hyperhidrosis after the birth of a child lasts up to about two months. Breastfeeding mothers may experience these problems even longer. Breastfeeding provokes increased sweating.

The problem of increased sweat production after childbirth cannot be solved by any radical means or medication, so as not to harm the breastfed baby. In this case, the recommendations would be:

regular body hygiene using a contrast shower;
light clothing made from natural fabrics;
folk medicine in the form of herbal drying decoctions (oak bark, pomegranate);
Balanced diet;
Walks in the open air;
Ventilation of the dwelling.

Perhaps our tips will help new mothers cope with increased sweating:

Regular meals and a categorical rejection of all kinds of diets. Normalize your diet in such a way that the body can receive all the substances necessary for normal functioning. Healthy food is important during this period to allow the body to recover faster after childbirth, as well as to ensure normal breastfeeding for the baby.
The complex intake of vitamins and trace elements will help to achieve the desired balance of all the nutrients the body needs.
Normalization of water balance. You should not limit yourself to drinking liquids, especially when breastfeeding, this will not help reduce sweating, but on the contrary, it can threaten to block the milk ducts. Drinks without caffeine and alcohol will help the body to remove excess fluid and prevent dehydration.

To summarize the above: increased sweating after childbirth is a completely natural phenomenon that is not a disease if it is not accompanied by such symptoms:

Hyperthermia;
Fever;
Headache;
General weakness.

After the birth of a baby, various changes occur in the mother's body. Often there is sweating after childbirth. Severe sweating can occur at different times of the day and have different localization. Some women experience increased perspiration under the breasts, while others sweat under the armpits, forehead, legs, and other parts of the body. Although excessive sweating after childbirth is normal, you should still consult a doctor.

It is important to understand the problem, if smelly and sticky sweat is released, this may signal violations after childbirth.

Causes of excessive sweating after childbirth

If, after childbirth, a woman begins to sweat heavily at night or during the daytime, then this may signal disorders in the body. Sweating is most commonly seen in women who are breastfeeding (BF) because this process causes hormonal imbalance. There are such causes of sweating after childbirth:

Recovery of the body. After childbirth, the body gets rid of excess fluid that has accumulated over all 9 months of bearing a baby.
Lack of estrogen. After a natural birth or caesarean section, a nursing mother experiences a clear lack of estrogen, which provokes hyperhidrosis of the whole body.
Crying baby. Such emotions of the child provoke not only the production of milk, but also strong sweating. A breastfeeding mother needs more time to cope with the problem of sweating.
Stress and depression after childbirth. In the postpartum period, every second woman has depression, overwork, stress, which leads to increased sweating.

When should you see a doctor?

It is necessary to schedule a visit to the doctor in case of deterioration of health, temperature and increased sweating.

Sweating during sleep and during the daytime is most intense after childbirth. However, it increases with feeding. If the problem does not go away for a long time and the woman continues to suffer from sweating, then you should consult a doctor. A doctor's consultation is necessary in such cases:

sweat stands out in large quantities and literally pours;
sweat began to smell bad;
there is constant weakness in the daytime and fatigue;
a feeling of constant desire to drink;
high fever and fever.

It is especially important to pay attention to body temperature, as they may indicate the development of an infectious disease. In this case, additional symptoms will appear:

bleeding from the vagina;
pain when passing urine;
convulsive state;
redness and compaction of the mammary glands;
difficult breathing, fainting.

If a cesarean was performed and a woman after childbirth has sweating and bleeds from wounds, then this is also a good reason to see a doctor. If you do not see a doctor in a timely manner, then inflammation, mastitis, significant bleeding and postpartum depression may develop. It is necessary to conduct a differential diagnosis, which will help to exclude such diseases that cause sweating after the birth of a baby:

dysfunction of the thyroid gland;
diabetes and others.

Necessary therapeutic measures

General principles of therapy

The norm of drinking water after childbirth is two liters.

If after childbirth there is a strong smell of sweat that causes discomfort to a woman, you need to see a doctor and solve the problem. It is often possible to get rid of excessive sweating after childbirth by observing general therapeutic measures:

Maintenance of drinking balance in the body. Reducing the daily amount of fluid will only exacerbate the problem. A woman after childbirth should drink 2 liters of water per day.
Regular intake of a contrast shower. You should rinse your breasts before feeding, especially if a woman sweats in this particular area.
Normalization of the nervous system. It is necessary to protect a woman after childbirth from stress, worries and experiences that contribute to increased sweating. Mommy should get more rest and spend more time outdoors.
Balanced diet. The field of childbirth, the diet of a woman is adjusted, especially if the baby is on GW. It is possible to prevent and eliminate sweating by eliminating spicy, fatty and fried foods from the diet.
Proper selection of clothing. Breastfeeding moms should take their choice of nursing bra and other clothing very seriously, as synthetic materials provoke increased sweat production.

If there is an unpleasant smell of sweat after childbirth, then, as prescribed by a doctor, it is possible to use safe deodorants that will not negatively affect the child.

How effective are folk remedies?

If there is a smell of sweat after delivery, then it is possible to use folk remedies. They are selected individually by the attending physician and are safe for mother and child. It is recommended to make baths, medicinal decoctions and infusions for oral and external use. The recipes presented in the table are especially effective.

Medicine	Cooking	Application
soda solution	Pour 2 tbsp. l. baking soda 250 ml warm water	Wipe problem areas several times a day
	Stir thoroughly until the soda is completely dissolved.
Infusion of oak bark	For 250 ml of boiling water, 2 tbsp. l. oak bark
	The medicine is infused for 30 minutes
Essential oil	Add a few drops of essential oil to warm water
	Stir thoroughly
Chamomile lotions	Pour 5 tsp. chamomile inflorescences 500 ml boiling water	A cotton swab is dipped into the resulting medicine and applied for several minutes in the most sweaty places.
	Let it brew for 60 minutes
	Add 1 tsp to the decoction. baking soda
	To stir thoroughly

Hyper sweating after childbirth - may be the result of stress

Many first-born mothers, being very afraid of childbirth, are completely unaware that the very first week after the birth of a baby will turn into a “pure hell” for many of them, and sweating after childbirth is one of the possible causes of this nightmare. Although mothers giving birth to a 3-4th child differ quite a bit from them in this regard ...

And the reason here is banal - it is in our complete inability to prepare expectant mothers for a very difficult burden that awaits them after the birth of a child.

Even in the specialized "Family Planning Centers" they mainly teach one thing - what to do during pregnancy (and all this is scheduled strictly by weeks), how to prepare for childbirth, possible complications during their implementation, and so on.

And the postpartum period in such Centers and clinics is for some reason touched upon in passing, and it is not postponed in the minds of pregnant women, which is fundamentally wrong.

The first week after childbirth - a test of strength

Meanwhile, this practically “criminal ignorance” is fraught with the fact that women, having given birth to a child, by definition, should be insanely glad that everything went great, and it was not so scary. But the “famous” first week, when they are discharged from the hospital, suddenly and unexpectedly falls on them like a hundred-ton stone, and the mother will be left alone with the baby.

Literally on the first day, she no longer feels joy, but shock, severe stress, and the “usual” postpartum depression for us sets in, which further exacerbates an already difficult situation. And this is also due to quite obvious reasons. And if a woman did not even experience problems with excess sweat during pregnancy, then it will surely come like snow on her head (in 90 cases out of 100!), Plus many other negative reasons for the “first week of stress”. And those women who, before birth, already suffered from this ailment, in general, sweat all day and night. And this sad picture must be radically broken, otherwise everything will remain the way it is today ...

Sweating after childbirth - what is it?

But sweat after childbirth, especially at night, alas, is a common occurrence, and it is especially manifested immediately after childbirth and lasts for weeks, months, and if you are predisposed or already suffer from excessive sweating, then without knowing what awaits you in these difficult months, can not do.

But it is difficult to immediately understand what is the source of this disease. It can be the kidneys, the thyroid gland, a feature of your hormonal structure, and so on ad infinitum.

Oddly enough, but to this day there is an established opinion among gynecologists that the only cause of postpartum sweating is a sharp drop in estrogen in the body of new mothers, which supposedly will pass by itself over time. But if this were the case, then the problems by name - hyper sweating would not exist at all, but this is not at all the case! ..

Your responsibility to him and to yourself is already multiplied by more than two.

And if in healthy women postpartum sweating usually lasts no more than 7-12 weeks, then for those who are unlucky, this trouble may never end. And if we add here the fact that severe sweating is often transmitted and, then the task becomes much more complicated.

And therefore, since you are on this “unhappy list”, then everything related to increased sweating, you must re-learn from and to. After all, now your child already lives as a separate organism, he already has his own physiology, specificity, biochemistry, hormones, that's all. And your responsibility to him and yourself is no longer multiplied by two, but by a more serious figure ...

Consult with your doctor more often, but in this case not with a gynecologist (although he is also important), but with hyper sweating, everything you need for the normal development and treatment (!) of the child and, possibly, yourself. Do not be afraid to ask for help, here sometimes an extra hour lost can decide a lot. Find out what you need to eat now. Monitor breast milk, its quality. Less negative emotions, but only an honest, truthful, open look at your new life, which only seems like a nightmare at first, but you will overcome everything if you not only believe, but also do it all, no matter how difficult it may be for you.

Profuse sweating at night, as the most difficult postpartum period

Radical changes occur in the body of every mother.

The fact that almost all mothers and newborns experience sweat at night after childbirth has long been known, and this will not surprise anyone. And it is always much more abundant than the daytime. And this is again explained by all those radical changes that occur in the body of every mother, this is inherent in nature and we cannot change it in any way.

The main reason for profuse night sweats is obvious - these are all the same changes in your hormonal system. Low estrogen levels disrupt the hypothalamus. Namely, the hypothalamus regulates the temperature regime of the human body. And if you do not know this disease of excessive sweating, then soon it will all be over.

But those mothers who are on the other side of the “sweaty barricades” should know that their changes in estrogen levels are perceived by the hypothalamus erroneously, and their body will begin to generate much more heat than normal, and get rid of excess heat by profuse sweating, which is the cause of exacerbation of hyperhidrosis in patients. Why at night? At night, the body rests, it is at rest, heat accumulates much more than during the day, and therefore nocturnal ailments are more pronounced, that's all.

By the way, newborns (even completely healthy ones) often cry at night precisely because of this “banal” reason. How to treat it? It is impossible to answer this question of questions remotely, without seeing the patient, without conducting a comprehensive analysis of all possible causes, this is the whole difficulty of excessive sweating, plus a small child, his and your personality, and drastic changes in your organisms during this period make the solution of this problem many times more difficult . But be that as it may, you can’t give up even for a minute, and there is no other way to look for ways to heal ...

How to treat and cure sweating after childbirth

Looking at the despondency and suffering of many mothers of infants who are tormented by this disease, I want to help them get rid of all this forever as soon as possible. However, everything is not so simple - at the moment there is not a single universal method for quick healing for this, and we described the reasons for this above. But despair will not help either, and we must begin with the elementary and most important.

After receiving all the results of a comprehensive analysis of the mother and child, having received the first recommendations of the doctor, strictly follow them, but do not forget that there are basic criteria for this disease, which, perhaps, the doctor did not tell you, being sure that you know them. But practice says that not everyone knows this. So let's list them.

Mom's diet needs to change drastically. The best nutrition for a child is your high-quality milk, which has all the elements that are so necessary for him both as food and as a medicine! There is no single recipe or diet for everyone, but you will very quickly understand what you need to eat and what is absolutely impossible. How to determine if you are eating right? Here you can undergo a biochemical analysis for lactate and trace elements. And there is a method that has been proven for centuries: if your urine is excessively plentiful and has a pale color, then your diet is not entirely correct and it lacks some very important additional components. Review your menu and find something that is not in it, but is vital ...

Low-fat dairy, legumes, eggs, fish (salmon is best), sweet potatoes, some lean meat, be sure to have blueberries, bananas, whole grain cereals, and clean water. This is enough for the eyes.

As for the specific treatment of excessive sweating in the postpartum period, then, alas, neither you, nor even the child, can take any medications yet, as well as take many medical procedures. Up to a year, maybe a little earlier, your treatment is the same: proper, balanced nutrition, clean air, hygiene and folk remedies, which we wrote about in a previous article about.

For this period, the only way: be patient and have faith, everything has its time and place, dear mothers. And if you do this without breakdowns, tears and despair, then the day will come when you will definitely get rid of this disease and forget about it forever. There are millions of such examples, and why are you worse than them? ..

And the last. Your child feels you as himself, the nonsense that at first they don’t see, hear, or understand anything, in no way concerns the child’s unique ability to catch even the slightest change in your mood, and even tantrums or a roar in three streams are reflected in his health is worse than any disease. And only your warmth, love, smile, purity of deeds and thoughts will give him invisible energy to defeat the disease!

Hear the doctor's opinion on excessive sweating:

While waiting for a child, a woman experiences great stress.

Pregnancy leads to a completely different work of all internal systems, the hormonal background changes, there is a rapid restructuring, everything is aimed at the full development of the unborn child.

Because of this, some new mothers smell strongly after giving birth. Surely, everyone agrees: such a phenomenon is unpleasant, but it is possible, and most importantly, it must be fought.

If, after childbirth, a young mother began to sweat a lot and her body smelled unpleasant, the cause should be found.

Increased hyperhidrosis can cause:

stress;
depression;
elevated water level;
excess weight.

Often a young mother is stressed. Such a psychological attitude always negatively affects the body and its functioning, especially while expecting a child. Therefore, if a pregnant woman was nervous a lot, then after giving birth she will have a sharp smell of sweat under her armpits, this is quite normal.

The other side of mental problems that arise after childbirth is depression. If stress is characterized by the manifestation of nervousness and aggression, then in this case the woman becomes apathetic. Due to the smell of sweat under the armpits, the depressive state of the young mother only intensifies. The representative of the weaker sex ceases to take care of herself, the situation becomes simply catastrophic.

Another reason is the increased level of water in the body. Excess fluid is characteristic of pregnancy, but excess water must somehow come out. Therefore, after childbirth, women complain that they began to sweat a lot, and sometimes smell unpleasant.

It plays an important role. If a pregnant representative of the weaker sex has gained a lot of extra pounds, then this will also have a negative impact on health and the endocrine system. Thus, after childbirth, the weight continues to go off scale, it is difficult for a young mother to move around, she sweats, and her armpits stink.

So, first of all, it is worth noting that this phenomenon can pass on its own, 2-3 months after childbirth. Therefore, initially you should not panic and take any measures.

If this did not happen or the sweat began to stink even more, then treatment should be started.

First of all, you need to find out the exact cause. You should pass the necessary tests. When the expert understands what's wrong, treatment begins.

However, there are ways to help eliminate excessive sweating. The first option is deodorants. But when breastfeeding, you can not use ordinary deodorants, they can harm the baby.

But do not worry, because pharmacies have special deodorants that are designed for young mothers after childbirth. Modern antiperspirants will become reliable protection and will not harm the child due to the natural composition. This will help you get rid of this problem, even when the sweat smells bad.

To reduce hyperhidrosis, it is important:

eat properly. It is worth removing all fatty foods from your diet, as such products provoke hyperhidrosis. Experts recommend eating more vegetables, fruits, fish after childbirth to get rid of odorous sweat;
drink water. Many girls are sure that if sweating is increased, then it is necessary to drink water as little as possible, but this is wrong. Water is necessary for each of us in any case. With the help of liquid, you can easily normalize the processes in the body. Therefore, it is imperative to drink water, and in the required quantities;
Rest well and don't overwork. As mentioned above, after childbirth, the nervous system of any woman experiences stress, and in order to recover, it is necessary to rest. And after 1-2 weeks, you can notice that the problem of sweat, which smells strongly, will pass by itself;
observe hygiene. For health, you need to take a shower at least 2 times a day.

So, we can conclude that it is not always possible to immediately figure out why, after giving birth, a woman's sweat began to smell strongly. An unpleasant phenomenon can be associated with a large number of very different reasons. But most of the time it happens due to stress. It is necessary to follow the tips discussed above, and in 2-3 months everything will pass.

If the strong smell of sweat does not stop, it is recommended to consult a doctor for treatment.

You can’t self-medicate, it can negatively affect the body and lead to big problems, the strong smell of sweat under the armpits will only increase.

Throws in a fever, perspiration appears on the body or you wake up in the middle of the night in a cold, sticky sweat. This often happens in women after childbirth. Of course, during pregnancy, the body has undergone major changes. But what is the reason for such an unpleasant phenomenon after childbirth and how long the increased sweating will last.

The skin is an additional organ of the human excretory system. It is included in the work after the intestines and kidneys have completed their work. The function of the sweat and sebaceous glands is to remove waste products from the body. In fact, sweating is the work of the excretory system. The fact that a person sweats is a normal phenomenon, and you should not be afraid of it.

However, why after childbirth, women note that they began to sweat more and more often. There are several reasons for this:

Hormonal changes
A drop in estrogen levels and an increase in prolactin during lactation cause the sweat glands to activate their work. Usually, excessive sweating disappears after the establishment of lactation.
Emotional tension, stress
In a stressful situation, there is a jump in adrenaline and cortisol, the stress hormone. These hormones increase the energy level in the human body. In addition, the generated energy activates the sweat glands to release substances that need to be removed from the body.
Removal of excess fluid
During pregnancy, there is accumulation and retention of fluid. After childbirth, the body gradually restores the previous water-salt balance. And sweating in this case acts as one of the ways to get rid of excess fluid in the body.

Is it worth it to see a doctor

Normally, excessive sweating disappears after 2-3 months, when the hormonal background stabilizes. By this time, the recovery postpartum period will end and mature lactation will be established.

But if sweating greatly worries a woman: it occurs against the background of temperature fluctuations, is accompanied by weakness, lasts longer than 6 months, you should contact an endocrinologist. Doctors often attribute excessive sweating to thyroid problems.

How to reduce sweating

Not only is the feeling of skin moisture and sticky sweat simply unpleasant, but in some cases a woman feels a strong unpleasant smell of sweat. This problem has to be solved with the help of cosmetics and especially careful hygiene.

Ways to combat sweating

Take a shower more often. In this case, the water should not be hot, but warm or cool. Hot water stimulates perspiration.
Use a good deodorant. Nursing mothers are not recommended to use deodorants containing aggressive chemical compounds. Among the popular brands presented in the mass market, it is difficult to find a quality and safe product. Choose a deodorant based on natural ingredients. For example, "Crystal", which is made from natural mineral salts, without fragrances.
Use natural antiperspirants. Deodorant can be replaced with talc or powder, burnt alum, starch, baking soda, or lemon juice.
Make lotions in the armpits from herbal infusions: calendula, chamomile, oak bark.
Watch your nutrition. Limit or eliminate fried, spicy, salty, smoked foods, and coffee from your diet. Eat more vegetables and fruits.
Choose clothes made from natural, breathable fabrics.
At night, ventilate the room well and prepare spare pajamas.
Take a bath with 20-30 drops of tea tree essential oil.

Of course, excessive sweating after childbirth brings a lot of inconvenience to a woman. But personal hygiene in general and the use of folk methods to combat this phenomenon will help solve the problem. It remains only to wait for the body to return to its pre-pregnancy state and start working as before.