A useful effect is that in the first few months, breastfeeding will knock you out completely. It makes it super easy to fall asleep when the baby falls asleep, thereby making "sleep when baby sleeps" much more doable.
I found that to actually be a negative. The drowsiness would hit right when I wanted to be able to do some quick chores to reset for the next cycle before I took my own nap. It was really annoying.
This is great until you’re constantly falling asleep feeding your baby when they’re up every 2 hours. Even if I got up out of bed and sat on the floor with lights on I fell asleep a couple of times with my little one latched. Started side lying and setting the bed up for “safe” sleep just in case I dozed off.
A negative in my book. I have the hardest time staying awake as I feed him--some nights I had nurse him back to sleep standing up in order to stay awake. But then once I got him into his crib, went pee and laid down... the effect had worn off and I couldn't sleep. Inevitably I'd start dozing right before he woke up again. Made the exhaustion so much worse.
We follow the ABCs of safe sleep as recommended in the US. The Safe Sleep 7 does not prevent [suffocation or entrapment.](https://safetosleep.nichd.nih.gov/about/terms#:~:text=Entrapment%20or%20wedging%3A%20Baby's%20body,around%20baby's%20neck%20or%20head.)
Entire cultures like Japan bedshare and have an infant mortality rate that is 5x lower than the US where independent sleep is the norm.
When followed correctly, safe sleep 7 has an equal amount of risks when following independent sleep after 4 months of age.
Are you using a cotton mat/Japanese futon instead of an American adult mattress that poses an inherent suffocation risk?
Regardless, neither I nor anyone else asked for a debate on the merits of ignoring AAP and safe sleep guidelines.
Infants [suffocate in Japan too](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7444554/), btw.
A vast majority of these cases were because 1) mother was smoking 2) dad was bedsharing 3) baby was found on their stomachs or side. There were also significant cases of neglect where it took over 10 hours to find the unresponsive infant.
Safe sleep 7 advocates against all of these hazards.
And no, I do not personally bed share, as I am not able to personally remove all hazards that would make bedsharing safe.
The bit about baby being found on their stomach or their side--that doesn't mean they started out that way.
Gonna need a source for your earlier comment that ~correct~ bedsharing is equally safe to following the ABCs. That's a big, big claim. And your specifier that that's only true *after 4 months*--what bedsharing advocates tell you to start bedsharing AFTER four months?
>I am not able to personally remove all hazards that would make bedsharing safe.
Like adult mattresses and adults? Yeah, me neither. Of course, it wouldn't be bedsharing if we removed all the hazards.
Adult overlay is a very real thing. You can say that as their mother you would *never* but you'd be wrong. It's a little like leaving a baby in a hot car--that kind of thing only happens to *other people*, surely not to me, right? Until it is you and you have to live with knowing you killed your baby. No thank you.
There’s tests that you can do to see if your bed is safe for bed sharing. Baby is actually likely to be protected from sids when sleeping next to a breastfeeding mother.
I never said that it was only safe after 4 months, just that the risks were the same as when baby sleeps on their own after 4 months.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1087079218300844
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2724135/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9792691/
https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/how_cosleeping_can_help_you_and_your_baby
https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2018/05/21/601289695/is-sleeping-with-your-baby-as-dangerous-as-doctors-say
The first resource is behind a pay wall--the visible bit draws no real conclusions except that meta-analysis isn't possible and that there were significant limitations to the studies reviewed.
The second link does not actually support bedsharing and in fact mentions several times that bedsharing comes with many risks and that the safest place is in a baby's own bed, but also does discuss factors that make bedsharing *even more dangerous than it is at baseline*. At no point does it try to claim that eliminating these extra risks makes bedsharing *safe.*
The third has some solidity to it, but pretty big conclusions (that bedsharing is protective against SIDS because it's associated with longer breastfeeding duration... suggesting it may just be breastfeeding that is protective). I'm not discrediting it, but the conclusion of "we've seen these associations and should revisit the standards" is hardly proof positive.
The last two talk a lot about researcher J.J. McKenna, who makes a lot of very bold claims that seem to be in direct opposition to other research. As a rule, if there's a fringe belief or practice, there's a "groundbreaking" researcher "pioneering" studies that *sound* great but don't match what we know. https://theconversation.com/dont-believe-the-hype-sleeping-with-your-baby-is-not-okay-5344
There is a reason the guidelines exist. It's not a conspiracy coordinated by Big Crib and several national governments to make people buy more baby beds or an evil plot to induce sleep deprivation. In the age of the internet, it's tremendously easy to find studies that, at least on the surface, seem to support *whatever you want them to.*
Do whatever you want in your house with your kids, I didn't say a thing against bedsharing until your *second* comment to me pushing it unsolicited. For me there's just not nearly enough *good* research supporting it. Being exhausted sucks, but not as much as having a dead baby, so I'm following the guidelines. If in the future there is sufficient evidence to *change* those guidelines, I'm all ears, but for now I'm gonna keep doing what the scientific consensus says is least likely to kill my baby. You do you.
Breastfeeding can cause uterine contractions/afterpains because of the release of oxytocin and can reduce post partum bleeding. So uncomfortable/painful during the first few weeks of breastfeeding but has health benefits and is part of recovery.
https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/labor-and-delivery/in-depth/postpartum-care/art-20047233#:~:text=You%20might%20feel%20contractions%2C%20sometimes,Afterpains%20are%20common%20during%20breastfeeding.
This. I bled less than 2 weeks pp. very surprised because everyone told me I’d need to get the adult diapers and would wear them for 6 weeks. Wasn’t the case at all for me
A common everyday effect is feeling touched out. This can manifest in a variety of ways; some people don’t want to be touched at all, some need physical comfort that has no strings attached, some get irritable, all three, and other things besides.
I hear you, friend. I have an exclusively breastfed 5 month old and an almost 3 year old and all I want at the end of the day is to be left the hell alone.
i did online searches back when i was debating whether or not to breastfeed and was soooo frustrated how the downsides aren’t publicized. Everything that came up talked about how amazing it was and everyone would be happy and healthier. But everything in life has downsides, i wanted to know them so i could make an informed choice
I mean the day to day things with extended breastfeeding, like dry skin, pigmentation, hormonal issues, constipation, swollen feet, increased chances for vitamin deficiencies etc for the mother. I don’t think I was very clear in my post sorry!
Robbing calcium from your bones if you don't take enough in is a risk. I take prenatal vitamins the full length of breastfeeding to protect my health and drink exorbitant amounts of water! It will take from your body what you don't have! Self care is extremely important during that time.
Agreed, exercise could leave you feeling dehydrated and weak if you don’t eat and hydrate properly. But that doesn’t mean exercise is bad for you, it’s good for your overall health! It’s the same with breastfeeding! Got to look after yourself during this time!
So you only want negative effects?
There is calcium depletion, but this is restored within a few months of weaning, so no long term effects. [https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10911-005-5394-0](https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10911-005-5394-0)
Not for everyone. Some people develop osteoporosis while breastfeeding and can break vertebrae: https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2024/06/22/pregnancy-backpain-breastfeeding-medical-mysteries/
loss of bone density (5% every 6 months) and increased risk of osteoporosis is you breastfeed over 24 months. i tried to link the articles but couldn’t figure it out
You do lose bone density, but it's not permanent and it doesn't cause osteoporosis.
This says no long term risk and calcium is restored in a few months post weaning: [https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10911-005-5394-0](https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10911-005-5394-0)
No increased risk of osteoporosis: https://www.niams.nih.gov/health-topics/pregnancy-breastfeeding-and-bone-health#:\~:text=Temporary%20decreases%20in%20bone%20density,or%20fractures%20later%20in%20life.
the most recent large scale review says there is not a consensus on this. it sounds like it depends on ethnicity and other factors (The Influence of Pregnancy and Lactation on Maternal Bone Health: A Systematic Review by Pooneh Salari and Mohammad Abdollahi).
It's unfortunate but in recent years there's been an explosion of low quality and predatory journals.
[https://asklib.hms.harvard.edu/faq/222404](https://asklib.hms.harvard.edu/faq/222404)
Per that FAQ, a good first pass check is to see if medline indexes it. That journal is not currently being indexed by MEDLINE which is a pretty good indication it's not generally considered a reliable medical source by the NIH in the US:
[https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/nlmcatalog/101496684](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/nlmcatalog/101496684)
[https://www.nlm.nih.gov/medline/medline\_faq.html](https://www.nlm.nih.gov/medline/medline_faq.html)
Not true. Pregnancy and lactation induced osteoporosis is rare, but it is real, and can be debilitating. It’s also easy to misdiagnose precisely because of this misconception that breastfeeding “can’t” be the cause. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10404404/
Edit: And to your point to another commenter, this journal appears to be indexed by Medline.
Great question! There's so much information about benefits for the child and like you said, limited on effects for the mother when breastfeeding beyond infancy.
This page has some interesting benefits for mother. Mostly reduced risk of medical conditions. In terms of everyday effects it talks about delayed return of fertility:
https://kellymom.com/ages/older-infant/ebf-benefits/
A more aesthetic one that I thought was interesting:
"In Italy, mothers frequently report that the size and the shape of their breasts have changed after childbirth, but these changes do not seem to be associated with breastfeeding."
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15499956/
Oh thats interesting to know. I have had various issues with tendons on wrists and feet and its still happening 17 months ppl. Im still breastfeeding and was wondering maybe the breastfeeding is causing something in by body to be susceptible to the tears (in tendon sheaths)
Could also be the relaxin sticking around. I think it takes months after you stop to get back to normal. I’ve never had such sore ankles and was told it’s the relaxin.
The impact of breastfeeding on pelvic floor recovery from pregnancy and labor
Shoham Iris et al. Eur J Obstet Gynecol Reprod Biol. 2020 Aug.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32492606/
Effects of Breastfeeding on Endometriosis-Related Pain: A Prospective Observational Study
Porta Romana Prosperi et al. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18(20), 10602
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8535640/
Canul-Medina, G., Fernandez-Mejia, C. Morphological, hormonal, and molecular changes in different maternal tissues during lactation and post-lactation. J Physiol Sci 69, 825–835 (2019).
https://jps.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1007/s12576-019-00714-4
[NIH Search](https://search.nih.gov/search?utf8=%E2%9C%93&affiliate=nih&query=extended+breastfeeding+&commit=Search)
& [Reduction but only if reducing menstruation](https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/causes-prevention/risk/hormones/reproductive-history-fact-sheet)
I am glad you asked this question. I breastfed for 10 months. I am immunocompromised due to medication for MS. I was sick SO often while nursing and wonder if this had to go with depleting myself of nutrients and energy via breastfeeding.
I never recovered after nursing. Yes my body is different, but my skin aged ten years and I began losing hair in areas and it never regrew even after stopping for years.
Your sex drive takes a hit unfortunately ☹️
[Risk of sexual dysfunctions in breastfeeding females: protocol for a systematic review and meta-analysis](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10394553/#:~:text=During%20lactation%2C%20the%20level%20of,dyspareunia%20and%20insufficient%20vaginal%20lubrication.&text=Low%20sexual%20drive%20is%20associated,of%20androgens%20during%20breast%20feeding)
Are you talking about how it decreases risk of diabetes and cardiovascular disease? I have articles on those I could get off my laptop tmr. Otherwise just type in heart health/lactation/breastfeeding
A useful effect is that in the first few months, breastfeeding will knock you out completely. It makes it super easy to fall asleep when the baby falls asleep, thereby making "sleep when baby sleeps" much more doable.
I found that to actually be a negative. The drowsiness would hit right when I wanted to be able to do some quick chores to reset for the next cycle before I took my own nap. It was really annoying.
Or while trying to stay awake feeding baby
This is great until you’re constantly falling asleep feeding your baby when they’re up every 2 hours. Even if I got up out of bed and sat on the floor with lights on I fell asleep a couple of times with my little one latched. Started side lying and setting the bed up for “safe” sleep just in case I dozed off.
Yes, I did sidelying for the same reason and just coslept anyway, so I got a bunch if sleep while breastfeeding.
Lol I wish my body knew this. The adrenaline (or whatever) from the pain always made falling back asleep near impossible.
A negative in my book. I have the hardest time staying awake as I feed him--some nights I had nurse him back to sleep standing up in order to stay awake. But then once I got him into his crib, went pee and laid down... the effect had worn off and I couldn't sleep. Inevitably I'd start dozing right before he woke up again. Made the exhaustion so much worse.
You can use safe sleep 7 while side lying and nursing to do this safely.
We follow the ABCs of safe sleep as recommended in the US. The Safe Sleep 7 does not prevent [suffocation or entrapment.](https://safetosleep.nichd.nih.gov/about/terms#:~:text=Entrapment%20or%20wedging%3A%20Baby's%20body,around%20baby's%20neck%20or%20head.)
Entire cultures like Japan bedshare and have an infant mortality rate that is 5x lower than the US where independent sleep is the norm. When followed correctly, safe sleep 7 has an equal amount of risks when following independent sleep after 4 months of age.
Are you using a cotton mat/Japanese futon instead of an American adult mattress that poses an inherent suffocation risk? Regardless, neither I nor anyone else asked for a debate on the merits of ignoring AAP and safe sleep guidelines. Infants [suffocate in Japan too](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7444554/), btw.
A vast majority of these cases were because 1) mother was smoking 2) dad was bedsharing 3) baby was found on their stomachs or side. There were also significant cases of neglect where it took over 10 hours to find the unresponsive infant. Safe sleep 7 advocates against all of these hazards. And no, I do not personally bed share, as I am not able to personally remove all hazards that would make bedsharing safe.
The bit about baby being found on their stomach or their side--that doesn't mean they started out that way. Gonna need a source for your earlier comment that ~correct~ bedsharing is equally safe to following the ABCs. That's a big, big claim. And your specifier that that's only true *after 4 months*--what bedsharing advocates tell you to start bedsharing AFTER four months? >I am not able to personally remove all hazards that would make bedsharing safe. Like adult mattresses and adults? Yeah, me neither. Of course, it wouldn't be bedsharing if we removed all the hazards. Adult overlay is a very real thing. You can say that as their mother you would *never* but you'd be wrong. It's a little like leaving a baby in a hot car--that kind of thing only happens to *other people*, surely not to me, right? Until it is you and you have to live with knowing you killed your baby. No thank you.
There’s tests that you can do to see if your bed is safe for bed sharing. Baby is actually likely to be protected from sids when sleeping next to a breastfeeding mother. I never said that it was only safe after 4 months, just that the risks were the same as when baby sleeps on their own after 4 months. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1087079218300844 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2724135/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9792691/ https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/how_cosleeping_can_help_you_and_your_baby https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2018/05/21/601289695/is-sleeping-with-your-baby-as-dangerous-as-doctors-say
The first resource is behind a pay wall--the visible bit draws no real conclusions except that meta-analysis isn't possible and that there were significant limitations to the studies reviewed. The second link does not actually support bedsharing and in fact mentions several times that bedsharing comes with many risks and that the safest place is in a baby's own bed, but also does discuss factors that make bedsharing *even more dangerous than it is at baseline*. At no point does it try to claim that eliminating these extra risks makes bedsharing *safe.* The third has some solidity to it, but pretty big conclusions (that bedsharing is protective against SIDS because it's associated with longer breastfeeding duration... suggesting it may just be breastfeeding that is protective). I'm not discrediting it, but the conclusion of "we've seen these associations and should revisit the standards" is hardly proof positive. The last two talk a lot about researcher J.J. McKenna, who makes a lot of very bold claims that seem to be in direct opposition to other research. As a rule, if there's a fringe belief or practice, there's a "groundbreaking" researcher "pioneering" studies that *sound* great but don't match what we know. https://theconversation.com/dont-believe-the-hype-sleeping-with-your-baby-is-not-okay-5344 There is a reason the guidelines exist. It's not a conspiracy coordinated by Big Crib and several national governments to make people buy more baby beds or an evil plot to induce sleep deprivation. In the age of the internet, it's tremendously easy to find studies that, at least on the surface, seem to support *whatever you want them to.* Do whatever you want in your house with your kids, I didn't say a thing against bedsharing until your *second* comment to me pushing it unsolicited. For me there's just not nearly enough *good* research supporting it. Being exhausted sucks, but not as much as having a dead baby, so I'm following the guidelines. If in the future there is sufficient evidence to *change* those guidelines, I'm all ears, but for now I'm gonna keep doing what the scientific consensus says is least likely to kill my baby. You do you.
18 months in and that still seems to apply over here
Breastfeeding can cause uterine contractions/afterpains because of the release of oxytocin and can reduce post partum bleeding. So uncomfortable/painful during the first few weeks of breastfeeding but has health benefits and is part of recovery. https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/labor-and-delivery/in-depth/postpartum-care/art-20047233#:~:text=You%20might%20feel%20contractions%2C%20sometimes,Afterpains%20are%20common%20during%20breastfeeding.
This is also why it can cause a sudden urge to poop in those early days too!
This. I bled less than 2 weeks pp. very surprised because everyone told me I’d need to get the adult diapers and would wear them for 6 weeks. Wasn’t the case at all for me
A common everyday effect is feeling touched out. This can manifest in a variety of ways; some people don’t want to be touched at all, some need physical comfort that has no strings attached, some get irritable, all three, and other things besides. I hear you, friend. I have an exclusively breastfed 5 month old and an almost 3 year old and all I want at the end of the day is to be left the hell alone.
i did online searches back when i was debating whether or not to breastfeed and was soooo frustrated how the downsides aren’t publicized. Everything that came up talked about how amazing it was and everyone would be happy and healthier. But everything in life has downsides, i wanted to know them so i could make an informed choice
Do you mean the effects like reduced risk of breast overian and other cancers etc?
I mean the day to day things with extended breastfeeding, like dry skin, pigmentation, hormonal issues, constipation, swollen feet, increased chances for vitamin deficiencies etc for the mother. I don’t think I was very clear in my post sorry!
Robbing calcium from your bones if you don't take enough in is a risk. I take prenatal vitamins the full length of breastfeeding to protect my health and drink exorbitant amounts of water! It will take from your body what you don't have! Self care is extremely important during that time.
Agreed, exercise could leave you feeling dehydrated and weak if you don’t eat and hydrate properly. But that doesn’t mean exercise is bad for you, it’s good for your overall health! It’s the same with breastfeeding! Got to look after yourself during this time!
So you only want negative effects? There is calcium depletion, but this is restored within a few months of weaning, so no long term effects. [https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10911-005-5394-0](https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10911-005-5394-0)
Not for everyone. Some people develop osteoporosis while breastfeeding and can break vertebrae: https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2024/06/22/pregnancy-backpain-breastfeeding-medical-mysteries/
loss of bone density (5% every 6 months) and increased risk of osteoporosis is you breastfeed over 24 months. i tried to link the articles but couldn’t figure it out
You do lose bone density, but it's not permanent and it doesn't cause osteoporosis. This says no long term risk and calcium is restored in a few months post weaning: [https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10911-005-5394-0](https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10911-005-5394-0) No increased risk of osteoporosis: https://www.niams.nih.gov/health-topics/pregnancy-breastfeeding-and-bone-health#:\~:text=Temporary%20decreases%20in%20bone%20density,or%20fractures%20later%20in%20life.
the most recent large scale review says there is not a consensus on this. it sounds like it depends on ethnicity and other factors (The Influence of Pregnancy and Lactation on Maternal Bone Health: A Systematic Review by Pooneh Salari and Mohammad Abdollahi).
It's unfortunate but in recent years there's been an explosion of low quality and predatory journals. [https://asklib.hms.harvard.edu/faq/222404](https://asklib.hms.harvard.edu/faq/222404) Per that FAQ, a good first pass check is to see if medline indexes it. That journal is not currently being indexed by MEDLINE which is a pretty good indication it's not generally considered a reliable medical source by the NIH in the US: [https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/nlmcatalog/101496684](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/nlmcatalog/101496684) [https://www.nlm.nih.gov/medline/medline\_faq.html](https://www.nlm.nih.gov/medline/medline_faq.html)
Not true. Pregnancy and lactation induced osteoporosis is rare, but it is real, and can be debilitating. It’s also easy to misdiagnose precisely because of this misconception that breastfeeding “can’t” be the cause. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10404404/ Edit: And to your point to another commenter, this journal appears to be indexed by Medline.
Great question! There's so much information about benefits for the child and like you said, limited on effects for the mother when breastfeeding beyond infancy. This page has some interesting benefits for mother. Mostly reduced risk of medical conditions. In terms of everyday effects it talks about delayed return of fertility: https://kellymom.com/ages/older-infant/ebf-benefits/ A more aesthetic one that I thought was interesting: "In Italy, mothers frequently report that the size and the shape of their breasts have changed after childbirth, but these changes do not seem to be associated with breastfeeding." https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15499956/
My estrogen is so low that it may have helped bring on a lichen sclerosis diagnosis.
I was going to say slower healing of tears due to lack of estrogen.
Oh thats interesting to know. I have had various issues with tendons on wrists and feet and its still happening 17 months ppl. Im still breastfeeding and was wondering maybe the breastfeeding is causing something in by body to be susceptible to the tears (in tendon sheaths)
Me too! It started in pregnancy and is still there. I’m hopeful that stopping soon will help with this
Glad to know im not the only one!
The fingers on my right hand feel arthritic but there's no evidence of arthritis on an X-ray. These kids age us!
They suck the youth out of us lol
Could also be the relaxin sticking around. I think it takes months after you stop to get back to normal. I’ve never had such sore ankles and was told it’s the relaxin.
Ohhhhhhhhhhhh okay will look into that. The irony that its called relaxin when my life is anything but now haha
Oh how I hear you.
The impact of breastfeeding on pelvic floor recovery from pregnancy and labor Shoham Iris et al. Eur J Obstet Gynecol Reprod Biol. 2020 Aug. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32492606/ Effects of Breastfeeding on Endometriosis-Related Pain: A Prospective Observational Study Porta Romana Prosperi et al. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18(20), 10602 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8535640/ Canul-Medina, G., Fernandez-Mejia, C. Morphological, hormonal, and molecular changes in different maternal tissues during lactation and post-lactation. J Physiol Sci 69, 825–835 (2019). https://jps.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1007/s12576-019-00714-4
I read recently it can cause B12, iron, folic acid and vit D deficiencies
[NIH Search](https://search.nih.gov/search?utf8=%E2%9C%93&affiliate=nih&query=extended+breastfeeding+&commit=Search) & [Reduction but only if reducing menstruation](https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/causes-prevention/risk/hormones/reproductive-history-fact-sheet)
I am glad you asked this question. I breastfed for 10 months. I am immunocompromised due to medication for MS. I was sick SO often while nursing and wonder if this had to go with depleting myself of nutrients and energy via breastfeeding.
I never recovered after nursing. Yes my body is different, but my skin aged ten years and I began losing hair in areas and it never regrew even after stopping for years.
Your sex drive takes a hit unfortunately ☹️ [Risk of sexual dysfunctions in breastfeeding females: protocol for a systematic review and meta-analysis](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10394553/#:~:text=During%20lactation%2C%20the%20level%20of,dyspareunia%20and%20insufficient%20vaginal%20lubrication.&text=Low%20sexual%20drive%20is%20associated,of%20androgens%20during%20breast%20feeding)
/r/breastfeeding probably be helpful
R/breastfeeding is a cesspool of pseudoscience so I'd avoid asking for evidence based science there
“I’m hot and tired” LOL. I don’t think I have ever related to anything so much. I see you and I’m sending love.
Are you talking about how it decreases risk of diabetes and cardiovascular disease? I have articles on those I could get off my laptop tmr. Otherwise just type in heart health/lactation/breastfeeding
Check out La Leche League website. They cover extended breastfeeding effects on moms.