Night sweats while breastfeeding

Midwife Nikki replies: This is a common problem, so try not to worry about it. Night sweats are caused by high levels of prolactin - the hormone responsible for your continuing milk supply. It's likely the combination of sweating and breastfeeding could lead to dehydration, so as well as increasing your calorie input by 500 calories a day, you should try to drink between two and three litres of fluid a day.
Maternal prolactin levels hit their peak between 1am and 5am, which explains why your sweats happen at night. They also rise after you take a short daytime nap, so you may also experience the same clammy feeling then. Always have a change of nightshirt and bed linen to hand. 

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