Postpartum Hormones: Causes, Symptoms, and Solutions
Raena
A woman goes through a lot of emotions after she gives birth. “Postpartum” means the time after childbirth and for some women, this time can come with a cluster of symptoms that include mental health changes, brain fog, hair loss, sadness, fatigue, and even loneliness. Some stats show, that about 40% of women report changes in their mental health.
Did you know that when a woman becomes pregnant, she can produce up to 100 times more progesterone than normal? Progesterone is a hormone that helps to support pregnancy, but it also has a very protective role in the body. As progesterone is an anti-stress and protective hormone, levels rise to protect the baby. In addition to anti-stress, progesterone is also a “feel-good hormone” and may be responsible for the “glow” we see in pregnant women. After pregnancy, levels of progesterone can drop significantly, causing women to feel mixed emotions like depression and anxiety.
Hormones are made all over the body; in skin, ovaries, fat cells, and in the brain! Dr. Chandler Marrs Ph.D. notes, ”Since the brain is the control center for mental health, cognition and indeed, everything, it stands to reason that because hormone activity is integral to brain chemistry, hormones are involved in mental health. The brain is going to get used to having certain concentrations of chemicals floating around and adapt accordingly. When those chemicals are removed, especially abruptly, there will be hell to pay in the withdrawal syndrome. How that withdrawal syndrome manifests will be contingent on the degree and pattern of biochemical change – which hormones or drug(s) are creating the problems, where and to what degree.”
The postpartum hormone crash is something a lot of women face, but many clinical experiences show this can be treated effectively.
The first step is measuring your hormones with Moment. Without measuring the actual hormone changes associated with pregnancy and postpartum and the behavioral symptoms that ensue, there is no way to recognize or treat postpartum withdrawal syndrome or syndromes. Measuring your hormones is an important aspect of understanding your body and should not be ignored.
Here are a few other tips that may help solve postpartum changes.
-Bioidentical progesterone supplementation may help. Many women benefit from 100mg 2x a day and are taken at times that correlate with the menstrual cycle, ie after ovulation.
-Eating enough calories.
-Eating nutrient-dense foods.
-Targeted supplementation like zinc, magnesium, and vitamin D. Zinc deficiency and high copper levels are commonly associated with post-partum depression, leading to anxiety, emotional instability, racing mind, insomnia, low libido, and blood sugar dysregulation, inability to engage in relationships, blunted emotions and perception.
-Daily and normal sun exposure for mood elevation.
Get started on solving post-partum symptoms at www.momenthealth.co.