One of the biggest fears I had during my first pregnancy was how my postpartum hormones would affect me once my baby was born.
I’d heard a variety of stories from friends about how postpartum hormones affected them. Some said that their hair fell out in clumps, more reported their energy was zapped, and some revealed that they had no interest in sex for months!
In nursing school, I was taught that one of the biggest factors that influenced how one responded to postpartum hormones was genetics. While I hadn’t heard a lot of negative comments from my mom or aunts about their experiences after pregnancy, I did know that my maternal grandmother seriously struggled in this area.
My grandmother suffered from postpartum depression and tragically passed away when her sixth child was less than a year old. This was something I knew about growing up, but it was rarely talked about, and it wasn’t until I was older that I learned the actual reason behind my grandmother’s death. Her depression was a known issue that seemed to worsen with each pregnancy, and while she had sought help for it in her later pregnancies, it eventually became too much to handle.
As you can guess, I didn’t know what this post-pregnancy period would be like for me, but I was bound and determined to do all I could to keep my body and mental state in healthy working order. That meant feeding my body healthy foods, getting plenty of fresh air and exercise, minimizing toxins in my life, understanding how my hormones would fluctuate, and supporting my body through and beyond pregnancy with high-quality herbs and supplements.
In this article, I’d like to share 5 lessons I learned about postpartum hormones over the course of my four pregnancies, as well as some DIY herbal remedies the postpartum mama can use to help support her body during this time of life. But first, let’s look briefly at how hormones fluctuate during the postpartum period as well as some common postpartum hormone-related complaints.
Understanding Postpartum Hormones
Hormones are associated with the nervous and endocrine systems of the body. These systems work in conjunction to produce and release hormones as needed. Hormones control a lot of functions in your body (Hoffmann, 2003), especially those occurring during and after pregnancy.
Postpartum hormone fluctuation is perfectly normal even though it can leave you feeling like you’re on an emotional roller coaster! Some hormones are dropping (like estrogen and progesterone) while others are increasing (like prolactin) and some remain at stable levels for months after birth (like relaxin) (Brown, 2003).
After delivery, estrogen and progesterone levels drop suddenly, putting your body into a menopausal-like state. This can lead to hot flashes, low energy, hair loss, dry skin, low libido, and depression (Hooper, 2017).
The good news is that after delivery, your hormones slowly begin to regulate themselves, getting back to their normal balanced state (Brown, 2003). If you’re breastfeeding, this can prolong your “postpartum menopause” as prolactin (another hormone that regulates breast milk production) can cause these hormones to take a bit longer to level out (Hooper, 2017).
Now that you have had a brief overview of what’s going on with your hormones after delivery, let me share 5 lessons I’ve learned about this topic over the course of four pregnancies as well as some lifestyle and herbal tips to help you when it comes to balancing your hormones naturally.
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Want to know even more about common pregnancy hormones, the changes that occur because of them, and herbs that can support you through this season of life? If so, I have an ebook you will love!
Naturally Healthy Hormones: A Guide To Seasonal Herbal Support For Women
Now you can get this entire UPDATED blog series in ebook format with additional information, resource links, and herbal recipes! This beautifully designed 70-page ebook that explores hormone health from a natural perspective.
In this ebook, we will look at how hormones fluctuate as well as some common hormone-related conditions in each of the above seasons. We’ll share some lifestyle practices (from diet and exercise to meditation, herbs, and more) that can help to gently ease your body into a more balanced, healthy hormonal state. You will also find 30+ herbal recipes scattered throughout the chapters of this book to make it easy for you to incorporate these herbal allies into your life as well. Lastly, we’ve included some fantastic hormone resources to help you if you’re looking for more information and support as you transition from season to season.
Inside you will learn:
- How herbs and lifestyle changes can help keep your hormones “balanced,”
- A basic overview of the endocrine system,
- 5 foundational steps that will set you up for naturally healthy hormones right from the beginning,
- Overview of the most common hormonal changes and symptoms experienced during pregnancy,
- Common postpartum hormonal changes and complaints,
- Hormone changes experienced in menopause and how to manage them with grace,
- Hormone resources for all stages in the hormone journey, and
- 30+ herbal recipes and countless lifestyle recommendations that can help support your body during every step of the journey of womanhood!
Whether you want to set yourself up for hormone success from the get-go, sail through pregnancy and postpartum period with ease, or manage menopause with as much grace as possible, this ebook can help guide you in the right direction. Not only that but if all the information we share in this book isn’t enough, we’re sharing 45 other hormone resources and a plethora of references that can offer you some extra knowledge and support as well!
While the experience of being pregnant isn’t the same for everyone (nor is each pregnancy the same for an individual), the hormonal fluctuations women experience during this time of life can be navigated in a healthy, natural way. Knowing about the changes that are happening in your body, what’s to be expected, and how to keep yourself as healthy as possible during this time will all work towards making this season of life an enjoyable one.
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4.5
Thank you, this is very helpful! One question I have is if the herbs to boost libido also increase fertility? I’ve often thought it would be great to have more desire towards my husband in the early postpartum months but don’t want to increase my chances of getting pregnant again right away. What are your thoughts on this?
A second question is if you are including all perinatal mood disorders when you talk about post partum depression such as anxiety? Or are there specific herbs and remedies for each separate mood disorder?
Hi, Sarah. Thanks for your comment and great questions to ask.
First, the herbs mentioned as libido supporters are meant to affect various body systems (nourishing them so they work properly). They don’t actually have anything to do with fertility as far as causing you to ovulate if you aren’t, increasing chances of implantation, or anything along those lines. Herbs rarely work that way. Instead, they regulate things so you are balanced and things work as they are meant to work. Does that make sense? I think doing what you can to regulate your hormones as naturally as possible (with the various things mentioned in the article like diet, exercise, self-care, and so on) will go a long way at getting you back to your normal libido. If you want your libido to increase beyond what’s normal for you, the herbs (specifically the nervine herbs) are really great for that when taken regularly. As far as not getting pregnant too quickly, just be sure you use some form of contraception. You’ll have to do your research here. While I don’t advise most hormonal birth controls (as they can negatively impact your hormones), there are some more natural methods out there.
To answer your second question, I’m not talking about all mood disorders when I say postpartum depression. I’m talking about general depression or feelings of sadness. Anxiety is a bit different and often presents with different symptoms (although some can overlap with depression). When it comes to using herbs for these issues, most of the same herbs are used for both depression or anxiety. The goal is to use herbs to bring those body systems (endocrine, nervous) into better balance so the body regulates itself and functions properly. Hope this has helped you some!
Are all of these herbal recipes safe just after birth and while nursing? Especially the Baby blues and Insomnia.
Thx!
Great question, Jeannie. The insomnia recipe is safe while nursing. The baby blues recipe, on the other hand, is fine as long as you don’t use the dong quai mentioned. It isn’t recommended during nursing.
I am curious about the spearmint in the hair loss recipe. I thought spearmint was an herb that could decrease breast milk. Is there an herb that you would recommend swapping that one out with?
Yes, if you’re breastfeeding, large doses of spearmint can decrease breastmilk supply in some individuals… usually not as much as peppermint, but there’s still a risk. You can completely remove the spearmint from this recipe as it’s only there for flavor or you can replace it with another flavorful herb. Hope that helps, Abby!
Is dong Quai safe to take while breastfeeding?
No, dong quai is not recommended if you are breastfeeding.