"The postpartum hormone drop is considered the single largest hormone change in the shortest amount of time for any human being at any point in their life cycle.”
Have you seen this quote?
It's an impactful statement, and it has been circling around social media lately. It comes from Dr. Aviva Romm, a medical doctor, midwife, and herbalist.
Right after you give birth, your levels of estrogen and progesterone plummet.
How big of a drop are we talking about?
According to our IBCLC friends over at The Better Boob, at the end of your pregnancy, your body is producing estrogen and progesterone levels equivalent to taking 100 birth control pills a day. Once you’ve delivered, it’s as if you quit taking those pills cold turkey!
These are the hormones that impact your feelings of happiness and well-being.
A drop in these hormones naturally results in a drop in mood, increased anxiety, and feeling run-down.
And we are talking the BIGGEST drop in the entire human life-cycle! What does that mean for you?
It is NORMAL to feel out of whack postpartum.
What ISN’T normal is the lack of understanding, compassion, and support commonly experienced during this life phase.
This lack of understanding and support can stress you out and inhibit your body’s hormonal recovery.
Your body must be allowed to rest and have the time it needs to rebalance and stabilize after this massive hormonal drop.
The postpartum hormone drop is just one reason it is so vitally important that you know what to expect and are properly supported during postpartum.
What are you doing to prepare for rest and support postpartum? Let us know in the comments. If you'd like to know how the doulas at Sweet Peas can help make your postpartum recovery easier, contact us here,
And please, if you've learned something from this post, share it with others. Our society doesn't talk enough about what happens postpartum, and it is time to change that. Thanks!