Do you recollect how you used to feel before pregnancy? You were energetic, happy, and optimistic. You slept well and woke up with recharged energy. Now, after pregnancy, your energy levels fail to keep up with your daily demand. You may feel emotionally unbalanced. You may always feel drained out and find it hard to deal with your little one. Hormonal imbalance can be a culprit.
You may experience sleep deprivation and may find it hard to shed the pregnancy weight gain. You might not be expecting the after-pregnancy days this way – isn’t motherhood a blessing? Perhaps something has changed. Yes. Definitely, something has changed other than your new role as a mother – hormones. Pregnancy has actually tampered with your hormonal equalization. Here, in this article, we will discuss the hormonal changes that occur after delivery and ways to restore them.
In This Article
- What Causes Hormonal Imbalance After Pregnancy?
- What Causes Estrogen Dominance After Pregnancy?
- What Are The Symptoms Of Hormonal Imbalance After Pregnancy?
- How Can The Hormonal Imbalance Be Restored After Pregnancy?
- 15 Ways To Restore Hormonal Imbalance During Pregnancy
What Causes Hormonal Imbalance After Pregnancy?
Hormonal imbalance can happen at any time after childbirth, and you are not alone to go through this, though you feel you are. If you did not experience it in your first pregnancy, it does not mean that you will not experience it in the succeeding pregnancies and vice versa. The main cause of hormonal imbalance after pregnancy is Estrogen dominance.
What Causes Estrogen Dominance After Pregnancy?
Estrogen and progesterone are two female hormones, which play a significant role during pregnancy and delivery. The balance of both hormones is vital for a healthy postpartum period. However, this harmony is often disturbed after birth. This is because the placenta, which mostly contributes to the production of progesterone, is removed from the body during delivery.
This will result in a sudden drop in progesterone levels. The estrogen level, however, reaches the optimum level from the peak level within 24 hours after delivery. But it remains higher, as the progesterone level drops, resulting in estrogen dominance.
Estrogen dominance can trigger-
Hypothyroidism
A raised level of estrogen likewise increases the level of cortisol binding globulin, and you may experience the ill effects of hypothyroidism.
Postpartum Thyroiditis
Estrogen dominance can cause the thyroid gland to get inflamed in between the first year of delivery. This results in increased production of thyroid-binding globulin (TBG) by your liver causing you to suffer from a rare condition called Postpartum Thyroiditis.
Adrenal Fatigue
Adrenal fatigue happens when the adrenal glands cannot deliver enough cortisol to meet the requirement of the body. To put it plainly, you are wearing out your adrenal glands. Thus, you feel increasingly fatigued and stressed. Many other health issues can also occur due to adrenal fatigue.
What Are The Symptoms Of Hormonal Imbalance After Pregnancy?
Childbirth does change the hormonal balance and may be capable of throwing a mother off track, bringing about a wide range of health issues. The common signs of hormonal imbalance after pregnancy are:
- Extreme Fatigue: Feeling extremely exhausted every day can be a sign of thyroid issues, which happens as a result of hormonal imbalance
- Inability To Lose Weight: Hormonal imbalances make it difficult to maintain a healthy weight
- Mood Swings And Anxiety: It is also an indication of thyroid issues due to hormonal imbalance
- Insomnia: Insomnia is a significant issue experienced by mothers due to the hormonal imbalance
- Hair Loss: This is, again, due to the thyroid issues that arise as a result of the imbalanced hormones
- Postpartum Distress Syndrome: Because of the hormonal imbalance, you can experience the ill effects of mild to serious postpartum distress syndrome. The most extreme type of postpartum depression is linked to unbalanced the thyroid hormones
In Addition to the above most commonly viewed sighs, the sudden appearance of increased sensitivity to cold, puffy face, acne, pale skin, constipation, menstrual issues, breast milk issues, brittle fingernails, recurrent infections, etc. should not be ignored, as these can be the indication of the hormonal imbalance, which needs to be rectified
How Can The Hormonal Imbalance Be Restored After Pregnancy?
Your endocrine framework is inseparably connected to your brain and nervous system. As your body starts to readjust after delivery, your hormones are also endeavoring to get back to normal levels.
These hormones incorporate estrogen, progesterone, prolactin, thyroid, and cortisol. As we discussed above, from milk supply issues to the sex drive, from acne to PPD, hormonal imbalance might be the culprit. Here are 15 ways to restore your hormones after pregnancy:
15 Ways To Restore Hormonal Imbalance During Pregnancy
Following are 15 effective ways to restore hormonal imbalance during pregnancy:
1. Exercise
Exercise regularly. Avoid heavy cardiac exercise, at the same time, ensure that you are sweating during the exercise. Walking in nature is the best exercise, which not only helps with hormonal balance but also refreshes you and helps to reduce stress and strain.
2. Say “No” To White Food
Maintain a strategic distance from all food that is white (milk, bread, rice, wafers, and pasta), as far as possible because they are mainly complex carbohydrates and dairy.
3. Avoid Polyunsaturated Fats
After pregnancy, you have to keep away from food with polyunsaturated fats and oils owing to their high content of Omega-6. Even though a little omega-6 in our diet is necessary, increased quantity can get in the way of the working of your endocrine framework. Some examples are margarine, vegetable oil, and peanut oil are rich in poly saturated fats. Instead, use coconut oil rich in healthy fat.
4. Increase The Intake Of Fiber
Include fiber-rich food in your daily diet as the fibers ties with the estrogen and eliminate it from the body, thereby prompting the hormonal balance.
5. Yoga
Practicing certain yoga postures with the help of a well-trained yoga teacher will help to balance the hormones and also will get fast relief from bothering symptoms of hormonal imbalance like stress, anxiety, sleep deprivation, etc.
6. Acupuncture
Acupuncture is a notable Chinese treatment, which is particularly great in treating hormonal imbalance. A blend of herbs, needling, and moxibustion may help you to restore hormonal balance.
7. Vitamin D
If there is no sufficient vitamin D, there will be an abnormal release of parathyroid hormone resulting in hormonal imbalance. Levels of vitamin D in optimum quantities are a must to maintain hormonal balance. Make sure you bask in some sun every day, as it is the primary source of vitamin D. In case you are found to be deficient, your doctor may as well prescribe some supplements.
8. Never Take Hormonal Birth Control Measure Right After Delivery
Taking hormonal birth control measures before the body gets back to normal hormone levels will trigger and aggravate the hormonal imbalance
9. Placenta Encapsulation
Placenta encapsulation is the practice of ingesting the placenta after it has been steamed, got dried out, ground, and set into pills. It has been utilized for a great many years as a part of traditional Chinese medicine for restoring hormonal balance during the postpartum period. Though it is not a regular practice, many people around the world are now using it
10. Magnesium
This supplement can be utilized as an oil, a pill, or a powder. Magnesium helps to get a good sleep, which is vital for the recreation and equalization of hormones. Magnesium is better taken up through the skin than the digestive tract. Hence, magnesium oil is a preferred magnesium supplement by many natural health care practitioners than magnesium-rich food.
It is more important than other minerals like calcium, potassium, or sodium and regulates all three of them. Mineral balance is closely associated with hormone balance. Need to restore hormones naturally? Ensure you are getting an adequate amount of magnesium.
11. Say “No” To Soy
Soymilks, soy meat, soy protein, soy-based cereal… all of these foods are considered healthy food. However, if you are currently trying to balance the hormone level, it is better to maintain a strategic distance from (even the fermented) soy.
This is because, Soybeans are rich in substances that copy human estrogen as well as suppress the functioning of the thyroid, thereby, triggering or aggravating the hormonal imbalance
12. Say “Yes,” To The Liver
The liver is an ideal food for restoring hormonal balance after pregnancy. It is a high source of Vitamin A, one of the significant vitamins, which helps with restoring hormonal balance. In opposition to popular belief, we are not able to acquire vitamin A from vegetables because the beta-carotene in vegetables must be converted to vitamin A for utilizing the body. Hormonal imbalance compromises your capacity to convert the carotene into usable vitamin A
13. Avoid Caffeine And Alcohol
Caffeine contributes to estrogen dominance, and alcohol consumption triggers the hormonal imbalance
14. Vitamin And Mineral Supplement
Taking a good quality vitamin and mineral supplement (as per the direction of the doctor) will help to balance your hormones. Remember that the mineral balance is closely associated with hormone balance
15. Say “Yes” To Egg Yolk
We have been tossing egg yolks away because of cholesterol-suspicion, yet it turns out that the yolk gives the most important nourishment, which assists with restoring hormone balance after pregnancy. It is a rich source of Selenium (which plays a significant role in converting the inactive form of the thyroid to active form), Vitamin A, and Vitamin D
