Hormones After Pregnancy: What's the Norm?

Yes the craziness does go away, but it sounds as if you do surely have the baby blues. You don't have to be down, just emotional - and sometimes it gets a little hard to slug through life. It's the dramatic decrease in hormones making you have such mood swings, but it takes a long time for your body to find its proper homeostasis after having a baby. Like maybe even two years for some. Hey, the good news is you've had a lot of new neuronal growth!

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I was so thankful when I read your blog, because I just had my precious little girl less than 2 weeks ago and am a MESS! My poor husband at times has to take care of me and the baby. I cry and cry and cry and then I am happy. This is my first child and to me this is the worst part nothing during the labor or pregnancy compares to this awful feeling of so called baby blues. Thanks for giving me hope.

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My emotions didn't settle down until about 2 months after I stopped breast feeding. I breast fed until my kids got their first tooth. Lack of sleep doesn't help your emotional well being either. It's so scary to leave your children with anyone. My kids are 6 and 3 and I still don't like to leave them with anyone. After a while you won't cry as easily but I don't think the protective feelings ever go away. That's just part of being a good mom.

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I can only describe my first few months post-pregnancy as feral. I thought for a second that my neighbor was going to steal my baby. I jumped out of my car to scream at animal rescue workers who drove badly around town. I know that I was finally better when one day I took a deep breath before reacting rashly to someone blocking my driveway with his truck as he dug through a debris pile. That was about six months post pardom. I didn't feel truly normal until I stopped breastfeeding but I don't think it's as long for everyone. Now with my second pregnancy I know what to look for!

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Oh, honey. Zoloft. You won't be sorry.

http://prettybabies.blogspot.com/2007/06/shaken-baby-syndrome.html

I talk a little bit about what I went through there. If you want to e-mail me for more details, I'd be happy to share. Best to you.

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Yeah my boy just turned 2 and I'm still a freaking wreck thanks to nursing hormones and all my mental meds aren't enough to keep me in check. I started ovulating again when he was 18 months old and the PMS mixed w/breastfeeding is just making me insane. I'm currently in the middle of the weeks I dread and just trying to make it another couple days w/out losing it! 2 years of being crazy gets pretty old!

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I couldn't agree with Amy more. I take Zoloft for chemical depression (but not while pregnant). My third c-section is scheduled for late August, and my doctor already knows that I plan to start my Zoloft before I even leave the hospital. I've been through exactly what you're going through and it's torture. Hang in there! It does get better. You know how your baby smiles at you, and in that moment all the crap (for lack of a better word) goes away? Bank those moments. Mentally, put those moments in your back pocket - they are what will pull you through this until your hormones level out.

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I agree with pp -- talk to your doctor!!! I was emotional, but not to the degree that you seem to be. There is absolutely nothing wrong with talking to your doctor and getting a professional opinion (might even be more useful than polling the internets since he can prescribe!).

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Kelly's reply made me remember what a "mama bear" I was one day after having my second baby in 11 mos. Man, were my hormones raging after being pregnant twice in a row. I had just buckled my 11 month old baby and my newborn baby in the back seat. As we were waiting to pull out of our neighborhood an old man ran in to the back of my car. (Bumpers only, nothing major) I'll never forget the look on his face when I got out of my car and screamed, "ARE YOU CRAZY? I HAVE TWO BABIES IN MY CAR!!!!" He slinked back into his car after muttering an apology and I can imagine he locked his doors. ROFL It's funny now, but man, I was ready to rip his little old head off!

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Ginny--I totally believe you! When we were on the the roadtrip I freaked out every time my husband went over 80 miles an hour! I was like, you'll get there early but me and the baby will be dead! We laughed about it but I was REALLY nervous all the same, and the hormones didn't help!!!

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Mama C-ta--your experience sounds similar to that of other gals I know who breastfeed (including me). Do you think the hormones stick around longer due to the breastfeeding? I may be making a random connection, but it seems like the women I know who've breastfed seemed to have had the baby blues (or what have you) a little longer than those who didn't. Of course this is a total generalization from a very small population--a few of my friends. It's an interesting premise!

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I am so shocked! You can get drugs to control your emotions when you're breastfeeding? I went to my midwife after the birth of my first child and told her there was something wrong with me. I wanted to hurt my husband for no reason. I told her that he was good to me but I wanted to punch him in the head! Before I would go to work in the morning, I would wake him up and tell him that I hated him!!! The midwife told me it would go away and I should really try to be nicer. Her only concern was if I wanted to hurt my child. I felt nothing but love for my baby. Thank God I married such a kind man! The midwife should have given me a perscription for something.

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This sounds TOTALLY NORMAL to me. I don't think you need any medication; you just need some time to allow your hormones to even out a little. They are really intense even three months after giving birth. It will go on that way for awhile if you are breastfeeding. It's ok.

Viewed from a totally biological angle, I think it's very normal that you are this upset about leaving your baby all day. You are a mama, and your baby needs you right now. Think about other mammals; they don't leave their children until they are a little self-sufficient (unfortunately, this takes a lot longer in humans). This is not to say you SHOULDN'T leave your son, or that daycare won't be a fine substitute for you, but just that it's normal that you feel this way.

Once he becomes more mobile and self-sufficient, you will feel differently about leaving him. That's right about when the breastfeeding hormones become less intense too, because they're not nursing 24/7.

Again: normal, normal, normal. This, too, will pass.

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While my hormones settled down after breastfeeding was done, I still find myself crying over things. I was not a crier before, but now it's silly things: thinking about my son at daycare or thinking about him at his grandmas with out me. I think that's what makes us special, our tears and how they can be produced for joy, sadness or just becuase. Anywho, just my 2 cents

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