Postpartum Changes

Are you nursing? While I was nursing my hormones stayed pretty crazy, but being on the minipill helped. Once I was able to switch to a normal birth-control pill things got a lot better. I have really sensitive skin so here's what I recommend: When you shower, make sure the water is only warm and not hot because that'll dry out your skin. Also, use only mild hypoallergenic body wash/ soap. It took me about 5 months to really start feeling somewhat normal. Good luck!

Hi L., try taking oatmeal baths, you can buy this at Walgreens. I would make an appointment with a Dermatologist to get checked over he will probably give you a perscription that will alleviate the pimple problem that is more than likely being caused by your hormones going out of control. As far as mood swings, make sure that you are getting enough sleep. You probably have heard this one before, but it is true...when the baby sleeps, you rest too. This is not the time to be cleaning the house, the house will always be there catch up on rest. As far as getting your emotions and physical self back relax and try not to stress yourself out on becoming a new mom. Do not worry, all of these crazy things happening to you can be & will be corrected stay positive! Congrats to you new mommy! Wishing you all the best to come,
Mary

You are experiencing a very steep drop in your hormones. It happens after birth and can cause all of the above things that you mentioned. Your hormones were so elevated for your pregnancy, when you come down from them it can be very drastic. Please check with your doctor about what you can take to help with this situation, if you are breastfeeding, you may have to wait a while, or use caution. But a couple things you can take that might make you feel better are Estroven and a natural Progesterone cream. Both are relatively gentle, but again I would check with your doc to make sure they are ok while breastfeeding. The progesterone cream you use twice daily and absorb through the skin to help raise your progesterone levels. The Estroven boosts your vitamin intake and helps level you out, emotionally. But, if you find that nothing is helping with the mood swings and you feel hopeless for more than another month or so, please notify your doc. Post partum depression is very common, but if it goes on for more than six months or so, you need to seek more help. Good luck.

aquaphor. it is a simple product but have found it works wonders in cold/dry weather.

and while i didn't have all your symptoms, i remember itchy skin. almost like by body was trying to slough off the layer that no longer "fit". hair that didn't fall out as normal for 9-12 months suddenly starting falling out by the handful.

one person told me (as trite as it sounds) "it took your 9 months to make the baby. give yourself a break by letting your body recover for 9 months."

Hi L.,

have you had a blood test to check your thyroid hormone level? I mention it because I recently found out I am hypothyroid which means my thyroid isn't working well. So I have started on some medication. My youngest is 3 years old, but based on the results of my blood tests and an ultrasound (which showed an enlarged thyroid and two nodules) the doctor said this has been going on for some time. I noticed some things but attributed them to other causes and was surprised to learn about my condition. The things you mention may be just typical of postpartum, but they also could be symptoms of a thyroid issue. I didn't realize before this just how many things in the body the thyroid effects (just about everything). It's worth checking out with your doctor, I think.

Best wishes and hope you're feeling better soon,
L.

I hate to say this but it took you 9 months to make a baby, it will probably take you that long to get your own body back. Keep in mind, you are dealing with climate issues, too here. The winter always makes your skin act weird - itchy, breakouts, etc. If you are breastfeeding, that is also causing your body to work really hard. It is more difficult with a little one, but take good care of your body by feeding it nourishing foods, organic fruits and veggies are a good place to start. Mention these changes to your OB/GYN and see what they think as well.

Hi,

My baby is 46 weeks old and my thighs and armss are still covered by those same pimples you were mentioning. Apparently they will be there as long as you breastfeed, so be patient. The itchyness comes and goes, but it does get better. The hair loss kind of stops about 6-8 months after birth and then you have the funny looking, very short new hairs growing above your forehead. The quality of my hair did change a little after that: it used to be straighter; now it gets frizzy very often. And the mood swings go away - although not completly. But I heard that, if you are breastfeeding, when you start weaning your baby, they come back. Hope this helps,

C.

hi, Maybe you should have your thyroid checked. My son was about 6 months old when I was still loosing a lot of hair and having extremly dry skin and being abnormally exausted. Since taking my thyroid meds, I feel about 98% better!! Just something to look into. I just got some gold bond lotion from costco and it seems to be working pretty well for the dry skin.

I had this same problem, and it will go away at some point. I think I had issues for about 7 months after my son was born. I'm guessing that Aveeno anti-itch is a lotion, I used a lot of moisturizing lotion. Don't shower every day (although with a baby, it isn't like that is likely to happen). Right after a shower my skin was always super dry (good time to lotion up), it might not be quite as bad if you shower less, maybe even skip two days, or just every other.

It will all go away, so just make sure people, especially those that are close to you, understand that you don't mean it when you freak out (those mood swings suck). I bet by the time winter is over, you will be much closer to normal.