Post Pregnancy Hormones Still Out of Wack

Updated on December 19, 2010
S.T. asks from Scarborough, ME
10 answers

I'm not looking for a solution to this but just wondering if anyone has gone through this. I am a mother of two and my youngest is 10 months old. After my first son was born I didn't have my period for just over a year. But what I did have was like ultra pms every month. I was seriously convinced that I was going through some kind of rare early menopause. I would have these hot flashes, irratable as hell, sometimes cramping. I remember one winter morning sweating like crazy and was ready to go rip my husbands head off for turning the heat up so high when I looked at the thermostat it was only 65 in the house. I went to my doctor convinced I was either going through menopause or was pregnant with some type of problem. Anyway it was neither of those things and she said my body was just trying to kick back into normal mode. Now with my second son I'm having the same thing going on, the hot flashes, the irriatabilty, and horrible horrible acne. Thank god it doesn't last too long (well the acne seems to last but the hot flashes don't). Has anyone dealt with this?

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J.L.

answers from Chicago on

Yes perfectly normal yes a pain but not an issue...Doc said we could regulate with the "pill" but I opted not to ...seems like I am back on track...Believe me I had the same symptoms you're describing.

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L.A.

answers from Boston on

I had the acne and extreme early pregnancy symptoms because of my hormones being out of wack. I was convinced I was pregnant again. It was so disappointing that I wasn't. It lasted a year and then it was finally better. I didn't think they lasted that long, but they did. I hope yours ends soon. Good luck.

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K.R.

answers from San Diego on

pre-babies, i was never pms-y or anything, but after, I was a roller coaster of mood swings. if you don't think you can take it much longer, make a dr appt...those hot flashes seem pretty strong

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J.S.

answers from Boston on

Yes definitely! I didn't have this after my first three deliveries but last year I was a gestational carrier and had twin in October for a friend. This past May, I ended up seeing my PCP and by OB because I felt so out of whack. Everything you describe above was going on, but I had periods (extremely heavy, long, and less than 4 weeks apart). The acne is awful, I was a crabby, moody psychopath, had rapid weight gain, trouble sleeping, etc. To me, all signs pointed towards hormone imbalance. Honestly my well-meaning docs were no help whatsoever. My PCP wrote me a prescription for Prozac (which I never filled - I've seen PPD and regular depression and knew that this wasn't it). My OB offered to put in an IUD or do uterine ablation to help with the heavy periods and I said thanks but no thanks to those too.

So...I'm now 14 months post-partum and I feel like my old self again. I still have acne (a Neutrogena 7-day intensive acne treatment pack that I got at Target really did help get it under control) and I'm still fat but my periods are normal, my sleep is normal, the hot flashes are gone, and my mood is back to normal. In my case, I breastfed my own children for 1-2 years so I think that insulated me a bit from the rapid hormone changes that I went through this time because I did not breastfeed the twins.

Anyway, take heart - as you know from before, you will get back to your old self soon. My symptoms started to improve at around the 9-10 month PP mark but I did promise that if I didn't start to feel better soon I would have pursued something like acupuncture. I've had friends with all kinds of weird hormone issues have tremendous relief of their symptoms and re-balance of their systems from acupuncture.

Good luck!

After reading the other responses, edited to add that I had my thyroid checked (and re-checked, and re-checked) and mine is totally normal and I wasn't on any birth control after this recent pregnancy. But the symptoms definitely seemed like thyroid problems or PCOS - it's worth checking those out but don't be too frustrated if you come back "perfectly normal." I was hoping that something was wrong so that it could be fixed and time was the only real healer for me. I also started exercising a lot over the summer and that may have helped with starting to feel more normal.

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E.M.

answers from Johnstown on

My "babies" are almost 6 yrs old and my hormones are STILL out of wack. The dr. told me that due to my condition (PCOS) I will NEVER be normal unless I take meds. My mom died from uterine cancer and these meds help increase cancer chances....so guess what? I won't be taking the meds. I just deal with it on my own with diet and exercise and the exercise really helps alot.

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L.M.

answers from Boston on

Yes, after my daughter I had horrible hot flashes for months. I don't remember being irritable, but I'm sure I was. Some nights I would go and sleep in our sunroom because it was only about 55 degrees out there and I wouldn't even need a blanket! It can't remember how long it lasted. Hang in there!

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S.D.

answers from Dothan on

Hormones hate you, they will continue to hate you till you get back on track. Are you breastfeeding? If you are thats the reason why! If not it could still take a bit to restablalize. Also another thing might be BC if your on it. Just admit it, hormones hate you. They hate me too, I gained 50 lbs with each child on a vegetarian diet 0.o. They made me crazy!

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D.P.

answers from Raleigh on

I am sort of dealing with the same thing right now. I have a 15 week old that is formula fed. I still haven't started my period yet. With my 4 yo son, I started when he was 5 weeks old and he was exclusively breastfed. I have these crazy mood swings, weight fluctuations/bloating, and hot flashes, but still nothing. I'm not pregnant again, and wonder if there is something else going on. I even posted about it here, but was assured it was normal. I did have a horrible infection, and was on antibiotics for 10 weeks so I thought that had something to do with it. I have been off of them for about a month now, so I don't know. I think if I still don't get my period soon, I will see my doc and have some blood work done. Thinking something could be up with my thyroid-it's really frustrating!

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E.M.

answers from Boston on

so sorry you are going through all this - sounds awful! I haven't been through this, but would offer that perhaps changing your diet and adding in exercise might help? Do you take a good multi vitamin?

Acupuncture might also be a source of relief for you. Also, in addition to having your thyroid checked, get your vitamin D levels checked.

Good luck, and I hope you feel better soon!

M.3.

answers from St. Louis on

Have you had blood work done? Sounds like it could be your thyroid.

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