Postpartum depletion

Postpartum depletion is the physical, mental, hormonal, and emotional deterioration caused by pregnancy, birth, breastfeeding, lack of sleep and the stresses of motherhood. 

Around 50% of mothers will experience postpartum depletion! 50%!!! AND can last up to 10 years for some! Umm what? I find this so very shocking because really what is being done about it?  

What does postpartum depletion look like in the short term?

Unfortunately many of the symptoms listed below we have come to believe are normal for mamas to experience, and quite often blow it off as just a part of life. I hear mamas say so often “it's ok it’s just a mum thing, we are all tired”... NO it's not ok. These things might be common but they are never ever normal! 

• Brain fog

• Overwhelm

• Low energy

• Frustration

• Hair loss

• Anxiety

• Difficulty sleeping

• Acne

• Cold sores

• Continual sickness and colds

• Mood swings

• Fatigue 

What causes it? 

Unfortunately there is little emphasis on the nutrition needed to grow a baby during pregnancy. During this time there are a number of nutrients including (but not limited to) vitamin A, B12, C, D3, zinc, magnesium, omega 3, iron and calcium, which are essential for supporting the growth and development of a baby but also the health of the mother. Quite often a mother does not consume enough of these nutrients while pregnant which leaves her already depleted before she is even postpartum. Then we add in the blood loss, exhaustion from labour and birth, her body literally changing its structure or being cut open to deliver her baby, the lack of sleep that follows, the production of breastmilk and little focus on replenishing these lost nutrients, she ends up even more deprived than ever. As little focus as there is on nutrition during pregnancy there is even less focus on nutrition and recovery postpartum. For a while a mama can push through it but the body can only take so much, eventually she is going to be pregnant and postpartum again or a major stress will happen in her life or she stops eating enough nutritious foods or something else pushes her too far and then as a result causes extreme sickness and general unhappiness develops. 

How do we recover from or prevent postpartum depletion? 

The first thing we need to do is focus on proper nutrition and whole food support while pregnant and postpartum. What does that mean? How do we do that? 
My top tips

• Eat 1 serving of leafy greens daily

• 2 meals a day should include colourful vegetables

• Drink a minimum 2.5 L of water a day, and more like 3L if you are breastfeeding.

• Healthy fats at every meal. For example, nuts and nut butters, seeds, coconut oil, avocado, oily fish.

• Limit processed sugars, additives and inflammatory foods like gluten and dairy. 

• Consume fermented food like sauerkraut for gut support

• Consume omega 3 DHA. This is the main fat used for brain function, studies show that a mothers brain literally changes during pregnancy and birth. If you are breastfeeding and not getting enough omega 3 DHA your body will draw it from your brain and give to your baby to support their own brain development, the ultimate depletion in my book! If you do not consume oily fish like sardines and salmon at least 4 times a week I recommend supplementing, this is the one I recommend.

• Continue to take a high quality prenatal supplement (you can read my blog post here) for at least 6 weeks postpartum if you are not breastfeeding and if you are continue to take it for the entire time you are breastfeeding. Also, consume a whole food support product to fill in the gaps of what you are actually eating and what you should be eating. Let's be real, do we eat the above everyday? No days skipped? I know I don't. Here is what I recommend.

• Read my pregnancy nutrition Ebook. You can grab it here.

My other tips for recovering from postpartum depletion

• Move daily. To start with this could be simply doing some yoga or going for a walk

• Get outside into the fresh air and nature everyday 

• Lean into your support team. Ask them to look after bub for you, or help with the washing, to pick up some food for you or do some cleaning. Or anything that will allow you to be able to get some rest while bub is asleep. 

• Stop comparing yourself to other mamas

What can it lead to in the long term?

Don’t be fooled, this is nothing to take lightly. If mamas do not look after themselves in the initial stages after birth they will suffer in the long run. It might be 12 months down the track or it could be 5 years. Did you know that women are more likely to suffer from a chronic illness than men? In my opinion this has everything to do with the way we look after ourselves and other mamas after birth and the years following. Below is a list of just some of the long term effects of postpartum depletion.

• Thyroid dysfunction

• Poor immune health and function

• Poor gut health

• Poor bone health

• Weight gain or difficulty losing weight

• Postpartum depression

• Type 2 diabetes 

• Hormonal dysfunction

• Difficulty conceiving another baby 

• More health issues in future pregnancies for example gestational diabetes and hypertension

Feeling drained, rundown, sick and tired is not a normal part of motherhood, it's common but it's not normal and it doesn’t have to be your story.