The Making of Postpartum Depression

We look at perfect pictures of new moms, their make up is done, not a hair on their head is left uncurled.  A sweet, sleeping infant lies in their arms and by all accounts, this is the happiest moment of all.

What you don't see when the camera is focused elsewhere, is the anxiety, depression, fatigue...the overwhelming fatigue!  Welcome to postpartum!  Now,  for some women, this never becomes an issue but for a greater and growing number of women, having a baby is the hardest kind of work that no one ever tells you about.

It's pretty much common sense that creating a human being is hard and stresses a woman's body.  Somehow, even as women, we think that delivering that perfect little baby is the end of our pregnancy journey...For some, the hard work is just beginning.

Interesting things happen after childbirth.

• With the delivery of the placenta, progesterone levels plummet!  Almost immediately.  We love progesterone because it actually elevates mood.
• Estrogen remains high which results in a hormone imbalance between progesterone and estrogen.  Another term for this is estrogen dominance.
• Estrogen dominance looks like panic attacks, anxiety, depression, 
• Estrogen that is too high also prevents cortisol, our stress hormone from getting where it needs to be, in our cells, so our cortisol levels drop.  We get a double whammy because progesterone,plays a critical role in producing cortisol as well. 
• The adrenals are the back up gland to the ovaries so with low progesterone, high estrogen, low cortisol and the adrenals doubling up on work, they become fatigued and even burnt out. 
• All this hormone imbalance results in many of the symptoms you feel with postpartum depression. 

So, what can be done?

Well, it's important to understand why you are feeling the way you are.  You aren't going crazy, your body is finding it's way back to a healthy, balanced state after working so hard for 9 months.  The number one thing you can do is make sure you are getting enough sleep.  Sleep is important for resting the adrenals.  Of course, eating healthy whole foods is critically important as well.  The cruciferous family of vegetables are an excellent choice for estrogen dominance.  Vitamin B6 and Magnesium help process all of that extra estrogen and can help relieve the symptoms of postpartum depression.  A good, plant based Vitamin C raises progesterone levels over time.  

It's important to be watchful when dealing with postpartum depression.  Symptoms can escalate quickly so, visit with your doctor, and if needed, get some additional support through pharmaceuticals until things settle down.  The duration of postpartum symptoms varies between women so be patient and kind with yourself.