DISCLAIMER:
All information in and of this post is for educational purposes only. If you or any other person has a medical concern, you should consult with your health care provider or seek other professional medical treatment immediately. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something that you have read on this blog, website or in any linked materials.
Let me be vulnerable for a minute.
Becoming a mother is the most amazingly beautiful and heart stopping experience, but, if we’re honest, it is also overwhelmingly stressful. Disclaimer 2 – acknowledging that motherhood is stressful does not mean I think that motherhood is bad.
After I had my first son I went through almost a year of postpartum depression and anxiety. Like many new moms, I had no idea what was going on, and (arguably more frightening) I didn’t know how to fix it.
I am going to give you full permission in case no one has yet, that you can love being a mom and still feel like you’re going crazy.
And crazy is exactly how I felt.
I was completely immersed in joy one moment, and the next I felt as though I was gasping for breath amidst crashing waves of anxiety. I was desperate and hurting and to the point where I would do anything to feel “normal” enough to take care of and enjoy my son.
I slowly started to research my symptoms and educated myself, becoming all too familiar with postpartum depression. Concerned with how little this was discussed, and wanting to advocate for others who were struggling, I started this blog. That was in 2017.
Flash forward two years, I had just given birth to my daughter after experiencing a very traumatic miscarriage. I was so thankful to hold my sweet girl Earth side that I didn’t even think about the darkness that was looming ahead.
It was around this time that I began a journey I never knew I needed.
A friend had invited me to a webinar about something called Postnatal Depletion.
I was intrigued. You rarely hear people talk about postpartum depression, you never hear people talk about postnatal depletion.
I walked away from that webinar in tears, never feeling so seen or understood in my short years as a mother.
What I learned in that webinar changed the scope of my health and wellness. I started implementing changes slowly, and began to feel my mental and physical health transform.
Hit the button to fast forward to 2022.
I now have three beautiful babies, the youngest a minted and jolly ONE!! My whole pregnancy and postpartum experience with my third child had completely evolved from the tsunami I felt with my first.
Within the last several years I have continued to educate myself and advocate for others who might be feeling the same sense of frustration and confusion that I did as a new mom.
What I have learned is that simple steps lead to big results and knowing more empowers us to live better. And I am going to share some of that knowledge here with you.
What is Postnatal Depletion?
It’s common, but it’s not normal.
Read that again.
Postnatal depletion is a physical and mental deterioration caused not just by the process of giving birth and breastfeeding, but by the stresses and strains of modern parenthood.
In his book, The Postnatal Depletion Cure, Dr. Serrallach describes postnatal depletion as a syndrome of accumulated issues including deep fatigue, hyper-vigilance and a feeling of being overwhelmed.
What mother doesn’t feel overwhelmed? Am I right? This makes us feel like postnatal depletion is not a real thing. But it is.
Society doesn’t help as we live in this instagram and pinterest world. High five to the influencers out there embracing the real and raw.
So, let’s talk about the symptoms of PND.
- Fatigue and exhaustion
- Tired upon waking
- Hyper vigilant (“tired and wired”)
- Loss of libido
- Sense of being overwhelmed
We often refer to these symptoms as “mom brain” and contribute our exhaustion to “that’s just how it is.” But what if it doesn’t have to be?
Let’s consider the causes of PND
- High stress society
- Age of giving birth
- Starting pregnancy depleted
- Not refueling between pregnancies
- Sleep
- Lack of nutrient dense food
- Environmental pollutants
Yes, lots of these things are out of our control, but there is hope and ways we can help our mind and bodies!
There is hope and there are some simple solutions to help.
SLEEP
A big way we can refuel our bodies to fight against postnatal depletion is sleep. This is such a rough solution because sleep can be rough through all stages of motherhood, not just for new moms (I have a five year old who still gets in bed with us – just me?).
Unfortunately, most articles try to articulate ways to improve your quantity of sleep, not your quality. Getting a sufficient amount of sleep will mean nothing to your body if it doesn’t have what it needs to repair itself.
Ways to improve your quality of sleep:
- Calcium/Magnesium
I think it is fascinating that our bodies were created to know that once a baby is in your belly, they get first dibs on ALL the nutrients you consume/produce. This was one of the most interesting things I learned when I began to educate myself on postnatal depletion. Not only does this duo help with sleep, it will also help prevent late night leg cramps and dental cavities.
- Ashwagandha
According to sleepfoundation.org, “Preliminary research has found that ashwagandha may help people fall asleep faster, spend more time asleep, and experience better sleep quality. Ashwagandha is an herb known as an adaptogen, that helps to protect the body. Ashwagandha is also said to have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties and can help naturally treat anxiety, cognitive impairments, and even diabetes.
Energy
- Sleep
It just makes sense that when we get quality sleep, our body can create energy more efficiently. Harvard Medical School recognized “Someone whose deep sleep is restricted will wake up feeling less refreshed than a person who got adequate deep sleep. When a sleep-deprived person gets some sleep, he or she will pass quickly through the lighter sleep stages into the deeper stages and spend a greater proportion of time there, suggesting that deep sleep fills an essential role in a person’s optimal functioning.”
- Exercise
I love how Harper Guerra (@guerrahealth) encourages us that exercise is about “health not figure.” We hear the word exercise and think we need to hit the gym or become a crossfit athlete. But the truth is, you just need to move your body. Harper also advocates for moms to get creative, suggesting using babies and toddlers as weights for squats! (I can attest that they love this.)
- Iron, B Vitamins, Vitamin D3
Ten to one you tell me you have this in your multivitamin. You can find them (or should find them) in your prenatals. But, did you know these are 3 of the hardest vitamins for our bodies to absorb? Moreover, the FDA doesn’t regulate supplements, so the integrity of a company is crucial in finding quality tested, pure ingredients. Proper absorption and pure vitamins are the best way to help refuel your body with natural energy.
Nutrition
- Protein
Protein is a critical part of the processes that fuel your energy and carry oxygen throughout your body in your blood. It also helps make antibodies that fight off infections and illnesses and it helps keep cells healthy and allows the body to create new ones. In the busy culture we have created, moms need to be intentional about refueling our bodies with what they need (and not just grabbing and going or picking off the kids plate)!
- Vegetables
Be honest. How many veggies do you consume in a week? The cdc recommends that women eat 2-3 cups of green veggies a week. Since the baby is getting first dibs of all those nutrients, you want to make sure you are eating clean and organic or taking sufficient supplements to make up for the loss of nutrient density in cooking or quality.
- Nutrient Density
So many things have contributed to the continuing loss of density in nutrients. According to Scientific American’s article Vanishing Nutrients, “rising carbon dioxide levels are making our food less nutritious, robbing key crops of vitamins essential to human development.” Basically, you can eat your 2-3 recommended cups of veggies or your recommended protein, but it means nothing if the nutrients aren’t there.
Gut Health & Hormones
- Fun Facts:
Do you know how much our gut influences how we feel?
40% of brain receptors in our gut
70% of the immune system is in our gut
95% of serotonin is made in our gut
https://www.healthline.com/health/digestive-health/things-your-gut-wants-you-to-know#7.-Sleep-in-on-the-weekends
Your gut health MATTERS.
- Omega 3’s
Omega 3’s are one of the top depletions in women. Omega 3’s also influence babies brain, skin, eyes, as well as ours. Omega 3’s are also one of the least eaten and consumed nutrients for most people.
- Omega 6’s
Omega 6 is also known as GLA (Gamma-linolenic acid). It’s found in various plant seed oils such as borage oil and evening primrose oil. GLA helps to balance hormones, which is essential in combating postnatal depletion.
What we put into our body matters.
As I said in the beginning, postnatal depletion is common, but it’s not normal. Thankfully, there are ways we can refuel ourselves from the depletion.
Personally, finding natural sources to refuel is a priority in my life. Unfortunately, as we noted above, most foods – the most natural form of consuming most of these things we’re depleted of – are not nearly as nutrient dense as they once were.
Therefore, supplementation is key. But not all supplements are created equal, and finding a company you can trust is vital to experiencing transformational change.
I want to share my MVR (Most Valuable Resource) with you; Shaklee.
Clinical Results Without Compromise
Dr. Forrest Shaklee created the first multivitamin in the US in 1915. From there, the innovation, integrity, and intense testing has created the bandwagon for the boom in the health and wellness business.
Dr. Shaklee knew the importance of sharing ways to be naturally well and Shaklee Corporation was created over 65 years ago.
The Shaklee Difference
SAFE
- Shaklee is beyond organic, meaning they test more vigiliently than what is required to be considered “organic.”
- This company performs 350+ purity tests on new botanicals
- 100,000 annual quality tests to make sure what is on the bottle is in the bottle
- They spend over $300 MILLION in Research and Development
PROVEN
- 100 + patents/patents pending
- 140 clinical studies / presentations (so you know that it will work and its safe)
- 144 Gold/Silver/Bronze Olympic Medalists who openly only use Shaklee supplements
- On EVERY NASA mission since 1993
GUARANTEED
Probably my most favorite thing about Shaklee, and a big reason I chose to partner with them, is their transparency and confidence in what they are doing.
Shaklee believes in the safety and proven performance of all their products. If you are not satisfied with any of their products, you can send them back for a FULL REFUND – even if the container is empty – NO QUESTIONS ASKED!
You are not alone.
I hope this article helps to encourage you in your postpartum journey and I hope that you learned some things while reading this that help you realize you are not alone, mama.
If anything you read, researched, or listened to intrigued you into wanting to learn more (like it did for me), I invite you to take a three minute personalized assessment (click here). This is one of the easiest steps to get started on the journey to refueling your mind and body!
Questions? Comments? Curious? Fill out the form below and I can help connect you with some naturally well resources!
