(Photo by Somruthai Keawjan on Unsplash)
Phillipians 4:7
And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Okay, so we’ve spoken about the importance of food postpartum. We have also spoken about resting postpartum. Now let’s talk about those crazy hormones and why it feels like you could cry an ocean one moment and be so happy the next.
During pregnancy, you not only grew a baby inside you, but you also grew an organ – the placenta. After you deliver the placenta, your hormones start to shift dramatically. In the first day or two after the delivery, you will probably experience an amazing high. No matter how your baby was born, how incredible it is to finally meet your baby! It’s normally after the first forty-eight hours after the baby is born that women begin to experience fluctuations in moods and emotions. This is labeled “baby blues”. Many women think these “baby blues are going to last forever, but usually subside around two weeks postpartum. Of course, this depends on the woman and the birth experience.
There are two hormones you need to know about. The love hormone or feel-good hormone and the stress hormone which is released when the woman is feeling anxious and obviously stressed. When a woman’s dominant love hormone is produced this causes oxytocin to be released which is needed for breastfeeding and bonding. If the love hormone is being produced, the body is less likely to produce stress hormones. So if a women feels safe, secure, and protected, her body will produce the love hormone that reinforces this feeling of relaxation, which, in turn, helps with milk production and the healing process. Stress hormones aren’t all bad. They are needed but most often, woman are producing way more stress hormones than are needed and that blocks them from accessing the positive, nurturing love hormones that are needed to experience a pleasant even blissful, postpartum period.
As I’ve said before, I’m no expert, but hopefully have made it a little easier to understand about the hormonal changes that happen postpartum. God created these hormones in our bodies for very specific reasons. In a pregnant and postpartum woman, they can be very tricky and hard to understand. Creating a calm, relaxing environment is so important and something that I cannot emphasise enough. It’s amazing what you can make happen if you think it is important and believe me, it is important. If you are still pregnant, then try to create this environment now before the baby arrives. If you are postpartum, it’s never too late, create a place that you feel protected, nurtured and peaceful now. Everyone in the family will benefit from this kind of environment.
I found this quote the other day which I think is quite appropriate. “One of the best lessons you can learn in life is to master how to remain calm.”
Kind Regards,
Sandy
Note: this blog is meant for general advice and not specific care. Please see a professional if you are needing help.