Getting Your First Postpartum Period Equals Raised Estrogen

Getting Your First Postpartum Period Equals High Estrogen

When you are pregnant, your hormones progesterone and estrogen are at their peak. But after childbirth, the level of progesterone drops significantly while estrogen does not fall as much, resulting in estrogen dominance. When you start breastfeeding, estrogen levels come down further. As long as you are breastfeeding regularly, you can enjoy a menstruation-free period of a few weeks to months. However, this will not happen forever. Your first period postpartum should begin within 6-12 weeks. Your period may not be the same as it was before pregnancy. Some of the changes may be in the form of a longer or shorter period or light or heavy flow. The cycle might stabilize after a few weeks. 

Estrogen and Post-Baby Period

When your baby is born, it won’t be long before Aunt Flo returns unless you are breastfeeding exclusively. However, when the first-period postpartum returns, your baby may react with a bit of fuss because there could be a temporary fall in milk secretion. Even hormonal changes might affect the taste of your milk during menstruation. 

Estrogen boosts the flow of blood to the genitals. It helps with vaginal dryness symptoms. High estrogen and relatively low progesterone may be one of the causes of postpartum depression symptoms. Stress and anxiety are some of the most common symptoms of PPD. When hormones drop suddenly, it is bound to cause you a lot of emotional changes. When that happens immediately after childbirth, you are unlikely to be in a normal state of mind.

Stress disrupts ovulation. As a result, progesterone production is further impeded. This means estrogen levels get a notch higher than they are supposed to be post-childbirth. If estrogen levels rise, it might impede breastfeeding. When that happens, progesterone levels could rise too. This could signal your first period postpartum.

In normal cases, estrogen plays a vital role in regulating a woman’s menstrual cycle. Your post-baby period is a sign that estrogen levels are high. During lactation, estrogen levels are usually below the lower range for a normal menstrual cycle to begin. However, after weaning, estrogen levels tend to go up and that could be a welcome call for menstruation or post-baby period.

When the menstrual cycles begin, your body is preparing for pregnancy with high estrogen and progesterone. Increased estrogen levels cause a sharp increase in Luteinizing Hormone, which results in the release of an egg from the follicle. With the follicle ruptured, progesterone and estrogen are active in preparing the uterus for pregnancy. Menstruation begins if the egg is not fertilized, resulting in the drop of both hormones. 

Nutrition and Post-Baby Period

If you’re breastfeeding, you may have to wait for your first postpartum period. But when it does begin, it could be irregular and inconsistent. 

Besides the challenge of taking care of a little human being that you have brought into the world, there are many reasons that impact your hormone balance postpartum. It is here that nutrition plays a major role in determining your physical and mental health postpartum. 

Clean eating habits and an organic approach are crucial for a safe postpartum recovery and hormonal balance. Target a focus during postpartum that includes to eliminating all questionable ingredients in your postpartum nutrition plan. The objective is to help you reach optimal health and not to slow your systems functions causing longer healing timelines and problematic goal reaching.