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What is Post-Natal Depletion?
What happens if we find a woman experiencing long-term emptying of her cup? I would describe that as post-natal depletion—the mental and physical deterioration of a mother’s health caused by the accumulation of long-term deficiencies and emptying of her cup; as a result of pregnancy, birth, breastfeeding, and the stress of parenting. What the female body goes through to create a human life is nothing less than extraordinary, and her body gives an immeasurable amount of nutrients to her baby, tapping into her own stores and emptying them out.
Nutrient Depletion During Pregnancy
During pregnancy, the placenta sends a tonne of nutrients to the baby, essentially lowering the amount available to the mother. The mother’s stores of iron, zinc, magnesium, Vitamin B12, Vitamin B9, iodine, selenium, and especially DHA are dipped into. These are the nutrients, vitamins, and minerals most commonly lacking in the postpartum period.
Now, with these ‘nutrient buckets’ so low, the only way to increase the stores is by increasing the mother’s intake. This can be done both with foods and supplements. Nourishing herself through foods is going to make such a big difference in preventing post-natal depletion and exhaustion, as these nutrient stores can be filled back up before mental and physical deterioration is experienced.
Foods to Focus On
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Iron-rich foods: Red meat, eggs, spinach.
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Magnesium-rich foods: Dark chocolate, kale, spinach.
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DHA-rich foods: Fatty fish, salmon, tuna, eggs, avocado, olive oil.
The Hormonal Rollercoaster
The hormonal journey after having a baby is the most profound and intense hormonal roller-coaster a woman can go through. Think seven years of puberty but propelled into a period of less than a year. One of the most marked hormonal changes is a very low level of oestrogen immediately following birth. This can lead to:
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A lowered mental state
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Dry vagina
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Hot sweats
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Low libido
To ease this period of low oestrogen, focusing on phytoestrogen foods can help. I suggest having one tablespoon of flaxseed meal daily, as it contains a high amount of phytoestrogens, which almost tricks your body into thinking it has higher oestrogen than it really does.
Why Postpartum Health Matters
What I really wish all new mothers knew is that the postpartum period is as equally about you and your health as it is about your baby’s. You’ve grown an entire human, birthed it, and possibly are breastfeeding. The toll this takes is immense, and I highly recommend supplementation to get you back to your pre-pregnancy nutritional status.
Essential Supplements
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A high-quality multivitamin
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DHA supplementation
DHA is literally broken down from our brain cells and given to our baby via the placenta in the third trimester, which can cause brain fog, lack of concentration, and poor memory. Our brain cells are made of essential fatty acids, so replenishing DHA is vital. It also passes through breast milk, supporting your baby’s brain development.
