How do you prepare for the challenges of the postpartum period? Let’s talk about it.
Having a baby is a big change in your life.
You’re going to be sore and exhausted from giving birth, navigating breastfeeding or if you choose not to nurse – gritting your teeth as your breast milk dries up, dealing with a brand new baby. Trying to deal with anything else – housework, relatives, older children, your partner – can add to the challenges of the postpartum period.
Your hormones will bottom out from the high levels of pregnancy making you more emotional and vulnerable. If you become too overwhelmed, you may risk developing postpartum depression. Over 17% of new mothers suffer from postpartum depression.
Preparing for the postpartum period prior to delivering your baby can really help.
Be sure you prepare time to rest.
Do not schedule lots of visitors right away. You’re going to be tired. You just had a baby. So prepare time to rest. That may mean you need to do some meal prep ahead of time, stock up your refrigerator, stock up your pantry, maybe even cook some meals ahead of time and freeze them, and arrange with neighbors and family to provide meals.
Arrange for help.
Secure people who can help you do household work and care for your other children so that you can focus on healing and taking care of your newborn.
Make sure you list all your professional resources.
You’ll need the contact information for your midwife or OB, pediatrician, masseuse and pelvic physical therapist. Consider hiring a postpartum doula or nurse to assist you.
Be sure you have all the staples you’ll need in the postpartum period.
Including stool softeners, perineal care products, fluids to maintain your hydration especially if you plan to breastfeed, plus nipple care products. And of course diapers and infant care products.
Plan for ways that you might reconnect with your postpartum body.
Perhaps schedule a massage. If you get massages prenatally, why not postnatally?
Take time to recover.
You need at least six weeks after vaginal birth and eight weeks after a C-section to fully recover from childbirth.
It’s really important that you take care of yourself emotionally and psychologically.
Educate yourself about postpartum depression. Be sure to sleep and eat properly, and when you’re recovered start to exercise. And do not make major life changes before or right after childbirth.
Make sure you will let the delivery room attendants know how you feel.
And be sure you get some support during birth and through the postpartum period. If you’re feeling any signs of postpartum depression such as extreme sadness, overwhelm, anxiety, thoughts of hurting yourself or your baby, be sure you get the help you need. Tell someone close to you, contact your health care provider and try to connect with a Postpartum Support Group.
If you have any questions regarding preparing for the challenges of the postpartum period, please join me in our Hormone Support Group. You can get access by signing up for my free Hormone Reboot Training.
Having a baby changes your life immeasurably. Prior to delivery is a good time to connect with your partner. Taking some special alone time before welcoming your child into your life will help you stay connected during the postpartum period.
Remember – let people help.
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov – Post‐partum depression: a comprehensive approach to…
Frequently Asked Questions:
Can your hypothalamus cause weight gain?
Yes. The hypothalamus is the master regulator of metabolism, controlling how your body stores and burns energy through its signaling to the thyroid, adrenals, and pancreas. When the hypothalamus becomes dysregulated by chronic stress, poor sleep, inflammation, or blood sugar instability, it defends a higher weight "set point" — causing the body to hold onto fat regardless of diet or exercise. This makes hypothalamic dysfunction an upstream root cause of stubborn weight gain.
What is a weight set point and why won't mine move?
A weight set point is the body weight your hypothalamus works to defend, calibrated over time by stress, sleep, hormones, and inflammation. When you diet, the hypothalamus perceives scarcity and responds by slowing metabolism, increasing hunger hormones, and suppressing satiety signals to return you to that set point. This is why most people regain lost weight within two to five years of conventional dieting — the set point itself was never recalibrated, only temporarily overridden.
Why do I gain weight under stress even when I'm not eating more?
Chronic stress raises cortisol, which disrupts blood sugar regulation, promotes abdominal fat storage, and signals the hypothalamus that the body is under threat. In survival mode, the hypothalamus defends fat stores and slows metabolism — so weight can increase even without any change in calorie intake. The stress chemistry, not the food, is driving the weight gain, which is why stress reduction is essential to any lasting metabolic reset.
Why do I regain weight after stopping GLP-1 medications?
GLP-1 medications work peripherally on appetite and gastric signaling, but they do not address the underlying hypothalamic dysregulation that sets your defended weight. Because the hypothalamic set point is never recalibrated, the body resumes defending its original weight once the medication stops — leading to significant regain. Long-term success requires restoring hypothalamic regulation so the set point itself lowers, rather than relying on appetite suppression alone.
How long does it take to reset your metabolism?
Genuine metabolic recalibration takes a minimum of 90 days, because the hypothalamus needs consistent signals of safety and sufficiency before it will lower its defended set point. This differs from a diet, which produces temporary suppression the body quickly corrects. A 90-day reset typically moves through three phases: stabilizing stress chemistry (days 1–30), rebuilding metabolic efficiency (days 31–60), and lowering the weight set point (days 61–90).
Why does my thyroid feel slow even though my labs are "normal"?
Under chronic stress, the body converts thyroid hormone into reverse T3, which blocks active thyroid receptors and slows metabolism at the cellular level — even when standard lab values appear normal. This means you can experience genuine symptoms of slow metabolism, such as fatigue, cold intolerance, and brain fog, while your thyroid panel looks unremarkable. Addressing the upstream hypothalamic and stress signaling often improves thyroid conversion and symptoms.
Is stubborn weight gain a willpower problem?
No. Stubborn weight gain is a signaling problem, not a willpower problem. The hypothalamus governs weight through survival mechanisms that operate below conscious control — defending its set point by slowing metabolism and increasing hunger when it perceives threat. No amount of discipline can override this system; lasting change comes from restoring hypothalamic regulation through reduced stress, balanced blood sugar, restorative sleep, and targeted nutritional support.
Known as the Hormone Queen®️, I’ve made it my mission to help everyone - no matter their age - balance their hormones, and live the energy and joy their DNA and true destiny desires. See more about me my story here...
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