Are you postnatally depleted?

What does that headline even mean?!? When a woman becomes pregnant and the placenta has formed it takes about 7 grams of fat per day from mom to help baby grow. That is about 5% of mom’s brain and this is why women say they have baby brain! Because their children took the fat from her brain to grow. The body also takes mom’s stores of iron, zinc, vitamin B12, vitamin B9, iodine, selenium etc. Even if the stores of these vital vitamins and minerals were low the body takes them all from mom for baby, leaving her depleted. And if mom took birth control any time in her life she is probably already depleted of those minerals. To top it off if we do not replete those minerals and vitamins before having more children(this could be a cause for secondary infertility) women tend to continue to be depleted.

Women who are postnatally depleted will have symptoms of fatigue, anxiety, a sense of unease, feel wired and tired, feel guilt, shame, feel isolated, frustrated, overwhelmed, have baby brain, brain fog. This can also be diagnosed by a medical provider as post partum anxiety. Postnatal depletion can be seen up to 7 years after having a child with a peak incidence at 4 years.

Nettle tea infusions

It is important to make sure that before you become pregnant or even after you have had any children that you are eating foods rich in vitamins and minerals. And that if you are not that you are taking a quality supplement, which means that it isn’t cheap or synthetically made. You can always check how good your supplement is by baking it for 10 minutes at 350 degrees. If you see any black stuff leaching out that means it is petroleum and you should not be taking it. The supplement should turn a darker brown color. If you need help with a certain supplement we have many in the office.

It is also important to note that if your body is stressed out and in ‘fight or flight’ mode you don’t digest your food well and your body is more impaired at absorbing any nutrients it may need. Chiropractic adjustments help your body to level out and bring you back into a balance between ‘fight or flight’ and ‘rest and digest’ modes of our body.  It is important to get adjusted along with repleting your stores of vitamins and minerals.

If you believe you may be postnatally depleted give our office a call.