After having a baby, the hormone picture changes dramatically.

During pregnancy your body makes massive supplies of hormones to keep the fetus alive, make it grow, and keep you from getting sick. Your body is doing everything in its power to make sure you are able to stay well and complete the pregnancy.

When the baby is born, those very hormones that protected you actually become dangerous. If you were to continue making them, you would not survive.

The human body is a beautiful machine that knows exactly how to get rid of the extra hormones as fast as possible so you can get back to your pre-pregnancy balance.

In some cases, the body overshoots and you lose too many hormones too fast.

That is when postpartum blues occur. They are completely normal. You may feel unsettled, the mood swings that define you can become stronger, and decision-making may be more difficult.

But most women get back on track in a few short weeks as hormones go back in balance.

If you are breast-feeding, the higher level of hormones continue because you need them to feed the baby. When you stop breast-feeding, the hormone drop occurs, and many women suffer with mastitis (an inflammation of the breast tissue), serious mood swings, and irritability.

But again, with patience, progesterone, and support, things get back to normal for most women.

If they don’t, and the woman feels despondent, can’t sleep, loses interest in the baby, isn’t eating, and can’t work, then medication and counseling can help.

Increasing exercise, which releases endorphins and other “feel good hormones,” eliminating processed foods from the diet, adding more good fats and vegetables and fewer starches, sweets, and alcohol also help improve the mood.

Antidepressants?

A short course may be in order if a woman is still non-functional.

They should be taken only under the supervision of an experienced, caring, knowledgeable physician.